Vacant Assembly

Vacant Assembly is an independent arts space in West End, Brisbane, built around exhibitions, experimentation and community connection. Its programme spans contemporary and avant-garde gallery projects, artist residencies, workshops, talks and recurring gatherings, with the stated aim of treating grassroots art and culture as part of collective wellbeing. It welcomes proposals for solo and group exhibitions from unrepresented, emerging and established artists, so the programme has room for work that sits outside conventional gallery models.

The gallery itself is a substantial, adaptable space, with a 145-square-metre floor area, 29.6 metres of wall length and a ceiling that rises to 4.5 metres at the rear. Street-level roller-door access, an accessible toilet, a shower and change area, kitchenette, seating for up to 35 people, an outdoor green space and barbecue make it suited to exhibitions, openings, workshops and other creative gatherings. Vacant Assembly is not a licensed venue, so visitors and hirers should check the arrangements for catering and alcohol before planning an event.

There is also an online gallery selling work directly from participating artists, makers and designers without commission. The listed work covers sculpture, ceramics, weaving, prints, etching, painting, drawing, objects and photography, with artists including Jeanette Stok, Monique Ross, Bee Dewar, Sean Gordon, Sarah Seminutin, Christopher Allery and others. For visitors who enjoy discovering work across different mediums, it offers a useful extension of the physical programme and a way to support artists directly.

The venue’s broader activity includes Art Adjacent, a conversation series connecting art with real life, and Golden Hours, a monthly drop-in session where everyone is welcome and devices are left at the door. Vacant Assembly also offers gallery and venue hire, Lab266 and Elbow Room hire, studio-related opportunities, residencies and the Assemble Art Bank. The space should appeal to solo visitors who like independent galleries, groups looking for an unconventional exhibition or event setting, and art-curious locals wanting to take part in a low-pressure community session. Its work is framed by an explicit commitment to curiosity, creativity, accessibility, sustainability and respect for the Turrbal and Jagera peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters where it operates.