“There are too many artists in Geraldton.”

This was a comment I overheard while visiting a seaside studio, one of the 31 open studios participating in the Geraldton Open Studios & Surrounds program this September.

GOSS, the shortened version of the program’s formal name, is now in its second year and, while led by a small team, has gone from strength to strength in bringing Mid West artists out of their shells and into the sunlight. It is a clever move by the producers to align the ten-day program with the popular wildflower season. This provides complementary activities for visitors to the region and creates a supportive environment for the many participating artists to build their income through sales.

The GOSS map, available both in hardcopy and online, covers a large area of the Mid West, stretching from Dongara in the south to Northampton in the north and out to Mullewa in the east, with the largest concentration of studios in Jambinu (Geraldton).

The participating studios were mostly what one would expect – at the homes or creative workspaces of individual artists. With the intent of showcasing all that the Mid West has to offer, GOSS has also included bustling community arts venues and their many members, bringing the tally to more than 130 participating artists.

Now I can see why someone thought there were too many artists. While it is possible to create an itinerary to visit each studio across the ten days, it would be a big feat – we managed to visit eight studios over two days, and this was at a comfortable pace with stops for sustenance along the tour. (Geraldton and its surrounds offer an abundance of cafes and eateries so it’s worth popping into any of the towns’ visitor information centres for local recommendations to map out your meals.)

This region undergoes many changes throughout seasons so we purposely chose to extend our studio tour to include the home of Jane Barndon in Nanson, approximately 32 km from the Geraldton city centre. This route, along Chapman Valley Road, has multiple lookouts where you can take in the expansive golden views of the canola fields. The quaint Nanson townsite, just beyond the turnoff, has an open-air museum worth the small detour, offering a place to stretch your legs and learn about the history of the region.

Jane herself attributes her surroundings as inspiration for her work. Her studio, built by her father, was constructed using materials reclaimed from old buildings in the town. He won’t admit to hoarding, as every item collected is eventually repurposed to serve a new function. Jane states she may have some hoarding tendencies though but also uses what she has collected within her work. This is demonstrated in a collection of multi-dimensional collages using beading, textiles, and hand-made paper clay. Jane invited us to tour her garden and experience the serenity under the trees. It was noticeably a couple of degrees cooler in the shade of the gums, allowing dainty freesias to flourish in a comfortable microclimate.

[Left] Artist Jane Bardon in her Nabawa Studio. [Centre and Right] Jane’s thriving freesias are a friendly welcome.

Without having to double back, we followed Jane’s road west to the main North West Coastal Highway. While we were disappointed not to have time to turn north towards Northampton to see any of the five studios there, we turned south for a wonderful visit to Cam Fitzgerald’s studio in the Goodies Eco Camp precinct.

This is a camping hotspot for windsurfers at  the popular Coronation Beach only five minutes up the road. Cam was a founding member of the GOSS initiative in 2023 but stepped back for its second year to focus solely on her own art. I love her quirky mix of finely detailed animal drawings, paintings and mixed media with splashes of colour, unexpected accessories, costumes, and native floral touches. While contemporary and easily considered commercial graphic art, Cam’s pieces are all unique.

From Cam’s studio, we headed back into Geraldton, where our tour of the town centre included a visit to the home of GOSS Chair & Co-Founder Emmaline James, the multiple user groups of the Geraldton Cultural Trust (bursting at the seams with weavers, spinners, quilters, printers, potters, rock enthusiasts, and family history groups), and a venture into the newly established co-op-style Laneway Studios, the home of the 6530 Collective Art Hub. Led by Ersilia Tarantino, of Inspiring Breaks, what was once an empty office space is now a lively hidey-hole for creativity, enriched by a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. This is an innovative and exciting third space for Gero’s alternative crowd.

Caption: Emmaline Jones, Stephen Bevis and Sarah Hinton at Emmaline’s studio

Ceramics self portraits made by the Geraldton Pottery Club members from portraits drawn by local primary school students.

Yes, there are too many artists in Geraldton – too many to possibly visit in a ten-day program – but GOSS is a great introduction to what this region has to offer. The information and access to these artists are available all year round.

For more information on the participating artists and plans for 2025, please visit: https://www.emmalinejames.com.au/goss

For more information on Mid West artists, the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery has begun compiling a directory: https://artgallery.cgg.wa.gov.au/mid-west-arts-membership.aspx

Sarah Hinton has written this review as a participant through Seesaw’s Regional Mentoring Program.

Featured photo: Ceramics self portraits made by the Geraldton Pottery Club members from portraits drawn by local primary school students.