Riverlee Artists has become accustomed to rolling out the welcome mat for visitors since settling into its new home at Winchelsea Shire Hall. So the hinterland group will be at ease greeting patrons as part of the 2022 Surf Coast Arts Trail on 6 and 7 August.
This year marks the Surf Coast Arts Trail 10th anniversary – Take 2, with Riverlee Artists proud to have participated in the event since its inception.
"While we originally exhibited at the Globe Theatre, this year we're excited to exhibit at the beautifully-refurbished bluestone Winchelsea Shire Hall, which re-opened its doors in February," artist Denise Murfitt said.
"We've been warmly welcomed to the hall by caretaker Jill Evans. It is a wonderful space to gather and embrace our creativity. The local Visitor Information Centre is also based at the hall, so we often have visitors to Winchelsea who come for tourism information, and then enjoy the opportunity to see us working away in our classes."
Riverlee Artists are a popular stop on the Surf Coast Arts Trail. Six artists – Ms Murfitt, Kate Kerkin, Heather Wainewright, Christine Smith, June Rowe and Lucy Maher – will showcase at the Winchelsea Shire Hall, sharing paintings in watercolour, oil and acrylic on subjects as diverse as still life, landscapes and seascapes.
Meanwhile Riverlee artists exhibiting from their own Winchelsea studios are Veronica McDonald (Vronxart Studio) and Sally Miller (The Shearing Shed). Dee Matheson and Laurel McLennan (Shrek Gallery, Gherang) and Anglesea's Rosemary Harris-Arnott (Nest Art Studio) and Jill Treloar (Tree House Studio) will also feature on the trail.
"All Riverlee Artists look forward to showcasing their work and meeting the trailgoers at the Surf Coast Arts Trail," said Ms Murfitt, who highlighted the group's sense of community.
"Our experienced artists generously share their skills with our new members, and we have a wonderful group of artists enjoying a friendly and creative atmosphere.
"Exhibiting as a group has allowed Riverlee Artists to facilitate a pop-up exhibition twice a year in Winchelsea. These exhibitions showcase art from the entire group in oil, watercolour and prints created in studio and en plain air. The next Riverlee exhibition at the Globe Theatre will be on Melbourne Cup weekend – 29 and 30 October – which will feature the annual Winchibalds portrait gallery. A sneak preview of portraits will be on display at the hall during the Arts Trail.
"A successful solo exhibition by Veronica McDonald was recently held at the hall, attended by a large number of local and visitors.
"We envisage an ongoing arts focus for the hall – a jewel of the Winchelsea township."
Shed300 – 300 Barwon Terrace, Winchelsea
Shed300 will be another popular Winchelsea stop on the 2022 Surf Coast Arts Trail, showcasing:
- Jane Bartier, who weaves an understanding of place with reimagined material.
- Louise Hall, whose body of work addresses our colonial story, using the metaphor of garlic sculpted in porcelain.
- Sylvia Maseyk, who sculpts from discarded natural and human-made materials on themes of interdependence and the creative potency of emptiness.
Visual artist Ms Hall was a recipient of Council's 2022 Arts Seed Development Fund, with her grant to research the gap in the market of arts offerings in Winchelsea, to target both established arts practitioners and those wishing to create art for fun and relaxation. The Hive Hinterland Art School will be a new learning facility for printmaking, plus facilities for people to create paintings and drawings in a range of media.
The 2022 Surf Coast Arts Trail will be held 6 and 7 August, with more than 200 artists across 60 venues. Cr Heather Wellington welcomed the return of the event, which will showcase all mediums – pottery to blacksmithing, painting to jewellery, printmaking to woodworking, and much more.
"It will be wonderful for artists to share their work on the trail once again, and for patrons – both locals and visitors – to see the incredible talent across both the hinterland and the coast," she said.
To plan your Arts Trail weekend, visit surfcoastartstrail.com.au and download the program which includes a Winchelsea and hinterland feature.
