Wagga artists make home in The Little Yellow House

Artist James McAlpin has set up his pottery wheel on Tompson Street in Wagga’s busy CBD.

It’s a cold afternoon and his grey whippet, Winks, huddles nearby in a blanket as he turns out a delicate collection of ceramic pieces.

“It’s quite fun; there are a lot of people walking past and saying hello,” he says.

“In a studio space, you’re there by yourself and you don’t ever know whether you’re on the right path.

“Here they turn around and say ‘this is fantastic, you’re doing a really great job’. And that’s quite encouraging.”

James is preparing for an exhibition in the shop behind him, the Little Yellow House Gallery and Studio, and says it’s an excellent space for Riverina artists to share their work.

“To turn up on Tuesday morning with a wheel and say, ‘I’m going to do a demo for the next three and a half days’ and be allowed that space is amazing.”

The Little Yellow House is the brainchild of semi-retired police Sergeant Maggie Deall.

She had studied fine arts before joining the force and was inspired to pick up the paintbrush anew when she was posted to Wagga in 2016.

“Wagga’s pretty; there are so many amazing bits and pieces that I started painting again,” she says.

“It was a little bit of therapy at first but it grew into a business.”

Inside, the Little Yellow House is a riot of colour. Every inch of wall is adorned with florals and bold canvases; shelves are filled with pottery and jewellery and a table in the centre of the room displays some of James’s finished pieces.

“It’s a happy place,” Maggie says, looking around the room with a grin.

A Renew Australia grant – a project designed to rejuvenate empty shop fronts and bring creative businesses to the CBD – allowed Maggie to move from a home-based online business to a bricks and mortar shopfront about a year ago.

The space reflects Maggie’s commitment to supporting local Riverina artists.

“Being an artist myself, I’ve knocked on gallery doors and been rejected so I wanted this place to be a community,” she says.

The Little Yellow House not only provides locals with a place to display and sell their work but is also a creative space.

Maggie runs workshops and lessons in the studio at the back and has an open-door policy that sees artists of all ages and levels gathering to work alongside each other.

“Artists pop in all the time and become friends,” she says.

As the store approaches its first anniversary, Maggie plans for a busy year ahead.

“Hopefully on Thursday nights once a month, we’ll feature an artist and give them a platform to show their work in the window for a month,” she says.

“Workshops will continue; we’re getting a lot more inquiries from the NDIS guys and more of their people coming through which is nice.”

Maggie will officially retire from the police in July and is excited about the creative opportunities that have evolved through her little artist haven.

“It’s just putting creative people together in a space where they can encourage each other,” she says.

“It’s good to feel good.”

For more information visit The Little Yellow House website.