Shortlisted for The Fabric Award: International Design and Architecture Awards

‘My Country’ botanical velvets - left to right Rosie Pink, Betty Pink, Daisy Brown, Lilly Green, Melita Dusty Pink

Exciting news! Bay Gallery Home’s innovative fabric collection has been shortlisted for a major award at this year’s International Design and Architecture Awards.

Our ‘My Country’ range has been chosen by the events’s curators, Design et al, to vie with famous brands like Liberty Fabrics for the prestigious Fabric Design Award. The winner will be chosen by a judging panel of 26,000 industry professionals and announced at the awards show in London in September.

The ‘My Country’ interiors collection has taken five years of dedication and investment to build and it is a joy to see it being recognised. It has been created against sometimes difficult challenges, including the pandemic, Australian wildfires, personal tragedies and, in the fabrics case, manufacturers going out of business just as the first prints came off the press, leaving me to start all over again.

So much has been poured into this creation, with us often to’ing an fro’ing across the world to spend days and nights in the car driving around our desert communities in search of beautiful Aboriginal artwork. It has a been a real family effort too - my mother is always at the wheel (driving 3000km from Brisbane) and my children squished into the back for the long journey from Alice Springs to “Outbush”.

Lots of adventures were had including my Mum greeting us at Lasseter’s Hotel in Alice in 2017 with a lump the size of a grapefruit on her lower leg. “Oh, don’t worry,” she shrugged as she helped load our bags into the boot. “It’s just a snake bite I got sleeping in the swag on the way here.”

There have been many hours spent slogging up and down the motorways of the UK searching of the right designers and manufacturers capable of making a product that can compete against the worlds best design houses.

‘My Country’ is a collection of 12 breathtaking designs - all taken from the work of some of the most talented artists among the oldest continuous race on Earth - on a range of five fabric bases. They are suitable for upholstery and soft furnishings including cushions, lamps and curtains.

Thank you to all those who have collaborated with us and bought from us over the years. We hope you agree it’s been worthwhile.

Wish us luck!

‘My Country’ fabrics are from paintings by: Lilly Kemarre Morton (Lilly Green) , Betty Pula Morton (Betty Pink) , Alana Ngwarraye Holmes (Alana Pink), Daisy Kemarre Turner (Daisy Brown), Joycie Pitjara Morton (Joycie Yellow), Michelle Pula Holmes (Michelle Blue), Rosie Ngwarraye Ross (Rosie Pink and Rosie Blue), Ruth Nungarrayi Spencer (Ruth PInk, Ruth Blue, Ruth Red) and Sarah Napurrurla Holmes (Bush Onion).

Images of some of them are below (left to right): Michelle Pula Holmes, Lilly Kemarre Morton, Betty Pula Morton, Rosie Ngwarraye Ross and Ruth Nungarrayi Spencer.

Photograph credits: Alexandra O’Brien, Adam Carter & Lara Damiani Think Films

Light Up! Christmas Party Friday 10 December 2021

Every year Bay Gallery Home hosts a Christmas party to coincide with the Tetbury Christmas light switch on. Tetbury comes together to celebrate Christmas with a street party and many independent shops remaining open for late night gift shopping, drinks and nibbles.

This year we would love all our amazing, supportive clients, friends and Tetbury community to join us for drinks and canapes as a thank you for helping us navigate and grow during the challenges of the last year.

Thank you one and all for embracing our crazy enterprise of bringing Aboriginal art to the Cotswolds!

Party starts at Bay Gallery Home from 1800. Please ensure you have done a lateral flow test beforehand and bring your mask. The road outside is closed so you can enjoy your drink out there if you’d prefer not to be indoors.

Please RSVP where possible. Many thanks. x

Christmas Gift ideas - 'My Country' Aboriginal art cushions!

At Bay Gallery Home our gorgeous ‘My Country’ cushions are flying out the door with Christmas orders for them flying in.

Infused with 70,000 years of ancient culture our cushions bring you back to a place where our connection to earths natural beauty is freshly appreciated. Our cushions designs are translations of Aboriginal creation myths, law, topographical mapping, bush medicine and bush tucker. As each one is translated from Aboriginal paintings you are, in essence, buying an artwork while supporting the Central Desert artists and communities we represent.

