A brief history of the Glebe Art Show

In 1993, there was strong community opposition to a NSW Government proposal to sell the site of the old Sydney Homeopathic Hospital—the original 1870s building ‘Benledi’, on Glebe Point Road—to the Department of Corrective Services for use as a women’s transitional detention centre.

At around the same time, Leichhardt Council (which at the time included Glebe) had closed the old Glebe Library on Bridge Road and was looking for a new site for the library.

In the face of community pressure, the NSW Government scrapped its proposal to sell Benledi to the Department of Corrective Services and agreed instead to sell it to Leichhardt Council for use as the new Glebe Library.

In 1994, Leichhardt Council set up a public fund to collect money for the purchase and development of Benledi as the new Glebe Library. Part of the community fundraising effort was a successful art show put together by local artists and held in St Johns Church Hall in April 1994.

In 1996 the new Glebe Library building and the renovation of Benledi were complete. A small show of paintings decorated the walls of Benledi as part of the grand opening celebrations.

The Glebe Chamber of Commerce, which had been instrumental in the campaign to repurpose the Benledi site as a library, then approached the organisers of the initial fundraising art show, local artists James Barker and Robin Lawrence, with the idea of holding an annual art show.

Thanks to the Chamber and to a supportive Leichhardt Council, the first Glebe Art Show was held in July 1997, and it has been held every year since then. It is held over 10 days at Glebe Library and in the adjoining Benledi building, at 186 Glebe Point Road (corner of Wigram Road), Glebe.

In 2003, a change in boundaries saw Sydney City Council take over the administration of Glebe from Leichhardt Council. Sydney City Council has continued to support the Glebe Art Show.