By Abbey Cannan
Visit the home studios of more than 100 remarkable artists at Queensland’s largest open studios event, the Noosa Open Studios Art Trail.
Go behind the scenes from 1 to 10 October with painters and potters, ceramicists, sculptors, metalworkers and more, on art trails from coast to countryside.
Explore Noosa’s creative culture along five distinct drive trails taking in Noosa’s gorgeous beach and hinterland villages.
Noosa Open Studios president Anthony Wynne-Hoelscher said the art trail enabled artists to make studio sales without having to pay commission.
“It is really quite substantial, when you think that a region such as Noosa and the hinterland, which is not the biggest population in the country, has more than 100 artists who are able to open their studios to all art lovers for 10 days. It’s pretty extraordinary,“ he said.
“It says a lot about the nature of this place as a magnet for people who are in the arts. Not only visual arts, but also you look at all the other arts that are really nurtured in our region such as music, playwrights, filmmakers.“
Anthony said it was an interesting period planning the event for the second year in a row during the Covid pandemic.
“Last year we were worried and postponed the event from August to October, because we were concerned the lockdowns would still be in full swing,“ he said.
It ended up being one of the only events held in Noosa for the entire year.
“We couldn’t pull any visitors from New South Wales or Victoria because of the national lockdowns, so we had to rely on Queenslanders to attend the studios,“ Anthony said.
“In spite of that, we had record sales.
“Low and behold, this year seems to be exactly the same. So we’re feeling pretty confident since we had such a successful outcome last year. But, time will tell and we’ll give it a red, hot go.“
Anthony said cultural tourism had a much bigger yield than surf and sand tourism.
“Our relationship with Tourism Noosa is very much founded in the knowledge that art and cultural tourists tend to spend more time in the region and tend to spend more money while they’re here,“ he said.
“Even if you’re not necessarily someone who loves art, it’s a really wonderful day out. You get to drive around the region and see things you would not normally see. The studios are spread far and wide.
“We want the mid-week to be as dynamic as the weekend. On Monday we have the Noosa trail, Tuesday is the beaches trail, Wednesday is the Tinbeerwah to Eumundi trail and Thursday is the Cooroy to Cooroibah trail.“
Learn more about the creative process, take home your favourite pieces and be inspired by Noosa’s talented local artists.
Also during Noosa Open Studios are a range of interactive art workshops held by some of the region’s talented local artists, from mixed media and abstract works to landscape painting and pop art, watercolours, pastel techniques and raku pottery firing through to brush making and lantern crafting.
Featured artists include the artistic powerhouse couple Ben and Elke Lucas, who will be sharing a studio at 3 Shamrock Court, Sunrise Beach.
Ben is an award-winning painter of emotionally evocative seascapes full of light, colour, movement and memories; while Elke is a highly regarded Australian potter making wheel thrown and hand built high-fired tableware and homewares.
Anthony said the couple are world-class artists.
“The fact that they are in different genres is a wonderful thing. They’re very complementary,“ he said.
“I think you’ve got two really contemporary artists there who represent the depth of art we can present in this region. Elke and Ben, being a younger couple, are holding the flag for the future as far as I’m concerned.“
Bookings are required and individual workshop costs apply. Be sure to book in early as spaces will fill fast.
There are also a range of stunning partner galleries to visit too, including the flagship Noosa Regional Gallery, beside the Noosa River, and hinterland highlights including Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre and Pomona Railway Station Gallery.
More details at the website noosaopenstudios.com.au or follow on Facebook and Instagram @noosaopenstudios
