Malcolm Poole and Steve Perrin are the instigators and currently the managers of the Lennox Street Studios in Newtown, which comprises 40 artist studio spaces in a formerly disused Catholic school building. The idea to create an arts studio environment came to Malcolm and Steve after graduating in 1994. They found it difficult to find a suitable studio space at a reasonable cost, one which would allow them to further develop their skills in an artistic environment. There were many young artists and graduates who shared this plight.
Malcolm and Steve approached the Archdiocese of Sydney and they agreed to lease the building for a reasonable rent to assist with their aim of making the studio spaces affordable and accessible to the arts community.
Saint Josephs boys school building was built in 1920 and ran as a school till the early eighties and was closed for a few years. It was then was used as an aboriginal school for two years, after which it lay vacant for another two years.
Malcolm and Steve procured the building on a long-term lease in January 1995 and it has been running continuously and successfully since that time, gaining an excellent reputation within both the local and general arts communities, to such an extent that in recent years a waiting list for studio space has developed.
In Sydney, demand continues to exceed availability, because many traditional artists’ spaces have been resumed for commercial development. Either they have ceased to exist or they are too expensive for emergent artists to afford.
Over the last eight years we have procured the support of arts personalities to open our annual show including: Charles Blackman, Wendy Sharpe, Humphrey McQueen, Garry Shead, Rod Quantock, Peter Burner of the ABC and Barry Cotter the Mayor of Marrickville. This year Euan Macleod opened our November 2008 show.
