Newtown’s Boom Gallery was a finalist in the Retail category at the Geelong Business Excellence Awards.
Located in a former RSS Woolen Mill building on Rutland St, Boom accommodates exhibition spaces, a design gallery, an art stockroom and a cafe.
“The aim of the gallery is to exhibit the highest standard of contemporary art and design in a space that is dynamic and exciting,” says Boom’s awards entry.
“We aim to actively engage people with the arts practice of artists, designers and makers from our region and across Australia.”
The business has established a “community of creatives” with its affordable, accessible and flexible studios and offices.
Boom’s “main hub”, Factory 21, houses 34 studios that accommodate mostly emerging businesses. More-recent addition Boom Maker provides studios and retail opportunities for five creative businesses near the gallery.
Other areas are dedicated to additional offices, artist studios and retail spaces.
Boom’s vision is to: represent artists and makers with integrity and passion; add to cultural fabric of “our region and beyond”; expose and engage people to art and design; provide opportunities for other creative businesses to grow; and to offer a “dynamic place of meeting that is pivotal in creating community in Geelong”.
