Celebrate 10 years of Margaret River Region Open Studios this September

Updated: 3 Aug 2023

Isabella Colton

Margaret River Region Open Studios returns this spring for its 10-year anniversary celebrating 166 artists throughout the stunning region. Painters, jewellery makers, potters, photographers, sculptors and other artists stretching from Eagle and Hamelin Bay, and Busselton to Boranaup are opening their private studios for the public to catch a unique glimpse into their creative worlds.

Take a road trip down the sweeping coast where our artists work and live, and revel in the natural beauty of the ocean, forest, vineyards, and wildlife. Discover studios in homes, hobby farms, converted water tanks, beach shacks, industrial sheds, sea containers, shearing sheds and more. See the clay take shape on the wheel, the kilns firing, printing presses cranking, precious metals melded, glass blown, wood carefully carved, and the vibrant colours of oil paints daubed on palettes.

Running from September 9 to 24, the free 16-day event returns in Spring with a rainbow of blooming wildflowers to see while on your art adventure. Planning your trip has never been easier with the free TrailMaker feature, where you can plan and specially curate your journey based on your favourite artists, artforms or locations. The website is live with profiles of each participating artist, including Leon Pericles, Lauren Wilhelm, Rebecca Cool, Lesley Meaney, Ian Daniell, John Miller, Mary-Lynne Stratton, Rachel Coad, and Christian Fletcher. For the first time Margaret River Region Open Studios will host two Art Ambassadors: renowned Queensland painter and sculptor Michael Zavros and Perth-based designer and champion of art and design Andrew Thornton Hick. Michael will visit the artists in their studios and host an artist masterclass during the first week of the event. He will also join Andrew at an Artist Talk Q & A Breakfast and attend the major fundraising dinner at Aravina Estate, where he will auction a tour of his amazing studio in Queensland.

Since 2014 the not-for-profit organisation has designed, coordinated, and promoted a free annual open art studios event that showcase the increasingly diverse and vibrant arts scene throughout the Margaret River Region. With 130, 000 recorded studio visits last year, the event has become the biggest regional art event in Australia and in 2021 was awarded the prestigious Gold Award for Events & Festivals by Tourism WA.