Street Fiesta shares artistic talent

GROWING year-by-year, the free Smythesdale Arts and Music Fiesta is returning next month to bring creatives and art-lovers from the north of the Shire and broader Ballarat regions together.

Held on the town green and in surrounding spaces including The Well, Masonic Hall, and old courthouse, the fiesta of locally and internationally renowned visual art, walk-up workshops and collaborative murals, live musical and spoken word performances, food and stalls will run from 10am to 3pm on Sunday, 6 February.

Festival coordinator, president of GP Arts Inc and ceramicist Barry Wemyss said he recognises not every member of the public, or even art-lover, necessarily engages with galleries, so the Fiesta gets works, faces and names out there.

“If you don’t put the art on the street, you don’t have people taking notice,” he said.

“My thing is to showcase art and promote local artists as much as possible. I want to get as much local talent and art as possible to the people, and the people to the art.”

Established creatives from the Golden Plains Arts Inc including printmaker Vida Pearson, painters Stella Clarke and Kate Wise, and sculptors Rosie Grundell and Lyn Dickson will be on site, as well as emerging artists.

Musical acts Paige Duggan, and The Wünderhorns are booked to perform, and a showcase of local poetry will be hosted by Megan J Riedl, with Craig Coulson, Melissa Watts, and Bronwyn Blaiklock on the bill. They will all have published works for sale.

A stallholder in 2021, Ballarat painter Tegan Crosbie will return.

Attendees can also tuck into Tim Bone’s toasties and ice cream from the Hippy Whippy van.