Unique art workshops come to Mackay

There are plenty of ways to explore your creative side next month at Artspace Mackay with popular workshops in felt-making, leather craft, and Zines (magazines).

March is sure to be a hive of activity when artist tutors visit the region from Townsville, Toowoomba and Melbourne to deliver these upcoming workshops.

The first workshop to be held which is back by popular demand is a one-day creative felt-making workshop with Townsville based textile artist, Katelyn Aslett.

The day promises to be full of colour and fun and will be held on March 5 and 6 at Mackay Town Hall, Sydney Street. Participants will receive an introduction to felt-making, exploring colour, texture and fibre layering techniques.

Community Services and Facilities portfolio councillor Karen May said Katelyn’s own work contains floral themes using natural silks and wool fleece that have been hand-dyed.

“Her felt workshops in 2010 were extremely popular, selling out in the first few days of advertising” she said.

If you’re keen to learn to work with new materials, a leather craft workshop might be right up your alley. Jarren Borghero, a practicing Melbourne artist with his own leather goods label, ‘temono’, will run the one-day beginner workshops in contemporary hand stitched leather craft on March 19 and 20.

“These workshops are ‘value-added’ because participants will get to keep the individual leather belt, diary cover and purse they learn to make during the day,”

“They’ll also gain the skills and inspiration to continue creating their own leather craft at home, keeping the skills in the region.”

And finally this month will see one for the teenagers to young adults - Artspace is bringing zine (pronounced zeen) maker, Jeremy Staples from Toowoomba to teach ‘A beginners guide to Zines’ on March 26 and 27.

This workshop will look at what zines are and how to create and reproduce them yourself. Participants in this fun workshop will complete a collaborative zine and reproduce multiple copies for local distribution.

To find out more information and reserve your seat at any of these great upcoming workshops, contact Artspace Mackay on 4961 9722.

Contact: Melissa Dunn

Phone: 1300 MACKAY (1300 622 529)