Our story
It started with an idea.
An idea to create a beautiful art gallery where the region’s amazing artists could showcase their work and develop their careers alongside some of the best artists from around Australia.
It started there.
Early in 2022, Head Tyger Martyn Pearce approached Yass Valley Council to see whether any of the buildings it owns could be used for an art gallery - even temporarily. He hoped that his advocating to Council to do this would spur them, or someone in the community, into taking up the challenge.
Later that year, Yass Council ran an expression of interest process for two spaces at the front of the Memorial Hall - Yass’ best known and loved building. That EOI process was geared towards finding businesses that could activate that part of town, and would contribute in a positive way to community.
With the encouragement and support of his friends, Martyn put in an EOI for Tyger as it now exists: a commercial art gallery created not to make the owner wealthy, but to support artists, financially contribute to local charities, and give the Yass community an art space they can be proud of.
Martyn picked up the keys to the old Youth Centre at the Memorial Hall in December 2022. It was - to put it politely - in a very sad and sorry way. Unused for a number of years, and totally unmaintained. It was a mess of rubbish, graffiti, mysterious stains and disrepair.
For three months Martyn spent every evening and weekend in the place - scrubbing walls, fixing things, painting ceilings and walls. He was there on Christmas Day, on New Year’s Eve, on New Year’s Day - determinedly creating and bringing that space back to life.
He invested into breathing new life into the space in order to do something good for the community. A community that had welcomed him over 10 years ago and given him a life he loves.
He fitted in his Tyger tasks around a busy full-time job doing communications for Science & Technology Australia.
But he wasn’t alone. A group of friends supported him throughout - mentally and physically: cheerleading, picking up paint brushes, bringing him food, and checking on his well being.
Chief among them was Tyger Wrangler Kirsty Bunfield who supported the creation of Tyger every step of the way - putting in place the systems that Tyger runs on, contributing ideas and expertise, and making countless trips from Canberra to take part in the physical creation of the gallery.
And he wasn’t alone because he had his constant companion - his dog Archie. Archie spent endless hours patiently watching over the construction, saying a friendly hello to everybody who stopped by to see how it was going, and keeping Martyn company.
Sadly, Archie never got to see Tyger finished - he succumbed to leukaemia just before the gallery opened. But his warm and calm personality lives on at Tyger.
Tyger Gallery opened on 23 March 2023 with a grand official opening attended by more than 150 people. Following a moving Welcome to Country by Michael Bell, Yass Valley Council Mayor Allan McGrath officially opened the gallery.
Tyger is proud to call Yass home, honoured to be on Ngunnawal Country, and thrilled to be able to support our community and the brilliant artists that call the region home.
