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About
WELCOME TO M16 ARTSPACE
M16 Artspace operates on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. We honour and pay our respects to its traditional custodians. We acknowledge this land ‘always was and always will be’ the country of Australia’s First Nations People. Sovereignty was never ceded.
Founded in 1985, M16 Artspace is an inclusive organisation that supports a thriving arts community of emerging and established artists, writers and curators of any age, background or culture. We present high-quality exhibitions from both emerging and established artists and curators from Canberra, interstate and overseas. We are partially supported by the ACT Government for our gallery program. Today, M16 Artspace runs three gallery spaces, manages 31 artist studios and houses five arts organisations that offer art classes. With new exhibition blocks beginning their cycle every four weeks, it is an ideal place to experience art in Canberra.
Our History
M16 Artspace began its existence as a community driven, not-for-profit, artist-run initiative in 1985. The organisation marked its 30th anniversary in 2015, celebrating its impressive and sustained membership of practising professional and emerging artists and community workgroups.
Initially, M16 Artspace met a critical gap in the ACT arts landscape by fulfilling the need for affordable studio and workshop spaces and providing a fee-free gallery hire program. It supported exhibition development skills for both its members and the broader artistic community in Canberra. Initially the collective of artists and supporters was called the Kingston Art Space and was later renamed the Leichhardt Street Studios. It held spaces for the Studio One printmaking workshop (now Megalo), the Canberra Art Workshop (CAW) and a number of privately-run galleries including Helen Maxwell’s Girls Own Gallery, the Ben Grady Gallery and the Spiral Arm Gallery.
In 2000, the organisation moved to the old bus maintenance building at 16 Mildura Street in Fyshwick. With this move came a new name: M16 Artspace. With financial assistance from the ACT government a number of studios and a gallery were incorporated into the building. Then in 2005, with the end of the 8-year private lease approaching, M16 secured relocation to the old Griffith Library on Blaxland Street. In 2010, after five years of campaigning and planning on the part of dedicated tenants, staff and community, and with the support of the ACT government, M16 Artspace completed relocation to its current home at the former library. It brought with it many of its previous tenants: the Canberra Art Workshop (CAW), Studio Map, the Artists Society of Canberra (ASOC—which celebrated 90 years of existence in 2017), Hands On Studio, many of its existing studio artists, and a number of competitively selected new tenants.
Now 36 years after its inauguration, M16 continues to attract high-calibre local, interstate and overseas exhibitors and maintains a respected reputation, with a high media profile and excellent coverage of exhibitions and events. The M16 Artspace community is thriving as we prepare for our next exciting move, this time as a key player in the upcoming Kingston Foreshore Arts Precinct.
CONTACT M16
21 Blaxland Crescent Griffith ACT 2603
PO Box 4878 Kingston 2604
Office: Wednesday - Friday, 12 - 5
Gallery: Wednesday - Sunday, 12 - 5
For general enquiries: (02) 6295 9438