By JESSE GRAHAM
IT WILL be a weekend to remember when Yarra Valley Open Studios (YVOS) 2014 opens its doors next month.
Artist liaison and participating artist Ali Grffin said this year artist will be creating site-specific artwork for a group exhibition which is something that hasn’t happened before.
“I’m really excited to see what will be produced and I know it will be an incredible exhibition with some real surprises,” she said.
Oakridge Winery will be hosting the Open Studios group exhibition, which will be housed at the winery from 23 August through to 14 September and will be featured on the YVOS art-trail map.
Meanwhile, the Open Studios weekend will run from 13-14 September and blue flags will be used to signify a YVOS participating artist studio, event or venue.
Studios from Lilydale to Steels Creek, Toolangi, Healesville and Warburton will all be opening their doors for the weekend, with a range of works to explore.
Accompanying the group exhibition at Oakridge Winery, Healesville’s Memo Hall will host a second group show, called Prelim, which focuses on artists’ preliminary sketches, studies and visual diaries.
The exhibition will allow visitors to see the hours of work and research that go into a finished piece and allow them to learn more about local artists and how they work.
Yarra Valley Open Studios ambassador Zoe Warne said she is looking forward to meeting some familiar faces and getting to know the new participants for 2014.
Guidebooks are available for the event from retail outlets across Melbourne and the Yarra Valley including Yarra Valley cafes, shire offices, information centre as well as yvopenstudio.net.au.
Yarra Valley Open Studios will run from 13 to 14 September from 10am to 5pm while the Group Exhibition will run from 23 August to 14 September at Oakridge Winery.
The Prelim exhibition will run from 19 August to 17 September at Healesville’s Memo Hall and booklets with information and maps can be found at Yarra Ranges Council offices and information centres.
A YVOS iPhone app will be available from the iTunes Store for download.
