Cherie Brown, artist and gallerist at The Pink Gallery + Studio. Photo: Roshai Murdoch.

Life imitates art when I enter The Pink Gallery, where artist and gallerist Cherie Brown greets me with a broad smile, donning a beautifully vibrant ensemble of green, red, yellow and blue, set against muted denim. Her outfit could be one of the 70 striking pieces of art hanging at her boutique gallery, each one as bright and as interesting as the next. She looks right at home here in the most colourful building topping Healesville’s Main Street, but it was only by chance that The Pink Gallery came to be.

“I drove past one day and noticed that it was vacant, and I approached Bec from LLB Florals, she owns the building, and she said, it’s been waiting for you.”

A Yarra Valley local from birth, Cherie Brown has been practising art for more than ten years, influenced by her mother, Julie Lawson, whose own art career spans four decades.

After identifying a need to find new ways to promote her own work in a World that can be “quite intimidating”, Cherie Brown had long held ambitions to open her own gallery.

“Obviously I’ve never had a gallery before, so it’s all been a learning curve. I’m an artist, but it’s a whole different ball game.”

“There’s a lot of artists out there, so I felt there was a need for it.”

The Pink Gallery + Studio. Photo: Roshai Murdoch.

Seasonal exhibitions at The Pink Gallery have not only provided a platform for emerging artists in the Yarra Valley, but they have also become celebrated local events.

Cherie Brown’s first themed group exhibition, Australia, featuring original art and small paintings priced under $500, proved an instant hit, with people’s choice winner Beth Williams securing her own exhibition at The Pink Gallery after the event.

“I think most weekends I’ll have artists coming in for a chat, showing me their work, and messaging as well. Sometimes it can feel a little bit overwhelming because I do want to help as many people as I can, but it’s a small space.”

There are early plans for another Winter and Spring exhibition this year with details to be confirmed by The Pink Gallery at a later date.

“That will be for all local people, emerging and professional. I really like to promote emerging [artists], new voices, new people, that are trying to get their art out there.”

Julie Lawson exhibition at The Pink Gallery + Studio. Photo: Roshai Murdoch.

Despite the instant success of the exhibitions, the gallery’s prime location and eye-catching exterior, Cherie Brown says exposure remains her biggest hurdle.

“Blink and you miss it.”

“Sometimes if you drive past here… You won’t even see [the gallery].”

“So it’s taken a while to gain momentum, but it’s starting to now, which is fabulous.”

And when people walk past the gallery, she hopes they’re not too intimidated by the art World to stop in.

“It’s not snobby… I hope that people feel welcome.”

“There’s a style for everybody, abstract, still life, impressionism… a lot of different styles for collectors.”

Cherie Brown’s favourite being abstract, the style in which she paints.

The Pink Gallery + Studio is located at 184 Maroondah Highway, Healesville.

It’s open Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 11am-4pm.

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