We enjoyed a fascinating morning in June, learning about Artbank and visiting 2022 mentor Sean Meilak in his nearby studio. We started at Artbank’s Collingwood office and storage facility, where staff explained how the Art leasing business supports living Australian artists by the acquisition of their works. It was wonderful to see a hang of works by VCA artists who are part of Artbank’s collection, including many past mentors of the VCA Access program. Sean then talked about his work, Park Life, which is part of the Artbank collection. We were then free to explore the Aladdin’s Cave of the storage facility, with racks and shelves full of amazing contemporary Australian art.
Following this, we were welcomed into Sean’s studio located in a historic building on Smith Street. We were also joined by Sarah Murray from Niagara Galleries, where Sean has been represented since he completed his studies at VCA. Many works of Sean’s were on display, including the marquette for an upcoming public commission and some stunning drawings. Sean explained various aspects of his work, process and inspiration, giving us a fabulous insight into his practice. It was an exciting morning, and tremendous to learn more about Artbank as well as getting up close to one of our mentor’s artistic practice.
