Location: Mudgee
Offers: Art gallery, bookable workshops, winery, food, annual sculpture festival
We spoke to: Gallery owner Kay Norton-Knight
Three and a half years ago, as the last lockdown came to an end, Kay Norton-Knight and her husband Gerry opened their newly built gallery and cellar door space on Rosby farm, their home since 1983 and a working vineyard since 1996. With the explosion in the domestic tourism industry at that time, the new gallery opened with a bang, and while that peak has passed, business is still going strong.
An artist herself, Kay is well-poised to bring creative flourish to the family business. As creative director of the gallery, she plans every exhibition two years in advance, and every six-to-eight weeks, oversees the display and sales of works by artists both local to the Mudgee area and from further afield. A balance of local and away artists is an important aspect of the business and has contributed to Rosby’s exposure well beyond the region. Each exhibition has an opening event, a major focus for Kay both in terms of art sales and building the gallery community, and people travel to Mudgee from all over to support exhibiting artists and enjoy the food and wine.
Besides art and wine, the Rosby property also has a guesthouse which sleeps up to ten people, and provides a unique rural accommodation experience; Kay and Gerry’s business successfully harmonises multiple sectors of the tourism industry in the one place.
The outdoor Sculptures in the Garden, which started in 2011, is held annually at Rosby every October. It has become a hallmark event on the Central West’s artistic calendar, and a major tourist attraction – NSW’s largest annual outdoor art exhibition. The not-for-profit event requires year-round production and with a team of people including a PR specialist and collaboration with Mid-Western Regional Council. All winning acquisitions are added to the Lawson Park Sculpture Walk on the banks of the Cudgegong River in Mudgee.
While the gallery openings, artist workshops, and the renowned Sculptures in the Garden bring visitors specifically to Rosby, Kay also benefits from the wider tourism ecosystem around Mudgee, and is clear-eyed about her position within that industry. The majority of visitors to the Mudgee area are food-and-wine tourists, or sporting families attending the Glen Willow Regional Sports Complex, but Rosby’s unique blend of wine and art, and the scenic but convenient location close to town, means they attract plenty of visits from those seeking something more on their stay. It’s a boon to Rosby that Mudgee has a robust tourism industry, strongly supported by the Mid-Western Regional Council, with plenty of other great food and accommodation options nearby. Kay has seen Mudgee blossom both economically and culturally in the last few years, and credits this to integration and cooperation across the tourism sector and with council.
But Kay takes none of this for granted – her MO is ‘Promoting, promoting, promoting’, understanding that that’s half the work in a successful business. Her focus is on traditional advertising avenues, like radio and local print media, and every week Kay calls into Orange ABC’s What’s Happening In the Central West to shout out the current exhibition. Meanwhile, her daughter Amber, who manages marketing and events for the whole family business, takes care of social and digital media, particularly Instagram, a crucial platform for promoting visual art. Clearly, mother and daughter make a great team. The they also utilise ATDW to get their listings into state and national platforms; and have a strong email list and regular e-newsletters.
When asked what draws visitors to Rosby, and why culture and creativity is so important, Kay says: ‘There’s a personal touch in what we do here, we greet everyone in the front driveway as they come in… I like educating people, as a lot of people who come here feel that they don’t know enough about art, they haven’t necessarily been brought up with it, but art is for everyone. Art is a form of therapy, really.’
Three tips we got from Kay:
- Put time and consistent effort into promotion, across lots of different avenues
- Look after your guests with a personable meet and greet
- “You have to feed people and you have to entertain people”
More info:
Rosby Wines – Cellar Door | Art Gallery | Guesthouse | Art Workshops
The gallery is open Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon 10am – 4pm at 122 Strikes Lane, Eurunderee Mudgee.
Sculptures in the Garden will next 11-26 October 2025.
Sculptures in the Garden – Inspiring Garden Sculptures in Sydney and Australia
Book wine tastings and accommodation via their website: Rosby Wines – Cellar Door | Art Gallery | Guesthouse | Art Workshops
See their website for upcoming workshops: 2025 ART WORKSHOPS || Rosby Wines
Interview and article by Callum Robinson for Arts OutWest.
