EVERYDAY STUDIO by Laith McGregor

Byron Bay

AU$36,265

of $35,000 stretchyrs ago

Successful on 14th Oct 2018 at 6:00AM.

Hi, my name's Laith McGregor, I'm a visual artist from Australia & I'm looking to build a beautiful new multi-purpose studio in the heart of Byron Bay! I'm super dedicated to my art practice, have a rigorous studio ethic & am always looking for ways to challenge my ideas. I'm currently working out of a small room, which is fine, but the time has finally come to create a space to work, collaborate & also give a little back! I've been working on a series of artworks for the last 3 years, all proceeds form these works will go towards building a studio that will service the community & local schools. I'm using the Pozible platform as a way of having a virtual exhibition. I have a pdf of all of the available artworks that I'm more than happy to send out upon request!

This project will facilitate the build of a new studio in Byron Bay, that will not only be a space which I can work in on a daily basis, but will also hold free workshops, lectures, collaborative projects & exhibitions. My aim is to engage with school groups, local, interstate & international artists/curators to develop ongoing relationships, by building a community in a rural Australian location. Since moving from Melbourne to northern New South Wales, I've seen potential here to help build a cultural art dialogue within the local vicinity.

But first, a little bit about myself... I've been working full-time as an artist since leaving university at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. I've exhibited widely throughout Australia & overseas, in public institutions, commercial galleries & artist run spaces. Some of the galleries I'm most proud of include: The National Gallery of Australia, Museum of Contemporary Art , GOMA, MONA, The National Gallery of Victoria, Heide Museum of Art, The Art Gallery of New South Wales & the Institute of Modern Art. You can check out some of my work at www.laithmcgregor.com & also on Instagram @laithmcgregor ...

Everyday is the same, I wake, do yoga, eat & then start making art. I don't stop thinking about making artworks until I go to be bed. Call me obsessed, that's okay, I don't mind! Since university, I've adapted my working environment to whatever situation I find myself in. My studio has always helped to facilitate the scope of my practice. I've worked on kitchen tables, floors, in oily garages, outdoors, I've had studio's with no windows, no natural light, damp, crooked, creaky, drafty & smelly. I've now come to a point in my career where I'm looking to expand & further my practice to develop on a consistent professional level.

My dear friend Murray Barker has helped design a simple & elegant space that will overlook a small valley in Byron's hinterland. The studio has been designed to be a bespoke artspace, with room to eventually expand. I'm super excited in the potential of working & growing in a new studio & anticipate the 'Everyday' project to be the beginning of a significant step & commitment to my professional development as a young Australian artist. Let's let the project evolve... everyday!

Budget Overview

Here's a colourful Pie Chart:

Here's the budget breakdown:

$ 500 - Digger hire for footings.

$ 1500 - Yellow tongue flooring material.

$ 1500 - Internal plaster boarding.

$ 3000 - Doors & windows.

$ 4000 - Footings & sub floor.

$ 5000 - Wall cladding/framing.

$ 6500 - Roof framing/roofing.

$ 9000 - Labour (Ouch).

$ 100 - Coffee (Yes please).

$ 31,100 Total. (Sheesh, that added up quickly didn't it?!)

This is the goal:

$ 17,000 - Possible Pozible target! (I'm starting low with the dream set high! I need a minumum of $17,000, whatever I can't make, I'll be putting personal funds towards the project.)

*(FYI, coffee is optional, it might also not be available, depending on how much I drink before the project begins!)

Potential Challenges

Initially, I was looking to build a simple space to make work in on a daily basis. But, this passion project has since evolved to help create an environment that could be used daily & also be a free space to use at specific times of the year for different local & international creative's for different events!

My goal is to help facilitate events such as workshops, exhibitions, screenings & tutorials twice a month as a way of giving back my personal experience as a full-time practicing visual artist. Since having a son four years ago, I began to see potential for a space that could foster a learning environment in a working/practicing artists' studio. (If I only had a similar environment when I was younger!) Now's the time to help create a positive environment for people who want to create in a contemporary art space. I'd love to be able to build relationships & invite local, interstate & international artists/curators to the studio to form an ongoing exchange.

I'm hoping for the studio to be designed for multiple uses. Depending on the budget, I'm also looking to make a studio with the potential to build an indoor & outdoor work space by having a verandah that could be open to the main studio space & also wrap around one side for all the messy tasks, such as clay work & wood work etc.

With the help of a number a friends, I've been able to get this project off the ground! I'm so grateful that these peeps could do the architectural design, film me rambling on incoherently & also edit the bumbling oddball in the video piece you're about to watch, or still in awe of! They even helped me clear a small part of land on a beautiful spot overlooking a small valley here in Byron, how good is that!? I just need a few more friends to help me over the last hurdle! That's where you come in! Lets do this...

Let the project begin, everyday!