December 2010 sees the tenth anniversary of Redfern’s Boutwell Draper Gallery, a space that has been home to a diverse selection of painters, photographers, sculptors, digital and installation artists since its establishment in 2001 by husband and wife team James Draper and Susan Boutwell.   

The gallery has seen many artists, both upcoming and established, local and international, exhibit under Boutwell and Draper’s careful curatorship.

International artists like the renowned English sculptor and photographer Andy Goldsworthy, Germany’s great contemporary stone sculptor Ulrich Ruckriem and Scotland’s famous poet, sculptor and gardener Ian Hamilton Finlay, all held their first Australian solo exhibitions at Boutwell Draper.

The one common requirement for artists is that their work be innovative and of the highest quality. “I like to think that what they make adds to the history of art” says Draper.

Certainly, much of Boutwell Draper Gallery’s success comes from the owners’ strong relationships with their artists, and their keen ability to seek out compelling, exciting new art.

“It’s about intellectual challenge and great visual imagery,” says Draper. “Showing and curating the best.”

Group exhibitions form an integral part of Boutwell Draper Gallery’s annual program. Key past events have included Trailblazers, which focused on Australian and international urban art, and Art with Paper, for which a diverse range of artists showed work that had paper as its basis.

Next for Boutwell Draper Gallery is the third annual Art + Architecture group show, to take place in February next year.

An exhibition bringing together a diverse group of new and established Sydney architects along with a selection of work by the gallery artists, it allows Boutwell and Draper to pursue a lifelong passion for architecture, as well as giving the architecture community regular access to a broader audience.       

Passion for art and a love of diversity is the key to Boutwell Draper Gallery’s success. “We could just focus on paintings… but that would not be enough,” says Draper.

“Our passion has kept us going,” adds Boutwell. “Collectors and a lot of people in the arts acknowledge that we do it because we love art, architecture and design.”

Boutwell Draper Gallery
boutwelldrapergallery.com.au