T’Arts – Textile and Arts Collective

I love the *idea* of the T’Arts Collective — professional artists sharing one large space, and working behind the counter on a rostered basis. The space itself is large and airy, with gorgeous wooden floors and a fresh white paint scheme that shows off the art for maximum effect.
The artwork itself is hit and miss — some of it completely outstanding, and some of it so-​so. It is different every time you visit, and I must confess there was more of a ‘wow’ factor today then last time I visited. A lot of work is rather high-​end (gorgeous handmade bags with a pricetag of $ 250), and some beautiful (reasonably priced) ceramic work. There is a lot of jewellery at varying price scales, ranging from contemporary right through to ‘frumpy’. With such a diverse collection of artisans, there is an equally diverse range.
While I enjoyed many of the products on offer, there definitely needs to be an injection of ‘oomph’ into this shop — I heard a rumour that Bella from Bellatextiles will be joining the Collective (her handwovens are stunning and original), which will spruce up the rather bland current handwoven selection.
As previous reviewers have mentioned, clothing on offer is definitely for the older generation — not many young people like to walk around with felted scarves! The reason for this is because not only is it expensive to be a member of the T’Arts Collective (I know, I’ve looked into it!), but you need to be available to work in the shop — this limits the collective to artisans already working professionally who don’t work full time elsewhere. Hence the average age of the artists here.
I’ll definitely keep my eye on this place though — for giftware, I’d much rather support a local artist than visit a mainstream shop!

This interesting shop and gallery is actually run by artists themselves.
It features a whole range of Australian arts and designs, and many of the pieces have been created by South Australian artists.
RANGE
The large shop is full of one-​off pieces of art and limited editions. It has everything from home ware to textiles, printmaking, jewellery, pictures and all sorts of gifts — and everything else besides. Indeed, some of it is wearable, although I have yet to find anything that would suit me.
LAYOUT
The gallery-​shop is well lit and laid out, with polished floorboards and white walls to help the works stand out.
The window displays are changed every month to showcase the works of different artists.

Great concept and a huge beautiful space! I was hoping for contemporary art, but this seemed more of a community, sort of folk art scene. Or maybe the age group they’re making and supplying for is a little older than me, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the clothing range.
I loved the cloth emu’s and owl’s, and there were some beautiful iron sculptures and some very interesting paintings at the front of the shop. The clothing and jewellery wasn’t really my style. There were lots of floaty prints and kaftans and sort of folky clothes which although were very high quality and I can appreciate them they weren’t for me. The name Tart had me expecting something with a bit of bite, and edge, and while beautiful, I didn’t quite get the edgy experience I was looking for. But, what a fantastic space and opportunity to support Australian artists.

A place for local art that you admire and wear, which supports a collective of Australian artists, open 6 days for browsing? I say YES PLEASE!
Not only is the concept of this space fantastic, its execution is brilliant. The T’Arts collective turned these three small shop fronts into a bright space filled with many different types of art and design, all something that you can wear on your body or decorate your house with. I love seeing what people have made out of such a varied range of materials; materials stitched into pictures, vases made from bones, scarves made from anything soft and malleable, beautiful artwork made from recycled metals, earrings and broaches formed from dyed silks.
If you’re ever looking for inspiration, or to be filled with the joy of wonderful creations, this place will lift your spirits and satisfy. Add to that a lovely chat with whomever is manning the counter, and it’s an experience not to be missed if you’re anywhere near Gays Arcade.
The products are constantly changing as the artists produce more. Since all their work can’t be displayed at the same time, you’ll never see the same thing there for very long. No matter what style of art you like, if you appreciate creativity, you’ll love their work.