May 10th, 2025Little Gallery winter exhibition at Trentham

Little Gallery in Trentham is no stranger to high-profile artists exhibiting, as over the past 14 years the gallery continues to showcase many Central Victorian artists who have achieved greatness in their field.  

One of the founding members of the Little Gallery, Rose Wilson says: “We are truly blessed to be able to represent some of the finest artists that this region has  to offer, not only are these artists known within Australia but are internationally  acclaimed.”  

Over the years, the artist-run space has had a number of high-profile artists as  members of its dynamic team with the most recent addition of sculptors Maria Coyle,  pictured above, and Jimmy Rix, pictured below.

Woodend-based, award-winning ceramicist Maria Coyle has been working as a  professional sculptor for 30 years. Her works are held in many private and corporate collections, and have been acquired nationally, and internationally in New Zealand, Asia, UK, Italy and the Netherlands.  

Sculptor Jimmy Rix, based in Malmsbury is an award-winning artist, who has been commissioned to make large-scale public art in Australia and China and is a regular exhibitor in many outdoor sculpture exhibitions such as Sculpture by the Sea.  

Jimmy’s work is widely collected with such pieces acquired and held by Parliament House. He is also represented in Sydney and Melbourne by Australian  Galleries.  

Jimmy and Maria, along with painters Rose Wilson and Helen Cottle, and ceramicist Kim Haughie, make up the Little Gallery in-house team of resident artists.  

Also on display at the Little Gallery are short-term featured artist Jennifer Barnett  and Kyneton-based wood artist Brian Falkenburg along with the gallery’s stable of commission artists.  

Rose said the gallery’s annual Winter Show fundraising exhibition would open on July 11 with 16 local artists exhibiting to celebrate regional identity through art.  

“Each year we source new, emerging and established local artists to participate  in this exhibition, and they are Dale Cox, Nadia Kliendanze, Julie McKenzie, Mark  Dober, Jill Nobel, Antoinette Braybrook, Neil Matterson, Brian Falkenberg, Rowena Hannan, Diane Thompson, Maxine McKee, Jonathon Lane, Fiona Orr, Jennifer Leggat, Jody Galvin, and Emma McAdam-Marmont in collaboration with Struan Hopwood.”

Little Gallery is open 10am to 4pm, Thursday to Monday and most public holidays to visit, meet the artists and chat about their work.

Contributed