Port Macquarie’s ArtWalk: Creative weekend offers plenty to see and do

Port Macquarie’s ArtWalk returned for the first time in two years on Friday. Read about the creative satellite events on offer this long weekend.

Friday’s ArtWalk event attracted a crowd of roughly 15,000 - but don’t worry if you missed it because there’s plenty of other creative opportunities popping up along the Mid North Coast this long weekend.

These events range from creative workshops to artist-in-residence sessions and they’re on in both Port Macquarie and Wauchope - here’s what to expect.

Port Macquarie:

• Saturday, June 11: Women’s Art Retreat at The Seed Creative Workshops, Northern Exposure 7 at Glasshouse, Art and Mixed Media Sculpture Exhibition at the CWA hall, Create with Canvas Momentz, Coastal Inspirations Exhibition at Glasshouse, Masterclass with Jill Cairns: Big Skies and Waterways at Glasshouse, “Luminosity” Exhibition at Ultragrafik Fine Art Gallery, Disney In Concert at Theatre Oz, Kim Staples Art at Whalebone Wharf Seafood restaurant, Kim Staples Open Studio on Newport Cr, Nicola McLeay Fine Art Exhibition at Lighthouse Gallery, and Tortuga Festival at Westport Park.
• Sunday, June 12: Women’s Art Retreat at The Seed Creative Workshops, Art and Mixed Media Sculpture Exhibition at the CWA hall, Create with Canvas Momentz, Coastal Inspirations Exhibition at Glasshouse, Masterclass with Jill Cairns: Big Skies and Waterways at Glasshouse, “Luminosity” Exhibition at Ultragrafik Fine Art Gallery, Kim Staples Art at Whalebone Wharf Seafood restaurant, Nicola McLeay Fine Art Exhibition at Lighthouse Gallery, Tortuga Festival at Westport Park, Make Waves Poetry Slam at Rotary Community Hall on Hastings River Dr, and Prussingart Paint and Sip Van Gogh at Wiseberry Real Estate.
• Monday, June 13: Art and Mixed Media Sculpture Exhibition at CWA hall, Prussingart Paint and Sip Claude Monet class at Wiseberry Real Estate, Coastal Inspirations Exhibition at Glasshouse (continues until July 22), Masterclass with Jill Cairns: Big Skies and Waterways at Glasshouse (continues to June 25), “Luminosity” Exhibition at Ultragrafik Fine Art Gallery (continues to June 17), Kim Staples Art at Whalebone Wharf Seafood restaurant, Nicola McLeay Fine Art Exhibition at Lighthouse Gallery (continues to June 24), and Tortuga Festival at Westport Park (continues June 19).

Wauchope:

• Culinary Canva Progressive Dinner and Art Auction | June 11, 6pm-9pm. Travel between three different Wauchope venues, as they showcase creativity through music or art at each stop, before finishing at the Wauchope Art Gallery for coffee and dessert in the Salon des Refuses exhibition.
  
• Wauchope Art Gallery exhibition | June 11 - 24. Browse a diverse range of local artworks from throughout the year in the new space, located at 62 Cameron St Wauchope. On occasion personal collections and roaming exhibitions can also adorn the space. The gallery is open from 9am to 2.30pm.
  
• Wauchope Creative Hub ArtWalk satellite event | June 11, 10am-3pm. On Saturday, there will be a range of workshops and creative demonstrations, with wooden spinners, felting and card making on display.
  
• Art in the Park | June 12, 10am - 2pm. There will be a community mural project led by local artist Jo Davidson in Bain Park on Sunday, where everyone can take part in bringing the artwork to life. Enjoy a day in the park with live music, stalls, demonstrations and creative workshops.
  

EARLIER

With the change in weather has come a great excuse to enjoy the clear night skies: Port Macquarie’s ArtWalk is back for the first time in two years.

Musicians, market stallholders, performers, artists and creatives from across the region gathered in the CBD for Friday event.

The weekend’s ArtWalk festivities was launched with Connecting the Dots - one of 14 live sites at the 2022 event.

After a hiatus due to Covid, the creative festival returned with the hopes of bringing life, colour and vibrancy back to the city.

President of the Greater Port Macquarie Tourism Association (GPMTA) is thrilled with the event’s return.

“There will be creative things happening all over the CBD on Friday night - artists painting in the Town Square, markets on the Town Green, a silent disco at Little Shack, and Tortuga Festival kicking off at Westport Park,” she said.

“And of course there will be lots of light installations - the last event had colourful hoops and buckets around, with psychedelic lights bouncing off them.”

On Friday’s kick off event, attendees were able to bare witness to a range of free exhibitions, activations, illuminations, live performances, artists markets, workshops, creative installations and more.

Here’s what’s on from 5pm on Friday:

• Fisherman’s Wharf: musical performances
• Clarence and Short streets: hour-long live music sets
• Lady Nelson Wharf: student dance/music, Port Macquarie Hastings Pipes and Drums Band, contemporary dance, SAPSS Drumline
• Town Square: Innograffic live street art
• Town Green (east): live music and an art room
• Little Shack: live music, art demonstrations and a silent disco
• Bandstand: a mix of local bands and musicians
• Murray Street carpark: ballroom dancing, artists demonstration, poetry, drama performances, Elyse Quartet
• Murray Street: live music and art/artist demonstrations
• Clarence House: hourly screenings on loop
• Port Macquarie Museum: To The Lighthouse - Teresa Bell
• Historic Courthouse: half-hour light shows
• Hay Street Forecourt: Glasshouse lightshow, U3A circle and line dancers, choir solos and groups
• Glasshouse Gallery: Northern Exposure exhibition

Check out the event program and map here.

The night saw a range of artists showing off their skills in Port Macquarie through live paintings and performances, as well as those selling their creations in shopfronts and on balconies.

“While the shopfront live performances isn’t new for ArtWalk, it has expanded this year,” Ms Hyde said.

“Belle Property and Laing+Simmons will have artists showing off their works inside their offices.

“It’s certainly worth heading down and seeing it for yourself - you will really enjoy it.”

Some stores were also open late to keep the crowds fed and quenched - while the event is alcohol-free, licensed establishments will be open for service.

Ms Hyde saying the GPMTA hopes to see an influx of visitors this long weekend as the region recovers from the Covid downturn.

“The big thing is seeing people out and about, enjoying the nightlife and supporting local businesses and creatives once again,” she said.

But don’t worry if you missed out on the night, there’s a range of satellite events scheduled over the June long weekend including

Some major highlights include the various creative circus acts at Tortuga Festival, the temporary exhibition space ‘Paste-Up’ at Port Macquarie’s Coach Terminal, and Creative Wauchope which will feature a range of local artworks from throughout the year.

With everything from poetry slams, to paint and sip classes, to special art gallery and museum exhibitions - check out the full list of event’s and secure your place here.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council mayor Peta Pinson and member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams were there for the kick-off at 5pm on Friday, you can view the livestream on our Facebook.