Currarong Art Trail
Come rain, hail or shine, from 10-2pm on the first Saturday of every month, artists and makers in Currarong open their studios for the Currarong Art Trail.
All 18 studios on the art trail are within easy walking distance of each other and offer a delightful way to explore Currarong and to meet local characters. Currarong sits on the northern coastal curve of Jervis Bay. Like so may other villages in the Shoalhaven Currarong is home to a swathe of artists, makers, and artisans.
Aerial view of Currarong village and beach
When my mother comes from England to stay with me in Jervis Bay the Currarong Art Trail is one of the outings she and I most enjoy together. So far our visits have been blessed with beautiful weather. With a copy of the walking trail map in hand, we meander at our leisure. We plan our route to take in coffee breaks and a beachside lunch, and allow a good amount of time to explore the open studios, chat to the artists and, on occasion, make a purchase.
The range of work to be found on the trail spans painting, drawing, small sculpture, functional objects, textiles, mixed crafts. While the works may be diverse in form there is a strong common thread – concern for the beautiful local environment.
Kurt Brereton, 2023. Mangrove Glyphs. Oil and embroidery on canvas, 91x122cm
This connection to the environment is exemplified by the captivating work of one of the most established artists in the Shoalhaven, and an originator of the Curraong Art Trail, Kurt Brereton (Studio 2 on the trail). Kurt works in a variety of media including oil painting, embroidered paintings, sculpture and photography:
“My work is concerned with the local natural and cultural ecology of Currarong and surroundings. It seeks to draw the viewer into the details of being inside the particularities of a place – littoral living of marine forest mangroves, beach and sea; bushfire regrowth of life and the passings. I construct image maps that mark dramatic and ordinary events of equal significance.”
By contrast Diana Perkins (Studio 1 on the trail) is a fibre and textile artist whose art is often wearable. She has called Currarong home for the last 10 years and is consistently inspired by the colours and textures of local banksia heathland flora. Diana is interested in the the alchemy of botanical printing, using local plants to print onto paper and fabric. If you visit Diana’s studio on the Art Trail you may find her with her dye pots fired up and see works in process.
“The colours revealed by the plants through the botanical printing process are magical. I have also dabbled in embroidery, crochet and felting and really enjoy finding ways to bring these fibre art techniques together to create something unique, for instance by botanical printing over a felted piece or embroidery on a paper botanical print.”
Diana Perkins. Botanical print scarf.
Currarong Art Trail is open 10am – 2pm, first Saturday of each month, all year round. It rewards multiple visits over time as the artists and makers on the trail are active creators, refreshing what’s on show with new works. Each time you visit you’ll find new things to see and experience.
Find a map for download here plus profiles of the 18 artists and makers on the trail. Entry to all studios is free. Before you set out it is wise to check which studios are open (as not every studio is open every month). When you’re ready, wander the village, meet the makers and chat to them about their work. If you fall in love with a piece you are welcome to purchase it directly from that studio.
