Welcome to Artgym – where art meets endorphins!
Celebrating 10 years of Artgym, co‑owner Eilish, an artist‑turned‑athlete and former kettlebell champion, took a break from the gym floor to give us the inside scoop on Hobart’s most creative fitness space.
Housed in a former petrol station on Barrack Street (best known to locals as Tazzy Tyres), Artgym has undergone an impressive transformation from a gritty junkyard to a lush, plant‑filled haven packed with gym equipment and personality.
Joining forces with her husband, a long‑time gym instructor, they opened Artgym on Liverpool Street before relocating to Barrack Street in 2018. The space was a fixer-upper, and the move was very much a community effort.
“We had friends and members helping carry gym tiles from Liverpool Street to Barrack Street. We started moving on the Friday and reopened on the Monday.”
Where art and fitness collide
Eilish’s passion for merging creativity with fitness started long before Artgym existed.
At 17, she left the Apple Isle to study art in Melbourne. While her early uni years looked like a typical student experience, something didn’t quite fit.
“It just got to the point where I was like, I can’t do this anymore, it’s not me.”
After joining a women’s gym in St Kilda, Eilish unearthed a new passion. But at the time, gym culture was worlds away from art school.
“It was incredibly uncool to go to the gym back then. I used to keep it secret from my friends. We’d be sitting at a café, and they’d look at my sneakers and say, why are you wearing those?”
Eilish noticed a divide between the creative world and the fitness world and longed for a space where you didn’t have to choose between the two.
“I wanted to create a gym that felt aesthetically comfortable, somewhere you don’t have to change your personality or become a stereotypical ‘gym person’ just to be there.”
Artgym was born from that idea: a place where people can show up exactly as they are.
“I think it’s really important that everyone should be able to join a gym and feel comfortable. Because there’s such a perception around gym environments. That it’s really intimidating and full of fit people, and I think people expect to talk differently.”
All-inclusive and accessible
Whether you’re lifting for the first time or chasing a personal best, Artgym is designed to support everyone.
“We try to make it so people can work out together seamlessly. You might be lifting a third of what someone else is lifting, but you don’t feel like you’re behind.”
That ethos has helped foster a strong sense of community.
“Members genuinely look forward to seeing each other and have made friendships here. Fitness alone isn’t anything extraordinary, but building the habit, learning from instructors and using those skills for life – it’s incredibly valuable.”
Weights, kettlebells, and … K-pop!
Artgym’s timetable is a choose‑your‑own‑adventure, with regular strength and kettlebell classes alongside one‑off surprises like K‑pop dance sessions and DJ‑collab workouts.
Eilish loves creating an atmosphere, so don’t be surprised if you’re lifting under coloured lights, surrounded by props, or flowing through kettlebell sequences in a space that feels part gym, part art installation.
Artgym has also launched a brand‑new class called Resistance, which combines punching, core work and resistance training, all set to a loud, powerful playlist featuring tracks that reject all forms of oppression and discrimination.
“It’s a way of building community and an expression of unity for global actions against the far right.”
The class captures Artgym’s trademark mix of movement, meaning and creativity, using fitness as a platform for empowerment and solidarity.
Known proudly as the unofficial kettlebell capital of Tasmania, and the state club for the National Kettlebell Sport Association, Artgym hosts regular competitions and bold, creative events.
“We ran a Christmas Eve class with a sensory theme – herbs you could smell, projections, and a soundtrack referencing Christmas.”
On New Year’s Eve, they took things to the next level with a 12‑hour kettlebell marathon, running from midday to midnight.
“We did half an hour on, half an hour off. I had a 12‑hour playlist that built up toward midnight, plus art objects, lighting and projections.”
The event doubled as a fundraiser for an Artgym member who uses a wheelchair and requires a kidney operation, with the community rallying together to support one of their own.
Artist membership
Artgym also offers an Artist Membership, priced at a third of a standard membership.
“Tasmania has one of the lowest rates of arts funding in the country, and it can be really tough being an artist,” Eilish explains. “Artists are incredibly valuable to the community, and this membership is for filmmakers, writers, musicians, anyone who identifies as an artist and needs that support.”
The power of kettlebells
Beyond physical strength, kettlebell training offers powerful mental health benefits.
“You get the weightlifting element, but you can also enter a flow state. You’re focused on movement, catching and control, which gives your brain a break.”
Eilish believes there’s something special about simplicity and imperfection.
“Exercise isn’t meant to be perfect. You sweat, you struggle, and there’s vulnerability in that, especially when you’re doing it around other people. That’s where connection and support really happen.”
Artgym is an inclusive, creative fitness community built on empathy, imagination and generosity. Trainers value the diverse life experiences of their members and work together to support each individual’s unique journey.
Whether you’re sweating it out, lifting a personal best, chatting over a cup of tea or trying beginner dance classes, you’re always welcome to train at your own level.