In this episode of Arts Friday, Angela Stretch speaks with Mirri Leven, Director of Art Leven, on the opening night of the gallery’s new Woolloomooloo space and the launch of a significant exhibition and auction honouring the collecting journeys of Dame Marie Bashir and David Shehadie.

Established in 1981, Art Leven has spent more than four decades championing artists with integrity and presenting First Nations art in a thoughtful and informed context. Mirri reflects on the gallery’s evolution, the vision behind its purpose-built new home, and the importance of creating deeper connections between audiences and artists’ practices.

The conversation also explores the remarkable collecting journeys undertaken by Bashir and Shehadie, who travelled extensively to remote art centres across Australia alongside influential collectors Elizabeth Laverty and Anne Lewis. Together, they helped introduce Aboriginal art to wider audiences during a pivotal period in the Australian art market, leaving a lasting impact on the cultural landscape today.