About Brook- GalleryGift Founder

Brook Winfield grew up in a small country town called Nannup, in the South West of Western Australia. From the moment she could pick up a pencil, she was destined to follow a path that was artistic or creative in some way. After high school, she studied a Certificate of Art and Design at South West Regional College in Busselton Western Australia but later moved to Melbourne where she completed a Bachelor of Visual Art at Monash University, with sculpture as a major in 2006. She went on to complete a Diploma of Education in Secondary Art at Melbourne University in 2007.

Brook had always planned on teaching and running art classes as she believed it would compliment her own practice. After completing University, she achieved this goal but realised the life of a high school art teacher was not what she expected it to be and also learnt how difficult it was to make any sort of living as an artist.

Fast forward a few years and she became a Mother for the first time. Leading up to her daughters first birthday, she realised they had no need for any more "stuff" but knew from experience that the "no gifts please" request wasn't going to work! Brook and her partner decided to invite friends and family to contribute towards an artwork for her daughter’s bedroom wall, something she would grow up with knowing it as a gift from the special people in her life at that time. A stunning drawing was jointly purchased and now hangs on her daughter’s wall, enjoyed and interwoven with happy memories.

Soon after this experience, Brook realised this gift solution is perfect for a range of life’s celebrations and there should be something that simplifies the process for people wanting to give and receive art, and the concept of GalleryGift was born!

Having first-hand experience as an artist, Brook also hopes that GalleryGift’s unique collective purchasing system will provide artists with the means of selling their work for a price that truly reflects the blood, sweat and tears of their creation. She dreams of a day when most homes feature beautiful, original and much-loved artworks received as gifts from family and friends.

Brook is passionate about breaking down the traditional and outdated stereotype of fine art as the exclusive precinct of art dealers, investors, collectors and the wealthy. At the same time, she wants artists to be valued purely for their skill and quality of work rather than for special interests within the art establishment.

As someone who is very environmentally conscious, Brook also loves that GalleryGift is providing a way for people to give and receive meaningful gifts that they truly love and that will last for many years, rather than ending up in an opportunity shop or landfill not long after.

We hope that you share the enthusiasm Brook has for the future of GalleryGift and what it means for artists and art buyers of the future. We are so excited to tear the walls down on what has been a very exclusive fine art “club” for far too long but is finally something everyone can enjoy.

If you would like to become part of the GalleryGift team, please head back to the home page here to sign up as a member or here to complete an artist application.