Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art)
Australia's commercial gallery landscape includes a small number of institutions whose contribution to the field extends meaningfully beyond commerce. Art Leven — formerly operating as Cooee Art, and established in Sydney in 1981 — is one such institution. Over more than four decades, it has maintained a consistent and focused commitment to First Nations fine art. The Art Camino Award award recognises outstanding service to the Australian art gallery scene.
Institutional Longevity and Continuity of Mission
Art Leven is one of Australia's oldest continuously exhibiting Indigenous fine art gallery with an unbroken operational history since 1981. For much of that period, it operated as Cooee Art, before rebranding under its current name following Director Mirri Leven's assumption of sole ownership in 2023. What is notable is not simply the gallery's age but the consistency of its focus. While broader cultural institutions have shifted their engagement with First Nations art in response to policy cycles and philanthropic priorities, Art Leven has maintained a commercial and curatorial commitment to this field throughout.
Mirri Leven joined the gallery in 2007, bringing a double degree in International Development and Fine Arts, along with a Master's in art administration from UNSW College of Fine Art. She became part-owner in 2017 and assumed sole ownership in 2023, ensuring continuity of the gallery's direction through what might otherwise have been a period of institutional uncertainty.
An Ethical and Relational Model of Practice
The gallery operates what it describes as a hybrid art model — combining direct representation of artists, secondary market sales, and a biannual auction program launched in 2017. Crucially, this commercial structure is underpinned by a stated commitment to ethical sourcing. Gallery staff travel regularly to remote communities across Australia to develop direct relationships with artists and art centres, consigning works rather than acquiring them speculatively. The gallery works closely with First Nations curators and art centres, positioning itself as a collaborator within a broader ecosystem rather than a sole intermediary.
This is a meaningful distinction in the context of Australian Indigenous art, where concerns about exploitation and misrepresentation have been well documented. The gallery has direct community relationships and the involvement of First Nations curators. Its stockroom encompasses more than 3,000 works by over 150 artists, ranging from rare bark paintings and early desert boards to contemporary acrylic paintings, sculpture, and limited edition prints — a breadth that reflects genuine long-term engagement across regions and artistic traditions.
Exhibition Program and Public Engagement
Monthly exhibitions at the Redfern gallery (since March 2026 reelocated to Wooloomooloo) include solo shows by significant living artists alongside thematically curated group presentations. Recent exhibitions have included solo presentations by artists such as Mitjili Gibson Napanangka, Joshua Bonson, Biddy Timms Napanangka, and David Brown Jangala, alongside community-based projects drawn from art centres including Buku-Larrnggay Mulka and Spinifex Hill. These are not peripheral names — they represent artists whose practices are engaged seriously by institutional collectors and curators both in Australia and internationally.
The gallery also participates in Sydney Contemporary, one of Australia's most significant art fairs, bringing First Nations contemporary art into a context where it is presented alongside work from the broader national and international art market. This consistent fair participation reflects a commitment to positioning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art within the mainstream of contemporary art discourse rather than treating it as a separate category.
Beyond exhibitions, the gallery supports artist talks and workshops as part of its public program, creating access points for audiences — including collectors, students, and professionals — who may be encountering First Nations art for the first time. Private collector previews and consultation services further extend its reach into the collecting community.
The Auction Program and Secondary Market
The gallery's auction wing, launched in 2017, addresses a gap in the market for specialist secondary-market expertise in First Nations art. Conducted biannually, these auctions draw on relationships with artists, galleries, museums, and private collections. The program occupies a distinct niche: it applies the rigour of specialist auction practice to a field that has sometimes been poorly served by generalist auctioneers who lack the contextual knowledge to present works accurately and effectively.
The combination of gallery representation, direct community relationships, and auction expertise creates an integrated market infrastructure for First Nations art that few other institutions in Australia offer.
International Profile and Cultural Diplomacy
Art Leven's reach extends beyond Australia. Over its four decades of operation, the gallery has presented Australian First Nations art through exhibitions and events in Europe and the Americas. Its client base includes international private collectors, institutions, architects, and interior designers, indicating that its role in bringing Indigenous Australian art to international attention is substantive. In a landscape where Australia's international cultural profile has sometimes neglected its Indigenous artistic traditions, the gallery's sustained international program constitutes a genuine contribution to cultural diplomacy.
A Gallery in Transition
The gallery has recently relocated to a new space in Woolloomooloo. This move follows its previous flagship at Redfern — itself a culturally significant location as the heart of Aboriginal Sydney. Continue operating in inner Sydney reflects a commitment to remaining accessible to the communities whose art the gallery represents and champions.
Conclusion
Art Leven’scombination of factors that are individually significant and collectively compelling: institutional longevity, an ethical and relational model of practice, a serious and sustained exhibition program, specialist auction expertise, and a demonstrable international profile. The gallery has operated continuously for over forty years in service of an artistic tradition.
Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art) artleven.com