Margaret River Region Open Studios will return once again for its 11th annual event taking over the WA region for 16 days (7-22 September) with studio openings spanning Busselton to Augusta.
Last year, ArtsHub’s reviewer described the experience as ‘wandering through a collection of short stories’. In 2023, Margaret River Region Open Studios attracted 145,000 studio visits for local artists (a 12% growth from 2022) and $2 million was transacted in art sales.
The event ensures that artists living in the region can thrive while also delivering tourism and economic benefits.
This year, the event features 143 artists, including painters, potters, printmakers, photographers, mosaicists, metalwork and timber craftspeople, textile creators, glassmakers, upcyclers and more. Out of these, 30 will be participating in the open studios event for the first time.
Artist participation is invited through an open call – welcoming hobbyists, artists and craftspeople from all walks of life. Visitors will be able to come across works by Ewan Cameron, who channels his ADHD and experience in aerospace and Formula1 design into tangible objects, Diana Bostock and her whimsical animal brooches, Noongar, Banyjima and Nyiyarpali artist Kim Kiosses, furniture storyteller John Streater and Linda Cheok’s Japanese-inspired pottery.
The region’s newest art space, Ian Daniell Art Studio & Gallery, which opened in March this year, will also welcome visitors as part of open studios, featuring works with deep sea creatures.
Read: How art trails are building pipelines of new gallery audiences
Margaret River Region Open Studios is free to attend and artists can sell their works directly without any commission costs. The event also puts on a series of workshops to engage the public, such as making rope baskets, resin lazy Susans and pottery pinch pots that visitors can take home.
The advice listed on the website is to find artists that you’re interested in, plan your route and then ‘pack some snacks, maybe a thermos and take your time’.
Other open studios etiquette includes keeping an eye on children and dogs, asking permission before taking photographs and posting them on social media, and respecting opening and closing times, as it’s easy to get carried away when viewing great artworks.
Margaret River Region Studios is open from 7-22 September.
