Art fans hit the trail on the Bellarine

THE Northern Bellarine Peninsula Arts Trail made a successful return at the weekend, with crowds perusing the many works of art on display and for sale.

First held in 2019, the trail was staged this time in 30 venues across the northern half of the peninsula, including studios, galleries, cafes and halls.

“It was fantastic,” organiser Kaye Clancy said. “We had not quite as many people coming through as last time, but people were very enthusiastic and very supportive, and we had a few sales, which was great.

“To have the enthusiasm of all the artists was great – so many artists are beavering away on their own in their little studios, so to be able to go out and show their work is good. It’s also about networking.”

She said some of the artists in this year’s arts trail had never exhibited before.

“It’s a big thing for them; it can be quite confronting,” Ms Clancy said.

“There was a whole mixture of different abilities in the trail, and that’s what’s really good about it. Somebody said ‘you should vet the artists’, but Linda (Gallus) and I said no – it’s all inclusive, it’s for everybody.

“We haven’t had all the same artists as last time. A lot of them pulled out, but then more came; people who have just moved into the area and found out about it.”

She congratulated the collective of artists who worked together to hire the Indented Heads Hall this year.

“The artists initiated that themselves and hired the hall for the weekend, and this year we also went around to some restaurants and got them to put some works up,” she said.

“Tuckerberry Hill has just opened a microbrewery, and they’ve got a little gallery there – it’s just fantastic, there’s a proper hanging space and lights – and we were the first people to exhibit there.”

She said she and Ms Gallus would look to next run their arts trail in 2023, but some artists might exhibit in this year’s Bellarine Arts Trail, which is scheduled to take place over the Melbourne Cup weekend in late October.