Crafty creatives reawaken

CREATIVE Crafts Council of Ballarat members are collectively back in action after two interrupted years, and their upcoming annual exhibition will celebrate that.

Reawakening is set to showcase the work of artists and makers, mostly hobbyists, who are back to their practice after COVID-19 restrictions, and will run in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens’ Robert Clark Conservatory for one week from the June long weekend.

Crafts Council of Ballarat exhibition committee member Chris Grant said it’s the group’s “event of the year.”

“Because we’ve got that beautiful conservatory, it gives our members the opportunity to create something bigger and larger,” she said.

“We have 25 exhibitors and about roughly 300 pieces of work which range from paintings to textiles, woodwork to fashion accessories.”

The Crafts Council of Ballarat has a membership of about 30 people, and has been based in the Adam Lindsay Gordon Cottage at the Botanical Gardens for 30 years.

“We have a diverse range of creative work from different artists on display and for sale in the Cottage all the time, and are always welcoming new members,” Grant said.

“We will be encouraging visitors to the exhibition to join our group of likeminded people.”

Reawakening will be open 9am to 4pm from Saturday, 11 June, with an official opening at 1.30pm, until Sunday, 19 June.

The Craft Cottage is usually open Thursday to Sunday, but during the exhibition week, it will also be open every day.

The Crafts Council has put on their annual exhibition annually for at least 20 years, however missed 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.