By Tyler Wright
Private art studios will be open throughout the hills this weekend showcasing local creative talent, as 37 studios around the Dandenong Ranges open to the general public.
The Burrinja Cultural Centre is holding the event in partnership with Yarra Ranges Council and Yarra Ranges Tourism in an effort to invite visitors into the minds of local artists.
Toni Main, Community Development Producer at Burrinja Cultural Centre, said people booking tickets to the Open Studios weekend do not just want to see art.
“They want to go a bit deeper,” she said.
“You get to experience the making scapes that inspires that artist.”
For artists to feature in the weekend a selection panel must approve their application, considering things such as parking accessibility, location and the experience offered to visitors. The studios used have to be an already existing ‘making space.’
The event is in its 19th year, and Ms Main said they usually see about seven thousand to eight thousands visitations to the hills on the open weekend.
“The artists are being really generous by opening their doors to the public to come and see everything they do.”
“It’s totally free. Some of the artist also run workshops, demonstrations, performance events as part of the weekend, and sometimes there’s some charges for those.”
Ms Main said there’s something “beautiful” about creators sharing their experience as makers with each other.
“If you’re someone that is interested in finding out more about artwork and purchasing artwork, it’s always better to have that conversation directly with the artist about the artwork. Why they made it, what inspires them? You’re taking so much more back with you in that item you’ve purchased.”
For Helene Campbell, Mount Dandenong Resident and wearable jewellery maker, the Dandenong Ranges Open Studios are a learning experience as well as a place she can share her creative process.
“You learn so much from other artists,” she said.
“It’s always interesting. It sparks off experimentation.”
Her Olinda studio is home to herself and an apprentice who work with aluminium, silver, gold and other mediums.
A retail front lies in the Tall Trees Studio where 23 other Victorian creators sell their art.
Ms Campbell’s passion for jewellery begun early in life but her dream of becoming a jeweller was shut down at 16 because of expectations placed on her.
“Girls didn’t do apprenticeships… And so I went and did nursing.”
It was after a foray in the corporate world she had an “epiphany” and went to study an Advanced Diploma of Jewellery Manufacture at Melbourne Polytechnic.
“I’ve come to it late, which is why I’m more contemporary rather than a fine jeweller,” she said.
“I prefer to play with the metals rather than follow a prescription.”
The artist’s first experience with the ranges Open Studios was in 2019, but this weekend brings a new level of excitement after lockdowns stunted both Helene’s business and creative scope.
“You can’t work in isolation, because if you do you become very stale and out of date very quickly,” she said.
“But I’ve bounced back and I’m probably more creative now and more resilient as a result than I was before.”
And over the weekend people will be able to look through the Tall Trees Studio window to watch flame oxidizing work, and come into the workshop to look at and touch tools.
Ms Campbell said event booklets have been going like “hotcakes” in the community and people are looking forward to finally seeing how she works.
“I work with a lot of interesting gemstones, things that you don’t normally get to see at normal jewellers.”
