ArtUp at The Gladstone has bloomed!
‘Bloom’ exhibition launch at The Gladstone, Creative in Residence space, July 2026
ArtUp has officially opened “Bloom” at The Gladstone, with around 200 people turning out to celebrate and connect with emerging art in Fishermans Bend last Sunday. Officially opened by City of Port Philip Mayor, Alex Makin, the exhibition features the work of 15 artists.
“Bloom”, ArtUp’s first public-facing initiative, has transformed the retail space on the ground floor of The Gladstone into a flora-themed exhibition and pop-up retail space. On Sunday, the launch event transformed the space yet again into a buzzing and vibrant display of creativity and community.
The exhibition includes work by beloved local artist Anna Blatman, alongside works by Kerrin Samuel, Jade Armstrong, Tina Burge, Maya Grkow, Barry Robertson, Shelly Lazar, Nah Bananas, Toby Wundheiler, Lily Wundheiler, Kirtana Bharathi, Nicola De Rosbo-Davies, Randeep Sith Zem Rost, Sue Armstrong and Thea Hu-Warren.
Creating an artistic, and commercial, platform for emerging artists
Founded by artists Jade Armstrong and Kerrin Samuel, ArtUp is an emerging art ecosystem that connects emerging artists with collectors, buyers, businesses and audiences. For some of the participating artists, ‘Bloom’ at The Gladstone is their first experience exhibiting their work - with the youngest artist just 12 years of age! Thea Hu-Warren’s work ‘Dreamcatcher’ is an exquisitely crocheted dreamcatcher, featuring the word ‘bloom’ in morse code on one edge.
True to ArtUp’s vision to create commercial opportunities for artists by connecting them with buyers, ‘Bloom’ is more than just an exhibition. It includes a carefully curated retail space with artist merchandise, limited edition prints and handmade art objects. In the retail space you’ll also find Thea’s hand crochet bees for sale. In fact, one of these gorgeous creations was the first sale of the event, setting the tone for a busy afternoon of retail sales!
Mayor Alex Makin was also the lucky buyer of one of Jade Armstrong’s work, with other artwork enquiries coming through as a result of the launch.
Following the buzz of the opening, ArtUp co-founder Kerrin Samuel said:
“We were delighted to have so many people come and support emerging artists at our launch - especially having Alex Makin, Mayor of Port Philip, to open the exhibition. We are thrilled that it was so well received and that emerging art is getting a spotlight at The Gladstone. We can’t wait to share the exhibition and upcoming event program with residents locals and visitors. Thank you to FB IDEAs and Haiku Gladstone for giving us this fantastic opportunity!”
Jade Armstrong, fellow ArtUp co-founder also shared:
“It was exciting to see the local community come together to support emerging artists. The energy at the launch was incredible. I believe art has the power to connect people and strengthen communities. Seeing the Bloom exhibition filled with conversations, curiosity and new connections was a wonderful reminder of that. We can’t wait to welcome more visitors and continue sharing the exhibition over the coming months.”
It takes a village to realise these opportunities
Behind every artwork, and the mammoth task of pulling the exhibition together in just over 3 weeks, there has been a village of people who have worked hard and volunteered their time to make this a success! We’d like to acknowledge our partners at Greystar who have been so supportive of this Creative in Residence program, firstly welcoming Romulus and now ArtUp into The Gladstone community.
ArtUp also want to extend their deep gratitude to their family and friends for their support (especially Sue and Jeremy!), everyone who attended the launch, and all the hardwork of the artists. The installation would also not have happened with out the incredible contributions of local handyman Minh and Jack Willis-Hall from JRH Productions. Thank you to everyone involved!
There is more to come!
If you missed the launch, there will be plenty of opportunities to see the exhibition and participate in the program of events coming up.
The exhibition is open to the public - Thursdays & Fridays from 3:30 to 7:30pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 4pm.
And a program of workshops, artist talks, community events and participatory activities will be announced soon, so make sure you follow ArtUp socials to get the most up-to-date event details.
