Waitaki Art Trail organisers are taking a gamble running their event on Victorian Heritage weekend, but they’re hoping it will pay dividends.

Art Trail convenor Joan Edridge says it was an intentional decision to run alongside the celebrations, which bring thousands of people into the area.

“People are going to be in town, but are they going to come visit us? Because they're busy doing other stuff.” 

There are 17 venues across the region people can visit on either Saturday or Sunday, between 11am and 4pm. Most are in or around Ōamaru, with two in Waimate, two in Palmerston, and Nic Dempster, who is worth making an extra effort for out at Flag Swamp.

This is the second time the Art Trail has run, with the first one in June attracting about 120 people, Joan says. Some venues had upwards of 70 visitors last time, while others had less than 10.

Maps have been distributed around town, and can be found at the Visitor Centre on Harbour Street, and at the various artist’s venues - including Silenzio Pottery on Thames Street, and Customs House Art Gallery on Tyne Street. A number of the venues are the artist’s own homes.

One large incentive to explore the trail is the chance to win a night’s accommodation at SkyScape in Twizel. Any purchase, even a greeting card, will put a person in the draw, Joan says. 

“So it's a very small trail compared to Kapiti Coast and up north, I think Hawke's Bay, they have something like 300 artists.

“We're very small just starting out and we hope that it will grow.” 

Joan’s own art is “abstract realism”, and she particularly enjoys drawing and painting birds and animals.

She plans to paint a picture over the weekend, starting it on Saturday morning, and finishing it Sunday afternoon in time to be auctioned off. 

Joan will joined at her home by junior guest artist, 15-year-old Cerys Thomas, who will also exhibit work.

“She has brilliant art . . . I'm sort of mentoring her.”

For more information on the Waitaki Art Trail visit the website.

An artwork by junior guest artist Cerys Thomas (15).