David Roche Gallery is marking a decade of opening Fermoy House and sharing one of Australia’s most remarkable private collections with audiences nationally and internationally, with the launch of a special celebratory exhibition.
Making Old New: DRG 10th Anniversary, SA Craft & Design reimagine the Collection runs from 23 May until 1 August 2026, bringing together David Roche Gallery’s 18th to early 20th-century European and British works alongside new works of art by 20 South Australian artists.
The free exhibition is a collaborative venture with JamFactory, Australia’s premier craft and design training facility, featuring both established figures and more recent alumni. Each artist has selected a piece from David Roche’s historic collection as inspiration to create something entirely new, celebrating both the legacy of David Roche and Adelaide’s role in shaping craft and design in Australia.
David Roche Gallery Director Robert Reason says: “This exhibition is an opportunity to show how historical craft and design can be interpreted in the 21st century and to showcase the strengths of two organisations that are truly unique in Australia. Over the last 10 years we have worked hard to develop an exhibition program here that gives people in Adelaide the opportunity to see exhibitions that otherwise wouldn’t be available in South Australia. Coupled with our public programming, hosting artists and speakers from all over the country, we offer our audiences access to unique learning opportunities in Adelaide.”
Spanning ceramics, glass, jewellery, furniture and sculpture, the 20 reimagined pieces respond to a variety of collection items including a Russian malachite vase and a Louis Moinet l’Aine clock, to prisoner-of-war straw boxes and a copper imperial peck measure. “Some artists selected iconic works from the collection, while others were drawn to more humble pieces, all resonating with their own values and passions for creating,” Reason says. “It’s fascinating to see how each artist has interpreted the art in their own way and how the historical collection is translated into contemporary craft and design practice.”
Among the pairings, ceramist and JamFactory Lifetime Honouree Jeff Mincham AM responded to a 19th century bronze of Sisyphus to create The Sisyphus Syndrome – Learn to love your rock; ceramist Honor Freeman cast a dead ornate cowfish found washed ashore during the algae bloom in porcelain, in response to a delicate bronze of a fallen sparrow; and jeweller and object maker Polly Dymond electroformed salvaged waste polystyrene and found ceramics in response to a rare 18th century Derby porcelain vase to turn discarded material into something precious.
Over the course of the exhibition, the artists will host talks at the gallery on Friday 26 June, 10 July and 24 July. A fully illustrated catalogue also accompanies the exhibition.
Since opening in June 2016, David Roche Gallery has welcomed more than 70,000 visitors on guided tours of Fermoy House and its exhibition galleries, with international visitors from over 20 countries, and 2025 seeing over 9,000 people through the doors. Over that decade, the gallery has evolved from a guided house museum into a nationally respected exhibition venue, collaborating with the Powerhouse Museum, National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, National Library of Australia, S.H. Ervin Gallery and Bundanon.
Coinciding with the anniversary, David Roche Gallery is also undertaking a significant building redevelopment to cement its growth for the next decade. This includes expanded storage, a larger shop and a research reference library, plus a brand-new cafe which will open its doors in 2026.
Making Old New: DRG 10th Anniversary, SA Craft & Design reimagine the Collection David Roche Gallery, 241 Melbourne St, North Adelaide Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–4pm (closed Sundays, Mondays and public holidays) 23 May – 1 August 2026 Free entry. Book your ticket at rochegallery.com.au/exhibitions
Fermoy House guided tours: 10am, 12noon and 2pm (must be prebooked online) Adult $15 | Concession $12
For more information and events, visit rochegallery.com.au
