Art gallery and studio Household, which supports emerging artists, will soon open in Hindley Street.

Local artist Lili Harrison will bring more life to Hindley Street in September with Household: a gallery and studio.

The space will have a photography studio, retail area and residency program running every three months for artists, sculptors, photographers and other creatives .

Lili told CityMag she was inspired to provide a space where people can connect through art after hosting and curating her exhibition earlier this year titled SKIN.

“I really just wanted to create a space that is the bridging between kids that are going to uni or young creative artists that — before they go to bigger institutions — they can have a stepping stone and a space to hang out,” she says.

“I was at the point of my career where I was ready to make something for myself. I work in a lot of different fields that I really love; I work in furniture making and I am also a stylist in the film and fashion industry.”

The view of Hindley Street from the Household balcony

Lili has a vision for Household in Hindley Street.

“If people are coming and wanting to engage with the space, then I want it to be something that is long-term and a part of Hindley Street, because it is something that is really needed,” she says.

Household – a Renew Adelaide space – is one of several new ventures aiming to refresh the ailing Hindley Street amid a vacancy crisis, as reported by InDaily, which revealed nearly one in five properties were empty in the month of June.

Renew Adelaide’s head of partnerships, Timothea Moylan, told InDaily that the way people perceive nightlife is changing, and the way younger generations are “choosing to spend their free time is different to a decade ago”.

“There’s this conception – or misconception I’d say – that Gen Z is not drinking, they’re not partying. I think that they are still choosing to do that but in different environments or in different ways,” she said.

Hindley Street’s high-profile connection to Adelaide nightlife is part of the reason for its decline.

“At the moment it’s still seen as a nightlife precinct obviously, but it’s also seen as a little bit rough, perhaps unsafe. People still say they wouldn’t want to walk down there by themselves at night. I think it’s suffered some reputational damage to what it was several decades ago when it was full of restaurants and bars and retail,” Timothea told InDaily.

This creative space, which will be Renew Adelaide’s 300^th venture, is an example of how Hindley Street’s future can be.

Lili says she’s “very lucky to have Renew”, specifically when it came to finding a space for Household.

“They’re allowing for young people like me that would absolutely have no chance of getting a place like this or even the funding to actually be able to start something and follow an idea… like, you can actually do it,” she says.

Lili Harrison

Household will launch with an in-house party on Friday 6 September from 5pm to 10pm — and everyone is welcome.

“We are going to have some food, we are going to have a bar and we are going to have some DJs as well,” Lili says.

“There is no age limit to who can come. Kids are welcome.”

Lili says the opening exhibition will feature “a lot of sculptures and contemporary art”.

“At this stage, we are keeping it shush on the artists, but we have 11 artists showing at the exhibition — all Adelaide-based young artists,” she says.

Household features a website where people can sign up for monthly updates on exhibitions, apply for the studio residency program, and fill in details to be sent a small artwork by mail each month.

“Applications may close mid-August,” Lili says.

As she sets up Household, Lili reflects on the experiences of being an artist and the importance of art.

“To be an artist is one of the bravest things that you can do because you … put your heart on the line for everything and there’s so much judgement.

“Art fills our world with so much beauty.”

Household is set to open September 6 and is located at 97A Hindley Street, Adelaide 5000.

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Household WIP