The original 1860s Freshwater Creek post office will deliver a memorable stop on this year’s Surf Coast Arts Trail on 5 and 6 August. As well as the outdoor garden display, a new art gallery occupies the renovated cottage, with contemporary artworks by Gayle Seach and Andrew Strang.
The Arts Trail will feature more than 200 artists across 58 venues, including The Creek Gallery & Garden which offers locally-made quirky steel garden sculptures, metal art, and garden furniture. The Gallery building showcases paintings, prints, woodwork, pottery and more.
The Creek Manager Sheree Fedke — who refers to the venue as “a little rusty wonderland” — is excited for its Arts Trail debut.
“My favourite part of being involved in this creative community is opening the gates every morning,” she said. “No matter the weather, it’s like you’ve stepped into another world.
“Everyone walks in and says “wow”, seeing the vastness of what we have. If you haven’t been here before, be prepared to spend a bit of time here. It’s a beautiful spot to engage with creative people.”
The Creek Gallery & Garden, with The Creek Art, is located 665 Anglesea Road, Freshwater Creek.
“We have a lot of people drive past and decide to stop in, mainly over the weekends and mostly people from Melbourne,” Sheree said.
“We’re looking forward to opening up the space to welcome more people in as part of the Arts Trail. Sometimes arts can be quite exclusive, so I love that the trail is an invitation to come in and talk to the artists, find out about the work and about the story. It’s an experience when you come here, with such a diverse range of work and skillsets, so it will be a nice opportunity for the community and creatives to come together.”
The Surf Coast Arts Trail has four zones: Aireys Inlet/Fairhaven/Lorne, Anglesea/Bellbrae, Torquay/Jan Juc and Winchelsea/hinterland. Councillor Libby Stapleton encouraged people to plan their Arts Trail weekend.
“This year’s program is overflowing with local creative talent and a diverse range of mediums — from painting and ceramics, to textiles, glassware and jewellery,” Cr Stapleton said. “We’re also fortunate to have more than a dozen workshops and demonstrations.
“It’s such a rare treat to see inside an artist’s process and studio, so I encourage locals and visitors to make the most of the opportunity.”
To plan your Surf Coast Arts Trail, pick-up a map from various venues in Torquay, Aireys Inlet, Winchelsea, Anglesea and Lorne. View the full list of participating artists, map locations, and find out more about the event via surfcoastartstrail.com.au. People can also register to receive a digital map via the website.
The Arts Trail is from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 5 August and Sunday 6 August.
