Opened in June 2019, Art Partners Australia now has artists in residence, hosts small wedding receptions and events and this month added an art supplies shop to the fold.

Named Art Parts, the venture employs two staff who lost their jobs when Riot Art and Craft closed in Albury late last year.

Art Partners Australia founder Jacinta Mirams said when the national chain store went into liquidation six weeks before Christmas it left a gap in the Border market for art supplies.

Mrs Mirams said she had worked with about 35 artists to tailor the art supplies to their needs.

"Artists were going to Melbourne to buy $3000 or $4000 supplies at a time," she said.

"Now we can keep these dollars in our local economy and employ two locals in the store."

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Having opened the gallery to showcase works by Australian contemporary artists and photographers, Mrs Mirams said the business continued to thrive during the past 12 months.

She said the summer bushfire crisis followed by flooding in their artists' studio tested them out.

"We had just returned artworks to owners (whose properties were threatened by fires) when we had flooding last March caused by a ceiling collapse in the studio," Mrs Mirams said.

"We went from fires to floods so it was an interesting year."

Mrs Mirams said Art Partners Australia had sourced 40 artworks for the newly-opened Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre, which led to an order for 350 works for Northside Group St Leonards Clinic in Sydney.

"I worked with 16 artists to provide works for the seven-level clinic," she said.

"Now we've been asked to supply 40 artworks for the eighth level, which is getting more work by regional artists into city environments."

Mrs Mirams said many people had turned to creative outlets during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Lots of people are setting up easels and painting from home; just to keep their minds active," Mrs Mirams said.

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