On the Local Arts Trail in October 2025
— with Alison Desmond —
It’s a big month celebrating 25 years of Wombat Regional Arts Network in Ballan. It’s also National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Botanical Art Show will be on in Bacchus Marsh.
Ballan Neighbourhood House
25 years of Wombat Regional Arts Network will be celebrated with a free event, with refreshments available and live music.
Ballan Neighbourhood House from 6.30pm, with formalities to start at 7.30pm, on Saturday, 18 October.
MAPP Up in Lights
Wombat Regional Arts Network is also occupying MAPP Up in Lights as part of their 25 years celebrations with unmistakable warmth and authentic local style on a miniature scale.
Ballan Art Space
Wombats & Teapots is the next themed exhibition at Ballan Art Sapce. As always expect a huge variety of interpretations by a united group of skilled artists from 3 to 26 October.
The following exhibition, Supernatural, will start October 31.
The outdoor sculpture garden feels complete to enjoy during the good weather, take a few photographs while you’re out enjoying Inglis Street.
To cover some of the costs of the volunteer-run gallery Ballan Art Space are always accepting donations and sponsorships.
Ballan Library
Write Where You Are - Every Story Tells A Picture is a multigenerational collaborative art project teaming members of Wombat Regional Arts Network to specially illustrate local children’s highly imaginative stories.
Taking pride of place inside the entrance to the new library, and specially-lit, hangs Songbirds of the Moorabool by Wadawurrung artist Dr Deanne Gilson.
The work depicts the Wadawurrung creation story and the artist’s childhood memories of growing up in the region.
The painting features a choir of various native birds perching in an ancient tree like a cathedral of twisting branches and leaves, elemental, the river runs throughout, campfire attended, the sun burns and the full moon glows.
Ballan Library is open 10am -6pm Monday – Thursday, 10am-5pm Friday and 9am-2pm Saturday.
Flack PTO Gallery
As part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Flack PTO’s hardworking gallerist Danielle Flack will be hosting and catering a Pink Ribbon breakfast, with all welcome from 11am to 2pm on Saturday 25 October.
The new exhibition Against Breast Cancer, with all commissions on sales to go to National Breast Cancer Foundation, will start on Friday 24 October.
Neptune’s Kingdom by John Wade is one of several acrylic paintings on show at Flack, with animated blues and green algae in cellulose forms and iconic eyes, overlapping values and ambiguous space, it is psypop.
“My work is abstract, pop, surreal adventures into the Multiverse,” said John.
Flack also has a fantastic new giftshop bursting with handmade and vintage treasures, as well as photography studio space for hire.
Flack PTO Gallery is open 11am-2pm Fridays and Sunday, and 10am-3pm Saturdays
BMAC, Lerderderg Library, Bacchus Marsh
Featuring artist demonstrations, a children’s competition and sales of local artists’ work, the Botanical Art Show will coincide with the Bacchus Marsh Flower and Garden Show.
Entry is free, brought to you by BMAC and Western Fibre Artists at Lerderderg Library, Bacchus Marsh from noon to 4pm on Saturday 25 and on Sunday 26 from 10am to 4pm.
Gordon Bar Room Gallery
It’s hard to believe that Sandra Jarrett is new to art, she has such an infectious passion for life, and she is one of the amazing artists exhibiting work at Gordon Bar Room Gallery.
Sandra does eco printing onto wool and cotton to make scarves and bags using plants she finds in her garden.
She also has smaller framed collages with found plant matter and ecodyed paper for sale.
Gordon Bar Room Gallery, exhibiting pottery, printmaking, jewellery and so much more, accepts new exhibitors from the local area.
Oak Grove Gallery
Martin Cleal paints local landscapes in the style of the Australian Impressionists with green ochres and purple skies, in every picture a new perspective.
For Moorabool’s best views drop in to see Marty at his renovated Ballan News building in Inglis Street.
Oak Grove Gallery is open “most days, depending on the mood.”
Public and Community Arts
Moorabool Shire has an amazing collection of public art, from markers of place in bush settings, to Ballan’s cosily yarn-bombed Inglis Street, to eye-catching paste-ups in the townships.
Step out from Winter hibernation and into the wide world that is Moorabool arts.
You can find out more about Moorabool’s public art pieces at the Moorbool Shire website
About On the Local Arts Trail
The Local Arts Trail column is released through our monthly eNewsletter and on this website at the start of each month.
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