Ceramic bowl by Deb Kay
A few minutes north of the centre of Coffs Harbour, in an area better known for its seafood suppliers, plumbing equipment shops and manufacturing businesses, you'll find an art gallery and art education centre known as
Cr8Studios - a shining light in a semi-industrial landscape.
Some art galleries can be austere with their minimalism and off-putting with their price tags but Cr8Studios welcomes you with its hot pink and blue exterior, tropical palms and affordable prices.
The balsa wood and fibreglass sailing boats by sculptor, John van der Kolk, suspended in the front window during my visit, proved to be an irresistible drawing card into the gallery's slick, white walled interior. Brimming with an eclectic collection of paintings, photography and sculpture, the gallery space also stocked wearable art, toys and homewares - all produced by local artists and artisans.
For less than $50.00 each I found unique pieces like hand-painted cushions, ceramic trays; clocks in the form of bathing beach boxes; acrylic art photo blocks of landscapes and seascapes, and a range of jewellery. With a number of significant birthdays coming up, I could mentally select a few original gifts for friends of all ages and sexes as well as hand-crafted cards to accompany them, and wouldn't break the bank.
If you have a more flexible budget or the space to accommodate larger paintings, installations and even light fittings, this gallery is worth a visit.
Ceramic bowl by Phil Greed
However, Cr8Studios is not simply an art gallery but has a dual function as an educational centre for the arts. The clever team behind this organisation has developed a wide range of courses to provide a greater knowledge and appreciation of art amongst the community and will no doubt, harness local untapped talent in the process. Weekly classes in creative disciplines such as photography, life drawing, drama and art appreciation conducted by artists of the region are currently on offer;
click here for details.
Photos courtesy of PhotoCr8
For those wishing to attend activities on the weekend, workshops in ceramics, sculpture, painting and photography are available and are facilitated by arts professionals.
Monthly art exhibitions with diverse themes are held on the last Friday evening of each month, and continue on Saturday and Sunday. Some forthcoming exhibitions include Coastal Art, Affordable Art, Trainspotting, and Photography in the Light.
See
program for further details.
