FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Wunder Gym? 

The Wunder Gym is a membership-based project gallery that supports curiosity, creativity and community by exhibiting a monthly art project set by diverse mentoring established artists or creative leaders.

Why do we need the Wunder Gym? 

The Wunder Gym was conceived from:

• a search for a supportive, experimental and creative environment, similar to an art school, without assessment, the HECS debt and with exhibitions in the real world.

• a search for affordable exhibiting opportunities in a gallery.

• a search for a creative community to build creative confidence by participating in regular group shows.

• a search for creative mentors, from diverse backgrounds, that extend artistic and creative practice, offering insights and advice through Q&A opportunities.

• a search to participate in a community that encouraged, supported and championed the arts and creativity in all capacities, forms and mediums to diverse ages, backgrounds and industries.

Why the wanky ‘U’ in Wunder Gym? 

‘WunderKammer’ was a curated ‘cabinet of curiosity’ that existed in Europe from the 16th to 18th centuries as an early ancestor of the museum and art gallery institutions. It was the apparent lack of rational classification, with its bizarre sense of accumulation and juxtaposition, that made the WunderKammer concept aesthetically appealing. By encouraging diversity from members and mentors the Wunder Gym, like the WunderKammer before it, is on a creative quest to explore the rational and the irrational with a capricious freedom of arrangement and expression. 

What are the benefits of being creative at the Wunder Gym? 

Being creative, in whatever form, medium or way that represents your style, has the ability to enrich lives, challenge perceptions and encourage empathy.

Being a member at the Wunder Gym strengthens creative thinking. Participating in the projects and actualising your work at an exhibition aims to boost self accomplishment and self esteem. Having an inclusive creative community helps relieve stress.

The Wunder Gym supports you to be more creative. It creates opportunities to learn from diverse creative leaders and peers. It motivates you to work on a monthly creative project that challenges and develops your creative output and perspective. It celebrates your creative outcomes and builds confidence by exhibiting regularly as part of a group exhibition in an inclusive creative environment and professional public gallery.

Who would want to be a member of Wunder Gym?

·       Recent graduates that want to continue to explore their creative and artist style, maintaining a routine, responding and exhibiting monthly with a brief, while providing opportunities to expand their creative community and networks with other artists.

·       Emerging and mid-career artists that are stuck and/or wanting a creative community to revisit and discuss their artwork, encouraging growth and expansion in their practice. 

·      Arts and creative professionals who wish to explore their practice for themselves, beyond the client brief.

·      Artists who are struggling with their own internal monologues about being creative and seek a supportive, inclusive community.  

·      Anyone, considered or regarded as an ‘artist’ or not, who wants to use their creative muscle!

What is the prerequisite to become a Wunder Gym member?

Sign up. We currently only have limited capacity to ensure that there is enough room for members to hang their works in the monthly project group show. 

The intention is to welcome members from any discipline, at any stage of their practice. 

The only prerequisite is that members produce a single piece of artwork for submission and deliver to the gallery on the set date of each month.  Failure to submit a contributing artwork during the submission period for the group exhibition, will result in you not being included in the group show. 

What is the aim of the Wunder Gym?

We advocate creative confidence.  

The industry education model is changing and options for short courses are more accessible. 

This avant-garde Wunder Gym concept aims to deliver the best of both, gallery and positive creative exploration, not graded within an education environment.

It’s an art school community in the real world!

How are the members accepted to ensure Wunder Gym establishes and maintains a reputation for being a serious arts/creative contributor?

New members/participants will be prioritised, first come first served, however they will need to submit an online application form, outlining their interest and commitment to the artistic community and output. 

While aiming to offer an inclusive and diverse community, there will be some minimum requirements to ensure that the Wunder Gym members will reciprocate the level of support they will benefit from in being a participant/member. 

With a 3-month membership min. there is enough time for Wunder Gym community to develop connections and experience diverse mentors. When the term has ended, should they choose to not return as a member, the next place will be offered to subscribers on a priority waitlist, offering new contributions. 

How many members will I meet and exhibit with?

The Wunder Gym has a capacity of 30 members with a minimum of 3 months.

Keeping the Wunder Gym monthly members to a small number is for a few reasons, including;

• During the minimum 3 month membership, getting to know some, if not all, of your peers is more likely than in a larger group and the Wunder Gym encourages you to make as many new networks as possible. Who knows what group show you’ll be planning on your own next!

