OPEN ART

There is something mighty special about the Sunshine Coast beaches and hinterlands that brings out the artist is us all. Pete Goodlet gets excited about the return of Open Studios Sunshine Coast.

It’s time to flip the lid on the convertible and explore everything Open Studios Sunshine Coast has to offer.

This dynamic event running from 18 to 27 of March explores the creative spaces of artists all the way from Coolum to Caloundra. You can tootle one way down on the coastal trail and wind your way back through our curvaceous and creative hinterland. Or make a weekend of it, exploring new horizons each day.

Visit artistic hotspots like Montville and Maleny and discover hidden places you didn’t know existed.

When an artist opens their studio, they invite you into their creative sanctuary. Discover creative spaces in magical garden settings, industrial estates, and everything in-between.

Watch the artist in action and get an inkling of what makes them tick. This is the perfect chance to meet the person behind the work you may have admired or to stumble upon an artist and discover creations that you love.

With more than eighty artists taking part there is bound to be something to tickle your fancy.

With boutique distilleries, gourmet eateries and micro-breweries dotted throughout the Sunshine Coast and hinterland you can graze as you tour. Or pop a picnic basket on the backseat and have a nibble by a waterfall or park at a local beauty spot and gaze over the Glasshouse mountains and coastline.

Throughout the week of Open Studios Sunshine Coast, you can take part in a variety of workshops offered by the artists involved.

This is the perfect opportunity to explore your artistic side and pick up a new skill. Not only will you have the pleasure of creating a beautiful art piece, but you also get to take it home and proudly display it.

The intimate class sizes make for a great learning experience. Many practicing artists use these workshops as a chance to try new mediums or push their skills to a whole new level.

Art enthusiasts and collectors welcome the opportunity to visit artists in their own studios. You can find work not found in galleries and create a relationship with artists you admire. If you see a piece that you fall head over heels for, then snap it up. These opportunities are rare and it’s always best to act quickly.

We can all remember that one piece of art that we really wish we had bought when we saw it. Art regretsy is a terrible thing and nobody wants FOMA (Fear of Missing Art).

Art in all its forms will be on view during Open Studios Sunshine Coast from textiles, ceramics, drawings, sculpture, photography and print to metalwork, woodwork, jewellery, installation, printmaking and more.

A cornucopian feast of artistic endeavour awaits!

So, get out your diaries and put a big asterisk on the middle-end of March. Open Studios Sunshine Coast is coming and is going to be bigger, better and brighter than ever.

Open Art Agenda

In 2022, Open Studios Sunshine Coast will take place from Friday 18 March to Sunday 27 March 2022. Coast artists will open their doors on the 19 -20 March (some on 18 March), and the Hinterland artists on the 26 - 27 of March both with the option of opening in the week between. The 5 days in-between will feature artist run workshops. www.openstudiossunshinecoast.com.au openstudiossunshinecoast

> EXPLORE THE SUNSHINE COAST’S ART TRAILS

Meet established and emerging local artists as they open their studio doors, rarely open to the public. Open Studios Sunshine Coast offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Sunshine Coast’s most intriguing artists’, studios and galleries. Visit openstudiossunshinecoast.com.au for more information