
Welcome to the North Coast Mud Trail!
Ceramic artists open studios across the Northern Rivers | Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 August 2019 | 10am till 4pm
Across the weekend 21 ceramic artists on the North Coast Mud Trail will open their studios to discuss their work and processes, share cups of tea, give demonstrations and offer hands-on workshop experiences.
It’s a rare opportunity to meet local creative practitioners living and working in the Northern Rivers so you can experience the wealth of talent firsthand and find out what inspires people to do what they do.
You will be delighted and surprised by the diversity of work for sale from tiny, delicate, handheld objects in porcelain to impressive large-scale sculptural works; from bright, minimalist shapes to loose, gutsy, rustic ones; from dreamy, whimsical narratives to useful, practical pots there is bound to be something that stirs your interest. While you’re looking, you’ll also be satisfying your curiosity by exploring a variety of studio settings in some of the most scenic locations in the region.
Journey into the world of the handmade and plan for an immersive experience. All artists will have work for sale, with no two styles alike, so think about Christmas gifts and bring friends and a bag.
Check out the map for studio locations.

Richard Jones of Rainforest Ceramics has gone a bit mad this year.
Ceramics Studio - Giveaway | 56 Gittoes Lane, Possum Creek | Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 August | $20
He and Jo are opening their studio for the North Coast Mud Trail this weekend and he has decided to give away over two hundred ceramic animals to visitors in a lucky dip.
There are dinosaurs, ducks, dogs, roosters, and a miscellany of animals.
They are also having a clay-animal making session each day at 2pm. Richard will glaze, fire, and mail them to participants for $20 each.
Their studio is hidden in a rainforest at 56 Gittoes Lane, Possum Creek. With a bit of luck you may see one of the koalas that live there.
They will have hundreds of new and colourful bowls, cups, mugs, and plates, many with tree designs. Richard specialises in reduction firing that produces brilliant colours and sometimes unexpected results.
20 per cent of the takings go to Rainforest Trust to conserve rainforest. This is matched by another donor. They’re hoping to save three thousand acres of Amazon rainforest in Peru this weekend as they did last year.
If you need a Mud Trail map, they’ll have them available there.

Collaborate with nature at Byron School of Art
Weekend workshop | 17 & 18 August | 10am - 4pm | $320
There are plenty of interesting workshops and courses coming up this month at BSA.
Next up on 17 & 18 August is Collaborations with Nature – Ephemeral Land Art with Shona Wilson. Participants will learn about the lineage of Ephemeral Art and work through a series of exploratory exercises and techniques on a beautiful property in the Mullumbimby hills.

Kooky, wacky, weird, and wonderful.
The Quad, Lismore | Friday 16 and Saturday 17 August | 5–10.30pm | Recommended for ages 15+ | FREE entry
DARK SCIENCE is a new freaky festival of fun taking over The Quad, Lismore, on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 August. Set during science week, it’s a free event celebrating the intersection between provocative art and the sciences. The hot-pink Deja Voodoo Dome will host a variety of performances and music acts, and the Conservatorium of Music’s cavernous dungeons will present a myriad of site-specific performances, films, and installations.
Featuring The Space Cowboy, The Monster Sideshow, Kellie O’Dempsey and Mick Dick’s Dub Show, a Dark Museum of Intrigue, Andy Forbes, Dark Shire Choir, Public Act Theatre, and so much more.