More than 20 artists from across the Illawarra opened up their home studios over the weekend for the inaugural Northern Illawarra Art Trail.
Along the northern Illawarra coastline from Bulli to Helensburgh, our region's finest artists each had more than 100 visitors pass through their homes and gallery spaces to view their artworks over November 19 and 20.
Edith McNally, who is part of the brains trust behind the Northern Illawarra Art Trail and credited with devising the concept, says the community response to the event exceeded all expectations.
“It has been beyond belief, the success of it,” Edith said.
“We tried to manage our aspirations so that we wouldn't be devastated if there wasn't a great response, however, we're all overwhelmed by huge responses.
“Having other people enjoy our art was such a treat.”
Edith, herself an artist who participated in this year’s art trail, had at least 112 people pass through her home studio in Stanwell Park over the two-day event and sold 10 artworks.
She says that her outstanding experience was shared by all other artists partaking in the art trail.
“We had a gathering of some of the artists – because they were all quite exhausted at the end of the weekend – [but] those who did gather, all of them had the same story – in excess of a hundred people coming through [and] a constant passing parade of interested people,” Edith said.
“Some who wanted to buy, but largely those who were just enjoying being in the area, having a lovely weekend activity with food and creativity to immerse themselves in.
“Every artist had purchases made.”
This year’s art trail was organised by a team of local creatives, assisting with everything from social media publicity, the design of the Northern Illawarra Art Trail map, website and leaflets to the letterbox drops. The event also received a cultural grant and immense support from Wollongong City Council – not least Ward 1 Councillor Cameron Walters, who Edith says has been supportive at every turn.
“He has been very, very supportive and very interested,” she said.
"He certainly has the best interest of the northern Illawarra at heart in everything that he does.”
Following this year’s success, Edith says the next Northern Illawarra Art Trail will be held at the end of April and will continue to be held bi-annually into the future.
“I'm just thrilled beyond words, and I love the ambience that was created,” Edith said.
“One of the aims of the whole thing was to establish a community of artists and a connection with that community of artists with our own communities, and I think we achieved that in spades, absolutely.”
Visit the Northern Illawarra Art Trail website
