Art

Sunday Salon Is A New Affordable Art Platform Curating Local Talent

Lily Mora understands the art world. As the granddaughter of one of Australia’s most significant art icons, the late Mirka Mora, and the daughter of renowned Melbourne art dealer William Mora, you could say its in her blood. But Lily also has her own impressive resume, including time spent working at both the Tate Modern in London, and the NGV in Melbourne.

Despite her career experience, or perhaps because of it, Lily acknowledges that the art world can often feel intimidating to anyone looking to start collecting for the first time. And so she set about to change that. Her new project, Sunday Salon, is an online art platform that aims to break down these barriers of entry, connecting affordable emerging Australian artists with new or first-time buyers.

With artworks starting at $320 and nothing over $4000, Lily is carving a path for a new wave of art lovers!

Written
by
Sasha Gattermayr

‘The Singing Bush’ by Lucas Golding. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Silver Railings, Deco Cream Cuppa’ by Elyss McCleary. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Untitled’ by Aubrey Tjangala. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Call To Arms’ by Mia Boe. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Untitled (Street Light)’ by Julian Hocking. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Vacuuming with Ancient Vase’ by Nick Modrewski. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Untitled (Piston grip)’ by Basil Papoutsidis. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Sunsets For You’ by Giorgia Bel. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Red Wiring’ by Augusta Vinall Richardson. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Meat Feast’ by Nick Modrzewski. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

‘Record Thursday 10:20pm and Carmen’s Desk’ by Elyss McCleary. Available at Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

Lily Mora, founder of Sunday Salon. Photo – Jonny Rands.

Writer
Sasha Gattermayr
17th of July 2020

When Lily Mora returned to Australia after five years living in London, she came back to her hometown art industry with fresh eyes. Almost immediately, she noticed a voracious demand for affordable art among a new generation of first-time buyers starting out their collections.

‘We have many wonderful galleries who cater to the more seasoned art collector, but I felt there was a gap for a well-curated platform for new or first-time buyers,’ Lily explains. ‘I also had a sense from talking to artists that there was an appetite, particularly in Melbourne, for something that’s a bit different to the traditional gallery model.’

With fine-tuned experience in arts marketing and digital communications (Lily worked as the Marketing Manager at London institution, the Tate!) and a keen curatorial eye, the idea for an online marketplace dedicated to affordable Australian art emerged quite naturally. So, she set about creating it herself.

‘The art world can be intimidating,’ Lily concedes. ‘But an online gallery allows for a more flexible and fluid way of presenting artwork, which I think can particularly benefit artists in the early stages of their careers.’

Sunday Salon launched earlier this week with one primary goal, connecting emerging Australian artists with new collectors. With a nod to pioneering art patron Sunday Reed (the ‘Sunday’ in Sunday Salon), the platform hosts works from 14 local artists on a rotating basis. With prices starting at $320, the offering includes painting, sculpture, illustration, photography, even mixed media works printed on silk. The prices fluctuate, but in order to maintain its ‘affordable’ mantle, nothing exceeds $4,000 (with plenty of works under $1,000).

Even though Lily started working on Sunday Salon before the pandemic hit, she highlights its relevance as a tool to support artists and struggling arts communities now more than ever. ‘Many of the artists featured on Sunday Salon have had exhibitions and projects cancelled, but is has been really inspiring to see their creativity flourish in spite of this,’ she describes, noting that a number of the works were created during lockdown.

While Sunday Salon is a firmly digital native project, Lily hopes she will have a physical space for people to visit by appointment later in the year. She also plans to run a few exhibitions throughout each year in rotating locations. Once we’re on the other side of these restrictions, we can’t wait to see what she has planned!

Works are now for sale on Sunday Salon. You can browse them here.

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