The fabric collection comes in 12 different designs seven of which match our wallpapers. You can choose between cotton velvet, poly velvet, avanti linen and cotton fabrics in any of the designs. They are available ready made in 50x50cm, 40x40cm and various sized bolsters all with hidden zippers and feather or poly infills. Or you can order bespoke cushions.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing more Christmas ideas with you including our wonderful upside down umbrellas which are perfect gifts for the people with everything!

Please get in touch with alexandra@baygalleryhome.com or call 077776 157 066 for more information regarding our cushions or making service.

Bay Gallery Home has reopened!

Bay Gallery Home is very excited to welcome people back into our gallery now the lockdown has finally ended for non-essential retail.

This lockdown was harder than previous ones as we barely recovered from the Summer one before being thrust into the next two so it’s with great relief we can reopen giving you the opportunity to see the beautiful paintings we have imported during lockdown in the flesh.

We’ve also used the time we’ve been shut to make more velvet cushions and pouffes. You are going to love them! They feel and look amazing.

Come and feast your eyes on artwork by the oldest continuous race in the world. Indigenous communities across the world were particularly under threat from Covid but as the communities closed, very early on in the pandemic, across Australia they remained safe and in good health. The art centres are cautiously reopening so we’ll have more work arriving over the next couple of months.

Wishing you all the best and look forward to seeing old and new faces in our Tetbury, Cotswolds gallery.

Merry Christmas and New Year 2021

Our new Rosie Blue and Rosie Pink Cushions from artwork by Central Desert artists, Rosie Ngwarraye Ross. These cushion are also on sale at Cotswold Trading, Broadway.

Wishing all our clients, collaborators and especially our wonderful Artists and all the Art Centre staff a happy festive period. The last couple of years have brought Australia many challenges with the fires and now the pandemic. Despite the distances we’re all working hard to bring you beautiful art and new ‘My Country’ interior offerings. We hope you love our work and continue to support the Gallery and everyone we work with.

Bay Gallery Home is open with limited opening hours between 28 December to 31 December 2020. We are open between 1100-1500 (give or take) and open by appointment so please call 07776 157 066 or email alexandra@baygalleryhome.com to arrange a visit.

We have many new exciting developments to share with you so keep an eye on our website.

More paintings have arrived!

On our website you can see new paintings by some of our many talented artists. They arrived yesterday and we sold one this morning so if you have your heart set on any of the paintings please don’t delay in ordering it.

The pandemic has forced people to reassess their lives in many ways. In the gallery we are finding people wanting to cover their walls in meaningful, exuberant art after staring at them for so long during lock downs across the world. As such we’ve selected artworks which keep you captivated letting your eyes wander aimlessly across the canvas. The new selection is a mixture of bold blues, oranges, greens and reds for those that need an uplift during Zoom calls or afternoons with the children. We’ve also catered for people who need a calming influence after a stressful day with pastel blue, pinks, browns and yellows.

The Aboriginal people have suffered so much but remain incredibly resilient. It serves as an inspiration to us every day to do the best under the circumstances - we’re hoping that the artwork will serve as uplifting inspiration to you too.

Bay Gallery Home reopening Monday 15 June 2020

Joycie Pitjara Morton cotton blind. Design taken from painting by Joycie.

Bay Gallery Home is reopening Monday 15 June and we can’t wait to welcome old and new faces to our unique Aboriginal art gallery in Tetbury, the Cotswolds.

The Gallery is designed in such a way that it is easy to keep 2m social distance. If you would like to buy from us but you’re uncomfortable coming inside we’re happy to bring paintings, products from our ‘My Country’ interiors collections and our range of home wares outside.

We also have a remote payment system which works outside.

Inside the gallery we have a sink where you can wash your hands or use the gel hand sanitizer provided. Sanitizing wet wipes will also be provided. We ask that if you would like to look at something more closely you let us handle it for you. All products are sold in boxes only handled when unpacked - we do not sell the display items (unless it is the last one).

If you have recently travelled from overseas please make sure you’ve quarantined for two weeks as per our Governments guidance. Tetbury has largely been spared the ravages of Covid-19 by carefully adhering to the Public Health Guidelines. Please help us maintain the health of everyone here and our NHS staff.

Tetbury has a plethora of incredibly interesting independent shops and we are all looking forward to welcoming you to our beautiful Cotswold town.

