About Art Trails Tasmania
Thank you for visiting Art Trails Tasmania and being interested in what’s happening with this artist led initiative that’s focused on celebrating, enabling and supporting artists and artisans, makers and crafters, designers and creatives across Tasmania.
This is the brain child of me, Belinda Stinson, a creative creature who’s been making my own living from my creativity since the turn of the century at various markets and fairs, selling my work directly to customers and via a select range of stockists through my own micro creative business called Creatively Belle.
I first visited Tasmania in 2006 and fell in love with the place about 10 kms down the Bass Highway with the stunning views all around me. Over the next two weeks I loved every place I went to. I cried forcing myself to drive back on to the ferry to head home. I had to negotiate with myself to put the car on the board, promising myself I’d return.
And that I have. I came back to have a stand at the Tasmanian Craft Fair and thankfully they’ve allowed me to return year after year.
Each year I explored just that bit more. I have family commitments keeping me here on the NSW South Coast at the moment but as they shift I’ll be creating my own Tasmanian art retreat.
In the Beginning there was Artist In Residence Trail Tasmania
During the 2019 Tasmanian Craft Fair the conversation came around to one of the favourite B&B’s in town was closing because the winter’s were too quiet for them. I piped up with “why don’t they run artist in residence programs during winter with cheaper accommodation and have enough money flowing through the business?”.
This was met with the answer that they probably hadn’t thought of it and didn’t know how to do it.
I decided I should help shift that. So I got some ideas together, spoke with a few friendly locals – Art as Mania, The Empire Hotel, Rotary President and a local Meander Valley Councillor – and they all liked the prospect of Artist in Residence Trails Tasmania (AIRTT) arts tourism. It all started moving along and then Covid hit and things got a little harder.
AIRTT Art Exhibitions
Laura from Art as Mania and I were able to put on the first art exhibition for Artist in Residence Trail Tasmania in October-November 2020 and as I’m writing this we’re getting ready for our fourth annual exhibition.
Over the last three years I’ve learnt that it is far more than just an artist in residence program that the arts community want and need.
Thinking Cap Put Back On
I returned home from last spring’s Tasmanian Craft Fair thinking I needed to do something different, to keep listening and put the thinking hat back on.
From that came this site.
It’s grown from a combination of my brain dumps and asking my Facebook and Instagram followers a series of questions about what they want. Thankfully they answered!
The Website
The site’s been possible because my darling friend Libby Heasman has built the framework for me and I’m doing all the content, images, writing, creating the ebooks and courses, site usability and navigation etc etc.
I’ve built my own websites since the 1990’s, some in the corporate world, and every single one has required a steep learning curve, and this one is no exception. I haven’t built a membership site before. The concept is straight forward enough but figuring out the backend functionality is requiring some courage! What’s that saying? In for a penny, in for a pound!
Evolving from AIRTT to Art Trails Tasmania
During all of this it became blinding apparent to me that I needed to change the name from Artist in Residence Trail Tasmania so that it could be more inclusive. But it didn’t have to change a lot, just enough to work.
Walking along the beach the name came shining through: Art Trails Tasmania.
It fits with the concept of creative exploration, following the trail of an idea and discovering something special.
My Hopes for Art Trails Tasmania
I hope you find joy and delight here. Whether you’re an artist, art industry worker, traveller, friend and supporter (all of the above), I hope that you find treasures here.
As this is basically being funded by my micro creative business and will take a few years to grow, I hope you enjoy being part of the journey. There is no way I can launch this project fully fledged. It is only possible by doing things bit by bit, allowing you to discover what’s happening here and deciding to be involved.
What’s In It For Artists
A massive focus for me with ATT is to help fellow artists make a living from their passion. Just as I have for over 20 years.
So I want to help share skills, insights, abilities, enable you and others to grow and flourish.
My background is that of a professional writer. I love researching and writing so I’m going to share the results of that with you, creating ebooks, guides, online programs, blogs and stories.
I love sharing stories so I’m particularly excited to be having Artist Profiles being published on the blog and in ebooks. Because I think that is a fun way to learn about the amazing and talented artists across the state.
Most of the goodies developed and written will be for members, because if you’re backing me with your subscription then you get the reward. Plus members and their stories are the focus of the newsletters.
Courting Contraversary
OK, I’m changing things up a little with how the state is divided into regions. Instead of the north and south divide that’s a quite common perception I’ve decided on what I see as a more practical approach to help with our visitors and travellers. So it is more about how they logically see the regions, because really, this site is very much about arts tourism.
So there are nine regions (!!). And on top of that, I’ve made my own map that isn’t completely geographically accurate – it leans towards artistic license!
The nine regions are (as determined by me, Belinda):
- North West
- West Coast
- The Islands: Bruny, Flinders and King
- Central North
- Central Tablelands
- Central South
- North East
- East Coast
- South East
So nothing really too radical there. I hope the dyed in the wool Hobartians will give me some grace with this. 🙂
Some Nuts and Bolts of the Art Trails Tasmania Website
This website is being built by me and my darling friend Libby Heasman has built the framework for the site. I’m doing all the website conceptualisation, architecture and usability design, content development with writing and graphics and ideation.
Website Graphics
Unless other wise stated, the graphics are by me, Belinda Stinson. Whether they are photographs, paintings, graphics etc. I work mainly in Photoshop and Canva to develop the graphics and may use licensed and free graphics from Freepik.com in some of the digital graphics.
The images used in the Artist Profiles are provided by the artists themselves to help tell their story.
The Website’s Audiences
To be perfectly straight forward about this there are two distinct audiences for this website: the artists and the supporters of artists (who may very well be artists themselves).
My goal is for the artists to flourish by having access to more information, skills, knowledge, opportunities and customers for their work.
I want our supporters to have an easier time finding the artists. And in the process, have a wonderful time discovering more about Tasmania and the environment that is the source of so much inspiration, that is the well of renewal and a place that feels like home.
Discover the Arts and Crafts Across Tasmania
Just click on the images below to find out what is happening with the arts and crafts by various artists across the state.
Find Out What’s On in the ATT Newsletter
Join the Art Trails Tasmania Newsletter to stay up to date with What’s On, Artist Profile blog interviews, new members and more.
Being Listed
If you would like to join the Art Trails Tasmania family just pop over to the Member’s Hub and choose from one of the membership options.
Join Our Community Newsletter Today
Receive a 20% Off Membership coupon and the 8 Exciting Tasmanian Artists and their sources of inspiration PDF eBook when you join the free monthly Art Trails Tasmania Community email newsletter to learn about Artist Profiles, behind the scenes insights, What’s On updates and special rewards.Once you enter your details here you’ll receive a confirmation email asking you to confirm your email address as a double authentication step.
Please feel welcome to choose the best interest group for you.
Your 20% membership coupon and the 8 Exciting Tasmanian Artists eBook will be shared with you in the 4 Part Welcome Email Series giving you a tour of Art Trails Tasmania.
