If there’s one ‘best time’ for art lovers to visit the Granite Belt, it is without doubt the last weekend in October.
The countdown has begun. Add some artistic zing to spring and come to Stanthorpe for the Granite Belt Art and Craft Trail, to be held over the last three days in October. Whether you want to craft a whimsical clay figure with Patty from Wicketty-Woo or try some resin art with Liz Saul, GBART will open up a whole new world for you.
If there’s one ‘best time’ for art lovers to visit the Granite Belt, it is, without doubt, the last weekend in October.
For the final three days of October, the Granite Belt Art and Craft Trail is bringing together a Who’s Who of artisans from this creatively rich region to offer visitors an opportunity to chart their own path to art appreciation, with a rare chance to dive into their personal creative abilities and enter a whole new world of colour, texture and self-expression.
There’s an intimacy to this event that would be lost in a more sweeping, homogenised offering. This is personal. You travel your own path which you build around your specific interests in art and craft. When you meet the artists, your appreciation deepens as you learn the richness behind the art and discover the inspiration and history that has gone into their pieces.
Twenty-six artisans display their work at 21 venues around Stanthorpe and surrounding villages. Within those parameters, visitors craft their own experience. It might be all art appreciation, joining a walk that showcases Stanthorpe’s public art, wandering through a photographic exhibition, and visiting studios to fall in love with pieces to buy and take home. (There is probably no better time in the Granite Belt calendar to do your art shopping.) Some people will savour a more behind-the-scenes visit where the craft comes to life before their eyes—the wheel throwing that leads to gorgeous pottery, the steps that go into a hand-crafted frying pan, the gentle art of watercolour pencil, the magic of candlemaking and more.
But perhaps most deeply rewarding is the opportunity for people to try their own hand at artistic endeavours. This could be a small project in resin or learning how to create facial expressions in whimsical clay art. It could be something eminently practical like cheesemaking or starting Christmas preparations early by making homemade decorations from alpaca fibre. Or of course, picking up a paintbrush or pencil.
To create your own trail, go to the website at www.gbart.org.au and discover for yourself the artisans and their offerings, creating your own schedule as you book the various demonstrations, exhibits, and workshops that appeal to you. (Absolutely everything must be booked in advance.) While on the website you can order a picnic hamper for any day of the event so that wherever you are on your personal arts trail, you’ll have a delicious lunch with you when you’re ready to eat.
The event is held across three days, Friday, October 29 to Sunday, October 31, and features its official opening, Fresh Canvas, on Friday night, when guests will enjoy a special meal and mellow entertainment by golden-voiced Teri Welles and the group Jazzify. A piece or two from every artisan on the trail will be on display at the Stanthorpe Showgrounds venue.
