The Dubbo Arts Fair (DAF) held from 23-25 September was a huge success, attracting close to 1700 visitors to the three-day event hosted by the Western Plains Cultural Centre (WPCC) in Dubbo.
The 45 visual artists who showcased their work at the DAF turned over $50,000, in addition to creating future work prospects, commissions and collaborations. Artists reported speaking with people from as far as Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane, and many locals who were visiting the WPCC for the first time to purchase local and regional art.
WPCC Cultural Development Coordinator Jess Moore said the event, now in its second year, was a result of months of planning, coordinating, scheduling and promoting.
"The week of install is massive; 10-15 hour days to bump out three major exhibitions and bump in 45 exhibitors,'' she said. "But every visual artist who wanted a booth got one, no one had to be turned away.''
Ms Moore said the official opening guest speaker, the Director Sydney Contemporary Art Fair Barry Keldoulis, loved the event and was passionate about its potential to grow and become a major event for the region.
"Mr Keldoulis sees fairs such as DAF having an important role in educating and making it easy for the public to buy art – it's not just for artists, but to make owning art an enjoyable experience,'' she said.
"One purchaser was given money for her birthday from her parents, so she travelled from Yeoval to the event with a mission to acquire an original piece of local art. She went home with a beautiful oil painting by an artist from Wellington – this is just one of the many stories from the weekend.''
Ms Moore said ongoing community support was vital for the DAF to thrive and grow in the future.
"We want to ensure that creativity is a key pillar for our community, and to make that possible it has to be viable for artists to stay here and create – so community support is paramount,'' she said.
"From buying work at the DAF or seeking original live music, through to attending film festivals or local theatre productions, the more the community says 'I am here to support our creative sector', the more it will multiply and germinate.''
