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From Garage to Gallery: The Story Behind Comet Project Space

  • Writer: Bobbie Gray
    Bobbie Gray
  • Jul 15, 2023
  • 3 min read

Updated: Aug 12

In the final year of my Fine Arts degree at Whitecliffe, I went on a class trip to Wellington. We visited a number of artist-run galleries, small, scrappy, fiercely independent spaces that felt alive in a way the traditional gallery system often doesn’t. At the time, there weren’t many places like that in Auckland. But the message from those artists stuck with me: if you’ve got a space - use it.

And I did.

Back home, I had access to the perfect spot: a freestanding double garage at the back of a 106-year-old house on Ponsonby Road, one of Auckland’s busiest commercial streets. The house, affectionately called The Commune, had a long and interesting history, but the garage? That was a blank slate. After graduation, I took one month off, then got stuck into converting it. The physical transformation took around six months. I did most of it myself.

Comet Project Space officially opened in 2017. The name came from my friend Kohl. We wanted something short and punchy, something that captured the energy and momentum of what I was trying to do. Comet felt right, referencing the pop-up style format I envisioned.

My mission was to create an experimental, pop-up gallery that offered opportunities to early-career creatives across all disciplines, not just visual artists. I wanted to use the unconventional nature of the space (including the surrounding garden) to showcase work that didn’t quite fit within traditional gallery walls. It was important that the events brought art to the general public, not just the art world and that Comet could become a place where creative fields cross-pollinated. Painting and poetry, performance and sculpture, even cocktails and art, anything that brought people together in new and interesting ways.

Over the years, we hosted live music, makers markets, performances and some beautifully chaotic blends of disciplines. It was never just about showing work. It was about creating experiences and giving people a place to connect.

But it wasn’t without its challenges. While I had some great people involved and generous volunteers over the years, the level of commitment naturally ebbed and flowed, which is totally understandable when no one’s getting paid. That’s one of the ongoing realities in the arts: so much of the early-career experience relies on unpaid work. Internships, volunteering, "exposure", it’s the unfortunate norm. So instead of waiting for someone else to offer me that opportunity, I created it for myself.

I have a lot to thank Comet for. It taught me to back myself. It gave me hands-on experience that would later help me get roles in the marketing world. And most importantly, it helped me build the community I’d been missing. I didn’t leave art school with a close-knit crew of artist friends, likely because I was a bit older than most of my peers. But the people I met through Comet? Many of them are still my good friends today. I’ve collaborated with some of them for years.

Comet wasn’t about prestige. It was about carving out space where there wasn’t any, creating connections and community. It was an experimentation of building something from nothing. In a sector where unpaid experience is often the only way forward, I made that experience for myself. And in doing so, I built something I am really proud of. 

If I could give one piece of advice to anyone thinking of starting something similar, it’s this:Use what you’ve got. Don’t wait to be ready. The work you put in now might just grow into something far more lasting than you imagined.



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