About the Group Show:

You Got A Friend, 2021 is the first of what we hope will become an annual In the Skies tradition - where we invite all the artists who have exhibited throughout the year to return for a group show reunion and, here’s the twist, bring a friend!

This show was intended to coincide with the Surf Coast Arts Trail (that unfortunately got cancelled due to COVID), as a way to re-showcase everyone we’ve worked with this season, to represent or shine extra light on their presence and contributions to regional Arts (and beyond!). There was no specific theme for the show, it was purely a celebration of the artists themselves - their existence and their practice generally.

You Got A Friend is also a way to learn more about the artists who have shown at In the Skies over the year. Opening up the space for them to include an ‘artist friend’ - someone they know, whose work they admire - enriches our connection to them as artists in context. Additionally, including a whole new hand of artists is an opportunity to expand and connect our worlds and communities a little more, for all involved - the gallery, artists, audiences and patrons alike.

The element of surprise and unknown around who the artists’ will invite, what themes will be explored, and how the works will look in the space together, felt to us like a beautifully open and freeing concept for a group show. By pretty much removing the curator’s hand all together, the show becomes a pure tribute to the artists in our orbit, as well, no doubt, a kind of revealing of the gallery (in the mirror) itself! We throw the meaning of this out there for you to interpret, and we are equally interested to see what is reflected.

As the years go on, we feel that our annual You Got A Friend group shows will, retrospectively, become fascinating snapshots of time and place, as captured and expressed by these truly unique and vital artists.

Thank you so much to all the artists who have returned for this show and to the friends who accepted the invitation, we are honoured to have you all involved.

View the ‘You Got A Friend 2021’ Catalogue here (please note, sales for this catalogue have now closed)