Sometimes you'll find the owner, Thomas Macokatic, sitting at one of the table and chairs outside chatting with visiting friends.

Otherwise, he'll be inside behind the coffee machine. He has worked as a barista in many cafes around Newcastle, so you can be sure the coffee is up to Novocastrian standards.

There is a feeling of nostalgia, almost a home-like sense of comfort as you enter. There's a grandma couch, piano, dinning room table and an old record player. It's only the cafe-style furniture that reminds you - you are in a small business.

That small business is the recently opened Between The Lines Gallery and Coffeehouse.

The gallery/coffeehouse is being driven by the romantic side of Macokatic the musician, who understands the struggle of being a creative.

"I'm a bit of a romantic" he says "but all throughout history musicians, artists, writers have supported each other.

"That's what I want to create, a really welcoming space for artists."

He says it was an artist friend who didn't have a place to exhibit his art that first sparked the idea, then "everything happened very organically".

"I had the idea six months before opening while still traveling abroad," he says.

When he returned home to Newcastle, the space became available and in two weeks the doors opened.

The gallery opened in March this year to a full-house that spilled out onto the pavement. A mixture of established Newcastle artists and first-time exhibitors filled the walls and the power of social media spread the event with anticipation.

Opening nights have been popular, increasingly turning into events, with live music and open til late. Photographer friends documen the events, which are later added to the gallery's Instagram, to further promote the exhibition and spark interest in the next one.

It's a big step, starting any business, but Macokatic says he's "ready to put down roots" and with help from brother Andrew and many of his friends who have started to drop by unexpectedly to help, Between The Lines might just be on the right path to survive the grueling nature of running a gallery as a business.

The space is currently showing its fourth exhibition, VIRAGO, meaning 'a domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman. Or a female warrior'.

It's difficult to pinpoint if it's a coffee shop that has art on its walls or is it an art gallery that also sells coffee.

Macokatic is quick to respond: "why does that matter?" explaining that he is "keeping it open to new ideas".

"I don't want to fall into repetition," he says., "I want to create a platform for artists local and international."

A place for "emerging artists" that might not suit the white walls of a traditional gallery.

VIRAGO is a curated exhibition by Lili Montefiore, Annabelle Sutton and Molly McNeil. As well as exhibiting their own art, the artists have invited Chloe Rebellato, Julia Hernon, Jessië Wolfe, Jade Miller, Bell Snape, Ruby Hart, Abby Jerrett, IIeigh Hellier, Nica Son, Tara Carter, Lucy Jean, Emilie Winter, Bonnie-Grace Dwyer and Claire Cousins, to make it an all-female exhibition.

Men, don't be mistaking this exhibition is about women hating you, it's not. It's not about men at all, it's about the power of backing oneself.

These emerging artists are finding ways to believe in themselves via the vehicle of artmaking. The cultural landscape is changing and it will be these artists who will be part of the new pages of history, if they choose.

Some of these artists will go on to pursue art careers and others may only exhibit briefly.

It's not easy to be reflective when history is happening right before our eyes. But with the recent announcement of The Lock-Up sirector Jessi England leaving to work on the National Gallery of Australia #knowmyname campaign for women artists, this is a timely exhibition.

VIRAGO is on exhibition during August and all works are available for purchase.