• The gallery has limited space and the Wunder Gym aims to accommodate everyone’s creative output as part of the group exhibition. More members means smaller artwork restrictions.

Why do I have to sign up for 3 months?

Is it possible to sign up for one month only, not the full 3 months?

The Wunder Gym program has been designed with a min. of 3 months particpation for a number of reasons, including;

• To benefit from building long term connections with other participating peers.

• To benefit from different mentors, bringing different experiences and opportunities to gain from their insight.

• To benefit from developing and investing your a creative habit.

As the Wunder Gym is relatively new, all systems are manual and we have limited capacity to manage accessibility and online support groups. As we grow, we anticipate increased automation and our ability to manage monthly members will potentially change.

What is the size restrictions of artwork that can be exhibited in the group show?

The Wunder Gym needs to accommodate all participating members and encourages any and all forms and mediums to be artistically and creatively explored.

We are restricted by wall space, and request that members create works that are no larger than A1 (594 x 841 mm) in size.

The Wunder Gym aims to accommodate and encourage all creative enquiry and artistic outcomes including sculpture, installation, performance, digital or audio , however the Wunder Gym has limited access to plinths and equipment. All display and/or hanging considerations beyond the wall should be planned and discussed in advance. and

Do I need to organise gallery minders/invigilators?

No. Typically the space is not invigilated/‘minded’ as Wunder Gym and SH Gallery is a small team and we aren’t able to mind the physical space each day. There is a small cafe which faces the gallery, so their staff kindly look out for the space as best they can, but if you would like someone to mind the gallery or look after your work, you are welcome to be present in the gallery, or discuss further with us.

Where is schoolhouse studios? 

Schoolhouse Studios, Collingwood. See address here.

How are project briefs distributed? 

There is a member site where all information will be posted. Projects will also be emailed to members to ensure that no-one misses out on critical information. Projects are detailed and include reference and research ideas to investigate when conceiving your project. 

Can I ask questions of the mentor (or of my program peers) throughout the project period? 

Members will have a Slack channel to discuss the project with your peers. Access to your mentors will be at the Q&A sessions.

What can I expect at the Q&A? 

This will differ from mentor to mentor, for example, Jacqui Stockdale expressed interest in a working session, discussing the project concept in depth and each individuals work. The general idea of Q&A sessions will be to offer an opportunity to hear from the artist about their career, industry experience and discuss either members projects or their own practice with career advice. 

What is the expected contact time each month?

The Term Schedule information is available under resources, and on the members login page, however artwork is due to be delivered on Monday prior to the exhibition opening (see term schedule for all these dates). 

Do you install my artwork for the gallery shows or do I have to? 

The Wunder Gym and the curator at Schoolhouse Studio will be doing the install and de-install for each show to ensure that each show is curated and presented to its best possible outcome. 

What if I don't finish my artwork before the exhibition date? 

With notification, there may be allowances negotiated, however as we are restricted to a booked gallery date and specific period, if it falls outside of this, then unfortunately it gets left out. Wunder Gym aims to encourage a ‘habitual’ practice and with Q&A falling mid month of each project, this will hopefully encourage and inspire people to ensure their works are completed in time. 

What does a finished artwork constitute? 

There are no expectations for artworks to be framed for each exhibition. Artworks can be any form or medium, such as paper on a wall.

What if I can't make it to a Q&A session? 

Where possible, the Wunder Gym plans to record these sessions and make them available on the members login page. In time, we aim to investigate live streaming as an option as I recognise how valuable these sessions will be. This is why the schedule is available prior to sign up, so that potential members can ensure that this works with their commitments.  

SELLING YOUR WORK.

How do members sell their work? 

The concept of exhibiting your project work is to build confidence and demonstrate to a broader audience your artist skill and creativity.

We encourage our members to sell their works to support the cost of the Wunder Gym membership, materials and further artistic practice. 

Wunder Gym does not take any commission or handle the sale. Buyers approach you directly, direct messaging you through your Instagram messenger listed at the exhibition next to your work, and you deal directly with them to finalise the payment and delivery.

All works need to remain for the duration of the exhibition. 

Can a buyer collect my sold artwork? 

We take no responsibility for the sale and transaction, or the handling of your artowork.

Strictly, we will not return artwork to anyone other than the member and creator. It is up to the member to coordinate the delivery of the artwork to the buyer and ensure payment is finalised.