Just over the river from the township of Newstead is the recently unveiled Newstead Railway Arts Hub. Last week saw the opening of a strong exhibition, Reiterations, a beautiful and engaging display of the work of four local artists, Georgina Duckett, Sandra Tobias, Sally Roadknight and Julie Patey. The many rooms of the beautiful old railway station, renovated and transformed, were filled to brimming with an enthusiastic crowd.
Next month, too, presents a wonderfully rich and diverse array of artistic talent over two weekends in March when many of the artists of Newstead open their studio doors and gates to the public to share their life as artists and their artistic practice. A variety of artistic media will be on display, from ceramics to painting, printmaking, jewelry, sculpture and drawing, to the practice of artful living, where abundant creativity spills out of the studio and onto the land.
A tour of the studios will include local artists Georgina Duckett, Roger McKindley and his Iron Arts Garden Antares, potter Chris Johnston, Paul Turbitt and Jennifer King and renowned sculptor Trefor Prest among others.
Newstead Open Studios will take place over two weekends in March, the Labour Day long weekend 12 – 14, and the following weekend, 19 – 20 March. It is part of Arts Open, Meet the Makers, a biennial, shire-wide event in its third year. Spanning right across Mount Alexander Shire, it is a wonderful opportunity to meet artists in their natural habitat, discuss ideas and techniques and purchase directly from the artists. There will also be workshops, exhibitions and Artist Talks. Bus tours can be booked at Castlemaine Art Gallery, (which is the Arts Open Information Centre for 2016), or on-line. Further details about the nearly artists featured can be found on the Arts Open website at www.artsopen.com.au. Or for Newstead events https://newsteadopenstudios.wordpress.com/
The exhibition Reiterations will be on Fri, Sat, Sun 11- 4pm until 28 February, Dundas St, Newstead.
Newstead Open Studios 