Barbara Dowse – Curator:

Twenty years ago, after stepping away from managing an Eastern suburbs commercial gallery in Sydney and many previous years in Canberra working with major institutional Collections, I was seeking respite from “another opening, another show”. Anticipating easing into maybe a little writing, valuations, an occasional project… Unknown to me Luisa and Noula attended a luncheon at a dear friend’s and in conversation revealed Artereal had opened with two exhibitions and nothing further scheduled – to be told: “You need Barb!” A meeting was set up. At which I reluctantly agreed to deliver three shows in three months while permanent staff and artists came on board. An extension was strictly not negotiable on my part. That was twenty years ago…

I am still here. Excited by the opportunity to indulge my passion for creativity, to give artists opportunity to showcase their expression. I stayed within the exceptional environment of Integrity, respect, professionalism, achievements and passion fostered within Luisa’s enabling management and among my colleagues and our gallery artists and collectors. Now an ‘éminence grise’ within my Artereal art family.  And because I love what I do and the people I do it with.

I shall miss it…

Rhianna Melhem – Associate Director:

I was just 22 when I got the phone call from Luisa offering me the job of Gallery Manager at Artereal. I was literally jumping up and down with excitement. Luisa later told me she had never heard so much enthusiasm from someone being offered a job. I started in February 2010, and from that very first day, Artereal felt like home. I later found out that Luisa had chosen to offer me the job over another candidate with over a decade of international experience at a top commercial gallery in London. That decision speaks volumes about who she is. She has an innate ability to recognise potential, to back people, to nurture them and give them space to grow. It’s a quality I’ve always tried to embody in my own role— taking risks and offering opportunities to artists who, at first glance, may not seem to fit the traditional commercial gallery model.

Working at Artereal has been an honour and a privilege. I’ve had the rare opportunity to work alongside an extraordinarily talented and diverse cohort of artists. I’ve always believed that representing artists is akin to being an avid sports fan—you follow their journey closely, cheering from the sidelines. Their wins feel like your wins, their struggles become yours. You ride the highs and the lows with them, year after year, unwavering in your support. I’ve witnessed firsthand the emergence of a generation of artists, many of whom will continue to shape the cultural landscape and grace the walls of major institutions long after I am gone.

For me, Artereal will always mean family.

Noula Diamantopoulos – Non-Executive Advisor and Represented Artist:

As a creative being, to be witnessed by Artereal Gallery—to be seen and believed in, even when I wasn’t sure myself that I had anything worthy of sharing as an artist—was transformative. The support, love, attention, and different ways of seeing what I was creating didn’t just help me grow as an artist; iy helped me grow as an individual. I have found my voice, heard my voice, and now, I am able to sing.

Luisa Catanzaro – Founder and Director:

It means everything. It’s the realisation of a crazy dream. I’m going to miss it.

After 19 years, Artereal Gallery closed in March 2025. This article is part of the gallery’s ‘On Reflection’ series of essays.