Raglan Arts Weekend Launches This Week With Opening Of Preview Exhibition

The much-loved annual Raglan Arts Weekend (RAW) kicks off this week with the opening of its Preview Exhibition on Friday 29th September, which signals the start of the RAW festivities.

Taking place in the Raglan Old School Arts Centre, the Preview Exhibition will house 84 artworks, all of them developed especially for this year’s 13th annual RAW event. All artworks are for sale, some of them at a very attractive price point, and proceeds go directly to artists and towards the event itself, which is a not-for-profit.

Each of the 42 participating studios on the self- guided art trail has to submit two artworks – a showcase piece at any price point, as well as a 300mm x 300mm artwork to be sold for a steal at $200. “Our 300 x 300’s are extremely popular and it’s very exciting seeing all the red dots that mark the sales, acknowledging the extent of talent we have in this wee town,” says Nicky Brzeska, RAW Co-ordinator since 2019.

The event has grown from strength to strength, with its own RAW logo and clear brand, web site, new Raglan Arts Guide booklet, official RAW flags and over 60 artists now participating in 42 studios.

“We have the same number of studios as last time, but we have some big groups this year, such as The Hatch emerging artists, our Raglan Life Drawing Group and our old favourite - The Raglan Community Clayshed. This means we’ve been able to grow again and accommodate a lot of new artists, but without it being overwhelming for our visitors who can expect to navigate around the same size art trail.”

This year, artists span the widest media to date covering painting, illustration, sculpture, glass, ceramics, textiles, graffiti taxidermy, jewellery, photography, woodwork, weaving, metalwork, prints and more.

RAW’s Preview Exhibition is a free event. Following the exclusive opening on Thursday 28th September for artists’ friends and family, it will be open daily, including weekends.

29th September 2023 RAW, Monday 23 October, 10am to 2pm at the Old School Arts Centre, 5 Stewart Street.

The Raglan Arts Weekend is a Creative Raglan event, brought to you by the Raglan Community Arts Council.

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