A model wearing a sculptural wig, adorned with silver glitter across their face, looks directly at the camera. They are wearing an elaborate cream-coloured layered garment during an experimental fashion runway event.
BAAQIY Collection Launch with Runway and Life Drawing at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2025. Photo: Lance Wilson
A fashion runway model poses in a well-lit room in front of a small audience who are using the opportunity to sketch the model and the garments.
BAAQIY Collection Launch with Runway and Life Drawing at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2025. Photo: Lance Wilson
A model adorned with silver glitter across their face looks away from the camera. They are wearing a pink, shiny jacket, fake fur scarf, and a spiky black wig during an experimental fashion runway event.
BAAQIY Collection Launch with Runway and Life Drawing at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2025. Photo: Lance Wilson
A fashion model dressed in a pastel pink bodice and a large red skirt is walking between audience members in a crowded, creative hub.
BAAQIY Collection Launch with Runway and Life Drawing at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2025. Photo: Lance Wilson
A row of people seated in a room, against a wall that has a series of large windows. The group are holding drawing boards on their laps as they sketch the human form, which is out of the frame.
Life Drawing, 2024. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
Birds eye view of two people holding sketching boards at a life drawing class.
Life Drawing, 2024. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
Male model poses in the centre of room at a life drawing class. A group of people surround him sketching the human form.
Life Drawing, 2024. Model: Falconeris. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
Three women standing behind a drinks table are laughing and enjoying themselves at an exhibition opening
Life Drawing 16th Anniversary Class Exhibition, 2024. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
A woman wearing casual clothes is in a large room at an exhibition opening
Life Drawing 16th Anniversary Class Exhibition, 2024. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
A young woman is smiling and looking at artworks on display at a life drawing class exhibition.
Life Drawing 16th Anniversary Class Exhibition, 2024. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
A young man is centred in a room full of people at an exhibition opening. He is looking away from the camera.
Life Drawing 16th Anniversary Class Exhibition, 2024. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
Three woman are facing a wall. They are looking at an exhibition of drawings.
Life Drawing 16th Anniversary Class Exhibition, 2024. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
A room full of people are gathered at an exhibition opening. They are drinking, talking and looking at artowrks on display.
Glom Press 'Partworks' Launch, 2024. Photo: Laura Owsianka
A man looks at an exhibition of paper drawings that are hanging from string in front of a timber veneer wall.
Glom Press 'Partworks' Launch, 2024. Photo: Laura Owsianka
A table covered with small books for sale
Glom Press 'Partworks' Launch, 2024. Photo: Laura Owsianka
PrincipleDesign_MelbourneDesignWeek_CoatesCommunityArts_VenueHire
Young woman leans on a black table next to another young woman who is seated during a sewing workshop. She is learning how to sew using a sewing machine.
Future Archive ‘Redesigning Waste: Pocket Politics’ Workshop as part of PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2024. Photo: Melanie Read
A candid photp of a man hugging a smiling child from behind at Coates Community Arts. The room is filled with racks of vintage clothes. There are other shoppers n the room are looking at the racks of clothes.
Fresh Flames Pop Up Store, 2023. Photo: Jontee Langton
A busy crowd of people fill Coates Community Arts looking at racks of vintage clothing. The people are young, they look happy, and are wearing street style fashion.
Fresh Flames Pop Up Store, 2023. Photo: Jotham Kuku
A young man directs several young people through a glass door which is the entry to the Coates Building.
Fresh Flames Pop Up Store, 2023. Photo: Jotham Kuku
a crowd of young men and some women dressed in youth street fashion line up outside the coates building which looks somewhat derelict and empty with a large 'for lease' sign stuck to the building's glass entrance
Fresh Flames Pop Up Store, 2023. Photo: Jontee Langton
Artist Sandy Caldow holidng a book and reading a poem from the book to an audience at Coates Community Arts
Poetry Readings by Collective Effort Press members π.o. and Sandy Caldow, 2023. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
A candid image of the opening event at Coates Community Arts. Standing in the room is a man who is communicating via Auslan to a woman. Seated is a man and a woman, in conversation, looking comfortable on a retro bench seat.
Opening event at Coates Community Arts, 2023. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
A crowd of casually dressed people standing quietly and listening to a poetry reading at Coates Community Arts
Opening event at Coates Community Arts, 2023. Photo: Genevieve Rankin
A professional photo showing the main area of Coates Community Arts with bright lights, large windows and shiny timber-tiled floors and white walls
Photo: Matthew McQuiggan

Coates Community Arts is an independent community art space in the Coates Building, a multi-storey Post-War Modernist commercial building at 20 Collins Street, Melbourne. Housed in a run-down medical building, the space brings creative energy to an unusual site through workshops, book launches, pop-up events, exhibitions, and life drawing classes. 

 

Established in 2023 by Louise Klerks, who founded Chapter House Lane and Missing Persons in the Nicholas Building, Coates Community Arts is a hub for independent projects, collaboration, and experimentation. It offers a platform for artists and the community to connect, share ideas, and create together.

 

 

Venue Hire: The space is available for a range of events –from launches and community gatherings to performances, and pop-up retail. For details, visit Creative Spaces. 

 

Life Drawing Classes: Join our untutored life drawing classes on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Sessions are $22, with all materials provided. Book via Trybooking.


Contact Us: For enquiries or more information, get in touch: hello@coatescommunityarts.com


Stay Connected: Follow us for updates and opportunities.


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Location: Coates Community Arts, Suite 6, Level 4, 20 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC, Australia 3000 

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Coates Community Arts acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather and create. We recognise that this land always was and always will be Aboriginal land. Sovereignty was never ceded.

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