When Joy Warren opened a commercial art gallery in Canberra four decades ago, the capital had long been described as a cultural wasteland. The National Gallery was still 10 years away and many locals had little knowledge of the art world.
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But when she opened the Solander Gallery in Yarralumla, Joy Warren caused a stir with her memorable parties as much as with her eye for emerging Australian artists, and set about educating Canberrans about the art world in the process.
On Saturday she will be celebrating her 40th year in operation, in the gallery's original premises - part of her home in Yarralumla. And she'll be marking the day, as usual, with a party.
"We've got a very eclectic, interesting show-up, and because it's an anniversary I've got special prices to say thank you to my lovely clients.
"I've had a very good clientele. I'm fortunate because it's a small audience but very well educated, in art as well as everything else."
She said she had come a long way since the first decade that she opened. "We had absolutely nothing to look at, not from the government, no National Gallery, no National Portrait Gallery, nothing like that. If you wanted to see art, you had to come to Joy's place, which was ridiculous," she said.
"It has been my aim and privilege to bring top Australian painters from all over Australia to the capital."
She will be opening her coffers and selling some of the paintings she has held onto for years, including works by Alun Leach-Jones, Andrew Sibley, Sidney Nolan and Frank Hodgkinson.
Joy Warren is a consultant on investment art and building art collections with one piece of solid advice about appreciating art.
"[Potential collectors] would start by just looking for at least a year, going to every exhibition they can go to and talking to the people in charge who know what it's all about - educate themselves before they make their first purchase," she said.
She said she often felt pangs when it came to selling pieces that she loved, such as a vivid blue Hodgkinson now hanging in her living room in time for the party.
"I don't want to sell that - it's just so gorgeous! That to me is Sydney Harbour," she said.
■ The Solander Gallery, 10 Schlich Street, Yarralumla, is marking 40 years on Saturday with a preview of its anniversary sale from 11am.
