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BACKGROUNDER

Bio: Kathryn Stafford

‣ Kathryn grew up in Perth Western Australia, where she attended the prestigious girls school St Hilda’s
College.
‣ In 1990 Kathryn completed a Diploma in Arts Management at Perth Central Take, Majoring in Art History and Marketing.

‣ In 1989 Kathryn commenced her art career when her Mother Marlene Stafford opened the now prestigious
Stafford Studios in Cottesloe.
‣ From 1989-1995 Kathryn co-organised an annual art exhibition located in the Hong Kong offices of Austrade.
‣ In 1996 Kathryn representing Stafford Studios was invited to exhibit at the Beijing Art Expo. The only Australian Gallery to receive the honour.

‣ From 1997-2003 Kathryn operated the Pilbara Fine Arts Gallery in the mining town of Karratha.
‣ In 1999 Kathryn was appointed Chair of the Pilbara Region Cultural Advisory Committee, a position she held until 2003.
‣ From 1997-2003 Kathryn acted as fundraiser and head curator for the Cossack Art Awards, now Australia’s largest regional art awards.
‣ In 1999 & again in 2000 Kathryn managed and curated several photographic exhibitions touring the Pilbara Region.

‣ Kathryn’s enthusiasm and vision for art has made her Galleries a mecca for many of Australia’s most iconic Artists to exhibit their work including, Pro Hart, Ken Done, Arthur Boyd, John Perceval, John Olsen, Robert Dickerson and David Boyd.

‣ Throughout her journey paralleling her rise to prominence in the Australian art scene Kathryn has amassed an impressive collection of five wonderful children, the youngest of whom is 5.

‣ In 2010 Kathryn is launching her biggest project to date. From June Kathryn will take the reigns at one of Perth’s art institutions, the Gallows Gallery in Mosman Park. Kathryn has one simple goal, to:

“Create a gallery that redefines the way in which Australian art is bought and sold. A space
where artists love to exhibit and buyers love to visit.”

ANECDOTES

1st June 2010

1. I remember my first big sale after opening the Pilbara Fine Arts Gallery. It was a Saturday afternoon and a rough looking bikie pulled up on his Harley Davidson right outside the gallery. As he walked past a painting by the well known artist Pro Hart caught his eye, he stood at the window just staring at it for about five minutes. He came in, asked how much it was and then left. I didn’t think much more about it until about an hour later when he walked into the gallery with $6000 cash in hand. The next thing I know I’m watching the Harley disappear off into the sunset with the painting, easel and all, strapped to the back. That experience taught me never to underestimate anyones interest in collecting beautiful Australian art.
2. During the recession in the early 90’s we wanted to ensure that our artists were still able to sell art and continue to do what they love. I recall my mother and I both sat down one evening in 1989 over a glass of wine and hatched a plan to take a show to Hong Kong. A few weeks later we were setting up an exhibition of Australian Artists in the offices of Austrade in downtown Hong Kong. Like many of our ventures we were being a little experimental and we weren’t at all sure how the exhibit would be received. Thankfully it was a huge success, it turned out there was a fantastic subculture of Australian expats who wanted to bring a little bit of home into their Hong Kong world. We held the exhibition annually until 1995.
3. One of the most surreal experiences of my art career was when we were setting up for the Cossack Art Awards one year. The building in which the exhibition is held was an old Bond Store built in 1863, the kind of space that has 50 foot high ceilings and was vast in size. We were short on staff that year so Roebourne Prison just up the road lent us a couple of guys on day release to help hang paintings. I remember I was standing outside and I heard someone yell Snake! Snake! I ran inside just in time to watch one of the day release prisoners catch and kill the snake with his bare hands. The most surreal moment though was sitting around the fire with everyone afterwards sharing a lunch of freshly cooked snake and swapping stories.
4. In 1996 Stafford Studios were invited by the Ministry of Culture in China to participate in the International Art Expo held in Beijing; the only Australian Gallery to be given the honour. At the time we were representing a wonderful Aboriginal Artist, sadly now passed; by the name of Bevan Pooraar-Hayward. He painted beautiful landscapes of the Australian outback with rich dusty red tones and vast blue skies. His work attracted a large amount of interest from the public and the media at the time because it was like nothing they had ever seen before. I really enjoyed watching the reactions of people who had spent their entire lives in the city as they took in Bevans work. I think we broke down some cultural barriers that year and exposed many Chinese people to a whole new genre of beautiful art.