AAH Art and Healing celebrate one year

AAH Art and Healing is celebrating a year of creativity this month, after finding its permanent home in an Aireys Inlet studio.

Started by Julia Freake in 2020 as a way of supporting emotional wellbeing through creativity, AAH Art and Healing found its permanent home in Aireys Inlet in 2023.

In creating the studio, Ms Freake also wanted to provide a safe space for people to learn new tools to help with the impact of mental health, services previously offered through local community venues.

Ms Freake, an artist herself, said opening the space is a “dream come true” and it’s really exciting to have reached the one-year milestone in the studio.

“I can’t believe how quickly that year has flown by, all of a sudden I realised that we’ve been there for a year, so that’s been pretty amazing.”

The studio shop provides art and craft workshops, art supplies, an art gallery, social emotional learning workshops and classes, and more.

Ms Freake said it’s been interesting to see how the business has grown and changed in the last 12 months.

“I started just before COVID and relying on community venues and things like that, now that I’ve got the permanent space, people know where to find me and word of mouth is spreading a lot easier, which has been fantastic.”

 

With a passion for supporting and encouraging children and families, Ms Freake hopes to always have a section in her gallery dedicated to showing works by those under 21.

Moving forward, the space will continue providing a safe environment for people to be creative on the Surf Coast, with the understanding not everybody has the means to travel into Geelong for support.

This year, AAH Art and Healing will host the Art Exhibition for the 2024 Art of the Minds Festival on October 6.

The studio shop can be found in Aireys Inlet at 1/28-30 Great Ocean Road.

For more information, head to artandhealing.com.au