Country Art Escapes was launched in June 2012 and has gone from strength to strength, with around 60 subscribers on the trail, featuring many of the artists and arts and cultural venues in the New England North West region. The time has now come for Country Art Escapes to undergo a refresh with the purpose of creating a new brand that is consistent with the current Arts North West branding.
Country Art Escapes will be rebranded Arts North West Connect, with the new website shifting focus to be primarily a membership-based regional arts directory administered by Arts North West, that promotes cultural venues, artists and events in the New England North West region. The online arts trail will continue to be a feature of the new website. The new website will be launched in time for the first inaugural North West Arts Trail Open Weekend. The weekend will give visitors and locals the opportunity to explore artist studios, galleries, museums and cultural venues of the Glen Innes and Tenterfield region on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of July - the same weekend as the Glen Innes Chill n Glen festival.
Steph McIntosh, Communications Officer with Arts North West explains that with the use of the website and printed maps “anyone visiting the area on the Open Weekend can create a personalized map and stop off at the various venues. Whether you are interested in arts, history or Aboriginal culture, there is huge diversity in the range of wonderful and welcoming venues on the trail, including galleries, museums and artist studios. There is no better excuse to rug up and enjoy the enchanting spirit of winter in the Highlands.”
The North West Arts Trail Open Weekend promotion includes a simple map available in hardcopy and online, identifying each location and describes what will be on offer during the weekend; including artist talks, morning teas, arts/crafts for sale. Existing Country Art Escapes subscribers and non-subscribers in the Glen Innes, Tenterfield and surrounding region, are encouraged to register online to be a part of the Open Weekend via http://www.artsnw.com.au/open-weekend/