Influence the Bellarine’s art landscape

WE ARE so fortunate to live in an area that celebrates the work of the many local artists who call the Bellarine home.

Last month, the North Bellarine Arts Trail made its return, showcasing masterpieces by more than 50 local artists from throughout the peninsula.

Bellarine Peninsula Arts worked with twenty-nine venues from Curlewis to St Leonards, displaying everything from paintings and drawings to ceramics and textiles.

Art is a very important part of my life, so it was a pleasure to see our community engaging in this event.

I have been a board member of the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum for the past eight years and have seen firsthand the significant positive impacts that art can have on veterans through arts engagement and self-expression.

Regardless of your experiences or your technical abilities, engaging in the arts offers a wide range of mental health benefits.

But if you didn’t get the chance to trek the arts trail this year, we still have plenty of events coming up to quench your creative thirst.

The Bellarine North Rotary Club Easter Art Expo returns for its 46th iteration this month and will showcase about 200 contemporary and traditional artworks at Christian College’s Bellarine Campus.

Bellarine Camera Club and the Festival of Glass will be among the local organisations to have their work on display.

Held over April 19 and April 20, the expo supports Rotary Club in a range of community projects and has raised almost $340,000 for the organisation since its inception.

In central Geelong the 54 Art Fair has just opened its doors, showcasing the rich vibrancy of contemporary African art.

The free exhibition, housed at Bantu Collective Inc, spans visual arts installations and multimedia works, and is on now until 25 April.

Geelong Gallery is currently running a temporary free exhibit celebrating the bequest of gallery member John Norman Mann.

Since 2018, John’s bequest has supported the acquisition of more than forty works by 28 leading Australian artists.

This exhibition is focused on the natural world, as well as First Nations practices and is currently on display until May 11.

Closer to home, Artisans of Australia is showing the works of Cherie Budd in the free ‘Feathered Dreams’ exhibition.

On now until April 21, the collection comprises lino prints and sculptural works exploring the power of dreams.

If any of these appeal to you as an admirer of the arts, then we want to hear from you!

We are requesting your input to help shape the new strategy for the future of public art, such as murals, monuments and sculptures, in Geelong.

The new Public Art Strategy will establish processes to drive a contemporary program and vision for the next decade.

We’re holding interactive workshops for community members to share their ideas and experiences on Thursday 3 April at our Wurriki Nyal civic precinct and on Saturday 5 April at the Barwon Heads Arts Hub.

If you can’t get along to either of these workshops, you can fill out a survey online at yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/publicartstrategy

Feedback closes on Sunday. April 27.

Cr Rowan Story

Murradoc Ward,

City of Greater Geelong