Rubbish Art - beware buying fake, appropriated or sweatshop Aboriginal art

Athena Nangala Granites, Yanjirlpirri or Napaljarri-Warnu Jukurrpa, (Star or Seven Sisters Dreaming)

Bay Gallery Home often gets approached with people wanting to us to sell Aboriginal paintings they’ve bought. Sadly time and time again we have to inform them that the paintings, despite having [questionable] certificates of authenticity, are from disreputable sources. Most likely they are fake or they have been acquired under sweatshop conditions. Aboriginal artists are particularly vulnerable if they are not working within the protection of an Aboriginal owned art centre.

Bay Gallery Home won’t deal on the secondary market as we only work with art centres ensuring the artists are renumerated for the paintings we sell. We’ve been wanting to write this blog for sometime as it’s evident questionable works are making it into the UK market. There are several reputable dealers in the UK so if you want an authentic work please approach any of us so we can ensure you have a work you can be confident is genuine, you can resell and that you are assured the artist will be compensated for their work.

To help you work out how to buy good Aboriginal art not “rubbish art”:

1. Look up address of gallery and thoroughly go through their website. Many of the questionable paintings or “rubbish art” we are offered are for sale with only a PO Box as the address. Sometimes the sellers name alerts me that something is up. In the 15 years I’ve been dealing Aboriginal art I’ve never come across a gallery operating under the name or the dealers name appearing on the certificates I’ve been shown. Look carefully at the photo of the artist on the certificate. Does the artist look happy? I’ve been shown certificates where the artist clearly looks distressed, others where the artists head doesn’t even appear in the picture. Sometimes the background itself is distressing - a dirty bit of carpet they’ve been sitting on for hours painting an artwork surrounded by shopping trolleys out the back of a building. These should all ring alarm bells.

2. You may be offered paintings by carpetbaggers. Carpetbaggers are people who approach artists and offer them very little money for the paintings then go on to sell them for a large profit. Often these people were professionals who came into contact with Aboriginal communities through their work. The prevalence of carpetbagging is one of the reasons art centres were established.

3. The works should be on good quality linen. If the work is painted black to the edge and the “canvas” feels plastic then it’s best avoided. Art centres do not offer paintings like that. In the past we have been offered paintings like this and could not authentic where or by who they were painted.

4. Beware of sheer bulk of work offered. If you are offered a choice of hundreds of paintings (remember the ones on a plastic feeling canvas) approach with care. Many of the Aboriginal communities are small with 30-150 artists painting at any one time. These works are then chosen by established galleries around the world.

5. If you want an Aboriginal painting try to buy one from a gallery with bricks and mortar not just an online presence. You should be able to see and feel the painting. Ask lots of questions about the stories behind the painting, the artist and the community. A legitimate Aboriginal art dealer will be able to answer all your questions as well as offer you anecdotal stories because they have been to the art centres and met the bulk of artists they represent.

6. Ochre paintings have employed “chemical fingerprints” so as to identify works produced by Aboriginal artists (ochres are mainly used by artists in the Kimberly region). The chemical is mixed with the paint so as to distinguish authentic art from imported art done by non-Aborignal artists.

7. Sometimes people comment that our paintings aren’t perfect. Funnily enough imperfections are what you are looking for in Aboriginal art. Many of our paintings will have bits of the desert in them, human or dog hair and we’ve even had one with tomato seeds! Dogs are central to Aboriginal communities and form an important part of art centre life so are often sitting close to the artists so it’s no surprise their hair makes it into some of the work. While the artists are incredibly gifted with geometric patterns if you have a work that’s gone slightly awry then it’s more likely authentic.

8. Steer clear of sites like eBay where a lot of fakes or paintings done under duress are offered.

9. Cultural appropriation is a major threat to the authentic Aboriginal art industry. Moves have been taken to curtail this, like the Australian Government initiative  ‘Fake Art Harms Culture’, but we ask you to be mindful when buying didgeridoos, boomerangs, digging sticks etc. A lot of these are imported from Indonesia and China. A shocking example of this in the UK was a fake work used in Ricky Gervais’s tv show After Life. The painting used was a copy of a painting by Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Tingarri Dreaming (1987). Derek Productions, Gervais’s production company has since paid compensation to the artist and obtained a retrospective license to use the painting. Timna Woollard, the artist commissioned to copy the original art work has said to was among those commissioned for a UK television and prop company in 1989.