Design lovers, rejoice! The Curatoreum is back.
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The Curatoreum at the National Portrait Gallery has reopened with a refreshed collection of homewares, jewellery, books and gifts.
When the doors of the National Portrait Gallery have reopened Saturday following a five-month closure for refurbishments, it won’t just be the artworks that will have people flocking.
The Curatoreum at the National Portrait Gallery has gained something of a cult following for its curated collection of homewares, jewellery, books and gifts—and now there’s a whole lot of new goodness to discover.
But don’t expect a “reinvention”, rather a “refresh”—the imposed downtime giving owners Richard Baz and Melanie O’Hanlon a chance to “sharpen their offering” and discover more Australian design talent.
Richard Baz owns The Curatoreum at the National Portrait Gallery with wife Melanie O’Hanlon
“People love us for what we do and we know what we do well, but having that breather has allowed us to press ‘refresh’ on the stock,” says Mel.
“There’ll be familiar brands, but we also have a range of new designers for people to discover.”
Canberra’s Claire Mazitelli Designs
The Curatoreum at the National Portrait Gallery has always believed strongly in supporting Australian designers and makers. As the name suggests, the store carries a curated range with a specific focus on the story of people, whether in book form, or through designed objects.
“We’ve touched base with some designers we’ve carried before and will be showcasing their new work, we have designers new to the store, and we’ve got some new Canberrans coming on board as well,” says Rich.
The Marion Bag from All the Kings Men
Those in the ‘totally new’ camp include Canberra’s Clare Mazitelli Designs and her range of gorgeous printed textiles, All the Kings Men’s handmade canvas and leather bags, and Woodfolk’s stunning jewellery, accessories and homewares created exclusively using wood, ceramic, cotton and linen.
“Woodfolk’s beautiful. Julie Dene started as a jeweller and then branched out into more organic shapes of jewellery, later transferring into ceramics. We have some beautiful vases and platters from her, as well as her small jewellery range, which is quite stunning,” says Mel.
Woodfolk’s beautiful ceramics
Popular potter Robert Gordon also joins The Curatoreum’s line up at the National Portrait Gallery, complementing the work of designers like Angus & Celeste and Canberra jewellery maker and ceramicist BopDotz.
Jewellery lovers will fall for Middle Child, the handcrafted jewellery sibling brand created by designer Lauren Hassett of established leather goods label Oktoberdee, Kalinowski’s Anodised Aluminium range, and Days of August’s unique pieces made from offcuts of industrial stainless steel.
“Marie-Pier Labelle’s Days of August range of contemporary jewellery is modular—especially the earrings—so you can add and subtract, wearing them larger or smaller depending on your look, it’s all quite slick, very clean design,” says Mel.
Middle Child’s handcrafted jewellery.
These names join established jewellery brand InSync design from Melbourne, and local contemporary silversmith Alison Jackson, as she introduces fresh designs to The Curatoreum at the National Portrait Gallery.
“Ali’s been building a work space out of Braidwood, so she’ll be bringing in the new range over the next month or so—we know people will be excited to see what she’s created,” enthuses Rich.
Alison Jackson’s new range will be in store. Photo: Karina Sharpe.
Other familiar faces include Ruth Allen’s “beautiful production range of beakers, tumblers, bowls and vases” and Third Drawer Down’s quirky and diverse range of objects. But The Curatoreum’s range goes beyond traditional crafts.
“Sustainability is really important to us,” says Rich. “So we’re expanding our environmentally-friendly product range to include items that complement Australian design. Things like Frank Green’s limited edition range of sustainable cups, as well as premium, reusable, flat water bottle memobottle, and honey bee wax wraps.”
Frank Green’s range of sustainable reusable cups will be in store.
Bookworms will be glad to hear that The Curatoreum at National Portrait Gallery’s diverse and slightly quirky book range remains at the forefront of the store’s offering, expanding to reflect Rich and Mel’s personal love of design, graphic design and fashion. That’s fitting given the gallery is soon to host Women in Vogue, an exhibition showcasing 60 years of the Vogue Australia archive.
“People can always find something different when they come into our store, and they are supporting Australian designers and makers every time they shop. It’s a place where people can immediately fall in love with find something special that they haven’t seen anywhere else.”
CELEBRATE AND WIN!
To celebrate its reopening, The Curatoreum at the National Portrait Gallery is giving shoppers the chance to win a share of $500 in prizes.
For every $50 spent in-store during opening weekend (Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September), receive a ticket in the draw to win one of three vouchers for The Curatoreum worth $500 in total.*
First prize $250 voucher, Second prize $150 voucher, Third prize $100 voucher. Only applicable to purchases made in-store at the National Portrait Gallery during the weekend of 14-15 September. Prizes will be drawn at 5.00pm on Sunday 15 September 2019.
This is a sponsored post, brought to you in partnership with The Curatoreum at the National Portrait Gallery. You can read our Sponsored Post Policy here.
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