Make Your Mark: An Exhibition That Raised the Bar
In April 2026, Jump Left partnered with Bayley Arts to present Make Your Mark — a three-week exhibition placing seven Bayley Arts studio artists in our Melbourne CBD gallery. Selected through a competitive process from Victorian supported studios, the results spoke for themselves.
Make Your Mark exhibition launch. Image: Astrid Mulder.
Over three weeks, the exhibition welcomed 276 in-person visitors — arts professionals, collectors, representatives from the Ian & Shirley Norman Foundation, and members of the public who simply walked in off Bourke Street. Four artworks sold across three artists, with 60% of every sale going directly to the artist. All seven artists received an exhibitor fee.
The digital campaign reached well beyond existing audiences, generating 12,000 social engagements with 50% of views coming from people who had never followed Bayley Arts or Jump Left before. An email open rate of 45% — more than double the industry average — reflected genuine interest from a community that was paying attention.
For most of these seven artists, Make Your Mark was their first major gallery exhibition outside a supported studio context. John Pook and Gavin Moore spoke at the opening. Families filled the room. The work hung in a professional space with a printed catalogue, formal artist statements, and professional photography to create a lasting record.
This is what genuine inclusion looks like in practice — not accessibility as an afterthought, but industry-standard presentation from the ground up, with Easy Read materials, physical access, and an exceptional selection considered from the start.
Make Your Mark was supported by Creative Victoria and presented in partnership with Bayley House, Bayley Arts, Impact Neighbourhoods and Donkey Wheel House.
