In the Studio at Noosa Open Studios
As the Patron of Noosa Open Studios Matt Golinski shares the inspiration behind the celebration of the state’s biggest open studio event.
Think about the pieces of art you have around your home.
Your favourite painting that you bought on a whim that hangs on your wall like it was just made for that spot.
Or the ceramic mug you drink from every morning that seems to make the coffee taste better than any other one in the cupboard.
The handmade jewellery that was given to you as a gift that just seems to have something magical about it.
Now imagine you could go to the source of that magic and find out why it feels so special.
Thanks to a small group of dedicated artists who decided back in 2015 that it would be a great idea to make it more than a dream, you can stop imagining.
For 10 days in October, we all have the rare opportunity to visit the private studios of the painters, ceramicists, jewellers, sculptors, textile artists, even knife makers of the Noosa Shire, see them at work in the environment that brings them their inspiration, learn all about their creative processes and perhaps even make an investment to call your own.
Starting eight years ago with 39 artists over all parts of the region, Noosa Open Studios has now grown into a huge artistic showcase with more than 100 members, making it Queensland’s largest open studios art event.
This year, multimedia textile artist Simone Z Leao heads up a small volunteer committee which coordinates and drives the event.
Born in Brazil and previously a resident of Europe, Africa and Asia, she settled in Australia 15 years ago and moved to Noosa in 2020, where she established her Outer Art Studio nestled in a large native off-grid property in the Hinterland.
Simone’s earthy creative space nestled amongst Bunya Pines and Eucalypts in Pomona is a great example of what to expect during your travels.
Prototypes of garments at various stages of completion hang on frames around the open room, as she experiments with meticulous stitching techniques to create the type of pieces you would expect to see on the runways of Paris or New York.
You can easily plan an itinerary that fits your artistic interests and time constraints by using the app that has been developed specifically for the event, allowing you to map a course and navigate your way to destinations from Noosa’s Main Beach to the rolling hills of Kin Kin.
This year I have had the honour of being invited to be the patron of Noosa Open Studios, a role I feel very humbled by just knowing the quality of the vast talent I represent.
Growing up in an artistic family with a father who painted and a mother who wrote poetry, I struggled to find a medium that felt right for me until I discovered cooking, and for the past 30 or so years I have had the privilege of creating my own kind of art using the incredible palette of ingredients that I’m surrounded by in this beautiful region I call home.
Throughout my career I have met hundreds of the people responsible for filling and expanding that palette, and their knowledge and passion has made me the cook I have become today and given my food far more purpose.
Similarly, Noosa Open Studios offers art lovers the chance to see the passion that each artist has for their craft, an experience that makes any piece of work we do buy so much more meaningful.
On the 1st of September I’ve been set the task of coming up with some suitably artistic canapés for the opening of Art is Served at the Cooroy Butter Factory, the beginning of a two-week exhibition at the venue which will give the public an opportunity to have a ‘taste’ of what each artist has to offer.
Then from the 6th to the 15th of October, the exhibition moves to its spiritual home, Wallace House in Noosaville, to coincide with the trail event itself.
Art means different things to everyone, but with over 100 different styles to immerse yourself in, there’s bound to be something to appeal to everyone.
For more information, event bookings and to learn about the artists involved, visit: www.noosaopenstudios.com.au
