Building connections through art and creative spaces in the hills
19 - 27th October 2024
Applications now open
about MHOS
This October the Mundaring Hills are hosting another great collaborative Open Studio Art Trail and celebrating the initiative of 10 founding artists some 15 years ago.
Artists will be showcasing their art between Saturday 19 October and Sunday 27 October (including the two consecutive weekends). A glimpse of their work will be uploaded to this site in July.
NOTE: At present the work displayed are artists from 2023
Visiting the open studios participating in the Mundaring Hills event is a unique experience and an opportunity to sample the lives of our local artists. It will also give you access to their artwork which comes in an incredible range of mediums – from glass and ceramics to oil paint, watercolours, textiles, wood, recycled metals and much more.
The artists too range across the spectrum - from professionals with international acclaim to those who work part time or as a hobby – and all of them want to share their artistic environment with you. This event gives you a chance to talk to artists, explore their techniques, share ideas, admire their creativity and acquire a unique piece of local artwork.
On the trail there are also many delicious food venues, pubs and wineries and a range of picnic spots – all welcoming you to the hills environment and helping you to create a memorable visit.
Enjoy!
During the ‘80s, potter Greg Crowe held open studio sales of work at his home in Hovea. In 2002 he participated in the St Croix Valley Pottery Tour in Minnesota, USA. On his return he mentioned to fellow ceramicist/painter, Joel Smoker, about the idea of starting something similar.
In 1991 Joel moved down from Kununurra to a property in Stoneville where he established a ceramics studio and kiln shed. Joel’s art sold through various galleries and craft shops and he was also keen to sell from home.
In the mid 2000s Joel and his wife visited a number of art studios one spring weekend in Kalamunda. The Shire of Kalamunda event involved an art trail using a provided map that showed the location of the open studios.
With this in mind and Greg’s USA experience, Joel approached the Mundaring Arts Centre. No funds were available so he presented a proposal to all the artists and craftspeople that he could think of in the Shire of Mundaring. There were 10 responses and a meeting was set up.
After much discussion it was decided to hold the first MHOS event on the last weekend of October, 2009. A bank account was opened and each artist contributed money to pay for the trail maps to be distributed around the Shire. Each member also had a role to play in facilitating the success of the project. Artists involved in that first MHOS weekend were; Brian Aylward, Joanna Capella, Greg Crowe, Inta Goddard, Willem Heyneker, Christine Hingston, Jeremy Holton, Judy Kotai, Graeme Pages-Oliver and Joel Smoker – and you will note – some are still participating.
MHOS has come a long way since then and now has more than 60 members. It is a great opportunity to see such a diverse range of art and learn how it’s made. With so many artists involved, the event is spread over two weekends and the week in between, which gives many the opportunity to see more.