Up to 100 artists will throw open their studio doors across the Bellingen Shire on Saturday, 7 November and Sunday, 8 November, as the Bellingen Shire Arts Trail Weekend returns for its fourth year.
The free, entirely volunteer-run event has grown steadily since it began during the COVID years, when the cancellation of Cab Creative left a gap organisers decided to fill with a weekend of open studios instead.
“I suppose we really took off in COVID times, when other things weren’t happening,” said Rosie Wickert, from the Bellingen Community Arts Council.
What began as a smaller gathering has since doubled in size.
“So it was originally about 20 venues and maybe 50 artists, and so it’s sort of doubled in size really,” Ms Wickert said.
This year’s trail will span 40 open studios, galleries and shared creative spaces, stretching from the hinterland communities of Bostobrick and Dorrigo, through Bellingen and Raleigh, and out to the coastal village of Urunga. The Bellingen, Dorrigo and Urunga arts councils jointly organise the event.
Visitors will be welcomed into artists’ working environments and can explore a wide range of disciplines, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, jewellery, photography, printmaking, woodwork and contemporary craft.
Alongside established professional practitioners, the trail also gives emerging artists a platform to share their work, with pieces available to purchase directly from the makers.
Unlike a traditional gallery show, the Arts Trail Weekend invites visitors directly into artists’ working spaces.
“It’s lovely. And they do it in such a generous way,” Ms Wickert said.
She said meeting an artist in their own studio, rather than in a gallery, tends to draw out more conversation than visitors might expect.
Beyond the visual arts, selected venues will host live music, dance performances and artist talks throughout the weekend, adding to the festival atmosphere.
Organisers produce a printed booklet each year, complete with a map, which is distributed to arts councils, galleries and libraries around the region. Ms Wickert said planning ahead with the booklet is the key to making the most of the weekend, given how far the trail spreads.
“Don’t just turn up and go to whatever’s nearby, but really have a look at the booklet and plan your weekend,” she said.
Ms Wickert said the event is drawing a growing number of visitors from outside the shire each year, something she puts down to word of mouth.
“It’s really nice, and we’re getting more and more people from out of the Shire that come and visit, which is lovely,” she said.
Promotion this year will also lean toward encouraging visitors up to Dorrigo, after repeated closures of the Waterfall Way.
“People are so welcoming there,” Ms Wickert said of the town.
“The Bellingen Shire Arts Trail Weekend provides a rare opportunity to step behind the scenes and experience the creative process first-hand,” Ms Wickert said.
“It’s a chance to meet the people who make this region such an inspiring place, hear the stories behind the work and celebrate the incredible talent that exists throughout the Bellingen Shire.”
Behind the scenes, the event is run by a small committee of volunteers who are already involved in their own galleries or community arts councils, on top of roughly a year of meetings and grant applications required to bring it together.
“It would be really sad if it didn’t survive. But I think it looks okay at the moment,” Ms Wickert said.
Looking ahead, organisers have floated the idea of running a shuttle bus between venues in future years, though Ms Wickert said it comes down to what a small volunteer group can manage.
“We’d like in future maybe to organise a little travel bus that goes up and down,” she said.
For now, individual artists remain free to run their studios as they choose during the weekend, with the arts councils providing support and promotion, including a website that stays live year-round.
Maps and full venue details are available at bellingenshireartstrail.com.
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