Northern Bellarine artists invited to join new trail

A NEW event later this year will give artists in the Northern Bellarine a chance to exhibit their works.

The Northern Bellarine Arts Trail 2019 – Open Studios will be held on Saturday November 2 and Sunday November 3.

With the Bellarine Arts Trail (BAT) becoming a biennial event, the two will be held in alternate years.

Bellarine Arts Trail coordinator Karen Shirley said she was thrilled with the success of BAT and wanted to ensure the event was sustainable for the future, which meant running the event every second year to protect organisers from burn-out.

“Just as important is our desire to ensure local artists have time to produce new artworks for each BAT event,” Ms Shirley said.

“We believe allowing artists two years to produce a high quality body of work suitable for an arts trail event will ensure the standard of BAT is maintained.

“We believe that having BAT every second year will increase the level of interest and excitement by artists, locals and visitors to the region.”

Ms Shirley said organisers were already looking ahead to BAT 2020 and had a growing list of artists who were keen to participate in that event.

The BAT’s participating towns include Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove, Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff, while the Northern Bellarine Arts Trail 2019 will include Portarlington, Drysdale, St Leonards, Clifton Springs, Indented Head, Mannerim, Leopold and Moolap.

The event is being organised by ceramic artist Kaye Clancy, printmaker Pip Williams and painter Linda Gallus, who wanted to give artists living on their side of the Bellarine a chance to take part in a trail.

Artists from the Northern Bellarine, who have their own studios, are now invited to submit an expression of interest to participate in the new event.

This could involve exhibiting, selling and demonstrating techniques and art practices to the public in their own studio.

For more information or to submit your interest, email Kaye on [email protected] or Pip on [email protected].