Indigenous APY Gallery in Adelaide CBD has lease cut short by UniSA, now hunting for new space

An Indigenous art gallery in the CBD that sends 80 per cent of its profits to remote communities is stunned after UniSA cut short its lease.

The APY Gallery in Adelaide’s west is on the search for a new place to call home after its landlord, the University of South Australia, ended its lease after just two years.

The collective’s manager Skye O’Meara said the group had hoped to stay at the central location for the five years it had originally agreed to in the lease.

“The termination of our lease came as a surprise and an immense disappointment to the elders and artists,” she said.

The Indigenous-owned-and-operated art centre and gallery opened on Light Square in 2019 and connects artists with a wide audience, sending at least 80 per cent of profits back to remote communities.

“When we initially met with the university, elders felt that a heartfelt connection had been made and were so enthusiastic about exploring the opportunities that they were presented with by these wonderful new friends,” Ms O’Meara said.

“There was much discussion regarding opportunities around partnerships in language and culture.”

Artist Kukika Adamson with Nina Haigh, who are unhappy the gallery has lost its lease but are now considering options. Picture: Dean Martin

Ms O’Meara said the group was now under pressure to find a suitable space by March and it hoped the communities’ income from the gallery was not endangered.

“The timing of the termination of our lease while we are still negotiating the impact of the pandemic again is very hurtful, particularly given the university is well aware of what’s at stake,” she said.

A spokesperson for UniSA said the building at 9 Light Square was being redeveloped into the UniSA Enterprise Hub, a new “front door” for community engagement.

“The 2019 licence agreement with the APY Art Centre Collective foreshadowed the possibility of redevelopment and provided for the university to terminate the agreement for any reason relating to the redevelopment of the building,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that due to building works around the site, the university had waived all rent for the APY Art Collective until March 2022 while it continued to occupy the premises and had offered to assist in seeking alternative premises.

Ms O’Meara said disappointment at the end of the lease was compounded by vice-chancellor David Lloyd never taking the opportunity to visit the gallery, despite “countless invitations made by Anangu elders”.

She said given the economic exclusion and obstacles faced by Indigneous people, the elders often asked whether Australia was serious about closing the gap.

“Ultimately, Anangu elders are incredibly driven, incredibly resilient and have also have extraordinary expertise. We’ll find a solution, we have to,” she said.