Hunter woos art enthusiasts
The NSW Hunter Valley may be lush food and wine country, but the area's iconic winemakers and eateries are sharing centre stage with local artists this month.
The region, about 2.5 hours from Sydney, is one of Australia's most popular destinations, with gourmet travellers keen to indulge in wine tasting, gourmet food, and picture-perfect countryside.
Less well known is the area's vibrant art scene, which this month gets top billing at the Lovedale Art Trail, about 30 minutes drive from Newcastle.
The art trail, which runs until June 30, showcases painting, prints, drawings, sculpture, photography and even glass blowing by local artisans.
Glass artist Setsuko Ogishi is one of the participants.
"We have one-on-one glass blowing lessons six months of the year here", says Ms Ogishi, who has been working in the Hunter since 1987.
"It's a whole body and whole mind exercise, you have to concentrate, but some people also say it's very relaxing."
Ms Ogishi, originally from Japan, hopes the art trail will bring a new, art-loving tourist to the region.
"They can discover it's not just wine here," says the 61-year-old, who also offers kite making classes for kids at her Rothbury studio.
Down the road, at Emma's Cottage Vineyard, owner Therese Kramer is featuring the works of two local painters in anticipation she will help the art trail take off and boost opportunities for creatives in the area.
"It's incredibly timely in that the Cessnock council has just decided to close the regional gallery and all of artists are like, `what are we going to do?'", Ms Kramer said.
"What we have to do is now provide an exhibition space for the artists because the council has removed it. It's very disappointing."
Other trail highlights include a stop at Adina Vineyard for Dorothee Heibel's art and olive tasting, wine tasting and sculpture at Domaine de Binet, as well as sampling produce from the gourmet smokehouse alongside the art of Peter Sesselmann at Major's Lane Restaurant.
Allandale winemaker Bill Sneddon says unlike many city exhibitions, Lovedale's art trail is about local talent.
"It's a very hands on experience. It's not a Sydney experience, it's very much the local area promoting local artists and I think that's a fantastic thing," Mr Sneddon said.
"There has always been bubbling under the surface a vibrant art community, but wine is this umbrella that is the main focus."
He says the regional art community has "often struggled for oxygen" in previous years so the "idea that we can promote something other than wine is a really great concept".
* Hunter Valley Food and Wine Month and Lovedale Art Trail are on until June 30.
* The writer was a guest of Destination NSW and the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association.
