Monthly meet for arts community

ON the first Saturday of each month, artists are invited to meet at the Dereel Community Centre to work on their projects and chat with like-minded creatives.

The Art in Dereel get-togethers have been running since 2019, and co-convenor Lisa Hunter said it’s part in her efforts to build a local artistic community.

“I first got involved in art when I moved here in 2012 through GP Arts Inc’s Arts Trail. In Dereel, art always brings people out where other things don’t,” she said.

“We don’t have shops or a pub here. Unless something’s organised, people just don’t get a chance to meet so the idea of this was to bring art to Dereel and establish a creative community here.

“Art’s positive, life-affirming and something you can do whether you’re a beginner or experienced so this is providing that space where people don’t have to travel elsewhere for it.”

The initiative began in 2018 when Hunter and co-convenor Glynis Bryden received a $5000 grant from Golden Plains Shire to host about eleven art workshops.

The Art in Dereel movement also used the money to host the Songs and Stories concert and arts open day at the community centre which saw the creation of two permanent murals.

Leftover funds from the initial grant are now spent on holding their regular get-togethers and Bryden said Art in Dereel has had an impact on the local arts community.

“Even though Art in Dereel isn’t necessarily spearheading anything at the moment like when it started, Dereel artists are doing things,” she said.

“We do know who are our artists are now. In some councils, you could go down the street and not know there was an artist the next street over.

“COVID’s still lingering, so the challenge for us it about what we can do to rejuvenate the movement with new ideas and new things to do.

“Until then we’ll continue to run our meetings as long as we can, which are really just fun social chats where people can work on their art in a safe, encouraging space.”

The Art in Dereel sessions are free to attend and run from 10am to 2pm.