TCB Art Inc

TCB art inc. is a space run by artists based in Melbourne, Australia, dedicated to providing a space where young, emerging and established artists alike have the artistic freedom to explore, experiment and take risks within their practices.

The gallery was established in 1998 by artists Blair Trethowan, Sharon Goodwin and Thomas Deverall, who identified a vital position for a non-commercial, non-profit space in Melbourne’s CBD that exposed the work of young and emerging artists to a wide and disparate audience. What has developed is a lo-fi, high-energy project with ambitious aims, offering support and assistance to young and emerging artists at a very “grass roots” level and facilitating ongoing dialogue between them and the broader art and non-art communities. During its 16 years of operation, TCB has supported and developed the careers of over 600 young and emerging artists from Australia and the Asia-Pacific Region, many of whom presented their first solo exhibition at the gallery.

In 2001 TCB moved from its original home in the Port Philip Arcade into Waratah Place off Chinatown. This space was shared with Uplands Gallery, and a unique relationship developed, which saw an artist run initiative working successfully along side a commercial gallery. This relationship has further consolidated TCB’s position within the community, enabling us to reach a much broader audience and gain invaluable experience in running the gallery. This model was further beneficial in giving many younger artists the opportunity to work and exhibit alongside more established and experienced artists, offering valuable experience and ensuring them a broader audience.

In August 2006, Uplands Gallery relocated to Prahran, leaving TCB with the opportunity to occupy and run the entire space at Waratah Place. The gallery more than doubled in physical size, allowing for the provision of more exhibition allotments as well as the opportunity to undertake larger scale and more ambitious projects to broaden the scope of the gallery. This growth and regained autonomy has allowed TCB to cement its place as one of Melbourne’s leading independent artist run spaces.

TCB is run by a committee of volunteers who are all practising artists, curators, writers and arts administrators. The current committee members are: Georgina Criddle, Christo Crocker, Debris Facility, Adam John Cullen, Ry Haskings, Anna Higgins, Tamsen Hopkinson, Lucina Lane, Matt Hinkley, Noriko Nakamura, Charles O’Loughlin, Kalinda Vary.

TCB artinc. maintains environmentally sustainable practices throughout all of its operations and exists in part by the continuing support of its past members and supporters, who it would like to thank and acknowledge.