When to immerse yourself in both wine and art

There are myriad great wine tasting opportunities in the Margaret River region, but man cannot live on wine alone.

Wine lovers might want to time their visit coincide with spring when over 150 artists from Busselton to Augusta will throw open the doors to their creative spaces as part of the 12th annual Margaret River Region Open Studios.

The event will run from September 13 to 28 and offers a once-a-year opportunity to meet artists, explore working studios, and experience art in the raw - all free of charge.

The 2025 line-up includes iconic names like Leon Pericles, Rebecca Cool, Lauren Wilhelm, Lesley Meaney, Caroline Juniper, Nathan Day, Christian Fletcher and Ian Dowling - along with 30 new artists joining the program for the first time.

Visitors can expect a dynamic mix of artistic expression, from traditional Japanese gyotaku (fish printing) and encaustic beeswax painting, to basket weaving, tattoo art, and immersive sculpture installations.

This event is now in its 12th year and chair Jim Davies said it is now one of the most popular events on Western Australia's arts calendar.

“MRROS is such a special event for both artist and visitor, giving everyone the chance to access art and creativity,” he said.

“Art lovers can explore the Margaret River Region via studios in some of our most picturesque and inspiring locations. Studios might be converted barns, sea containers, railway carriages or inside artist’s homes. The variety of art and experiences provided by our artists is phenomenal.

“Visitors can plan a trail of their favourite art mediums such as sculpture, painting, pottery, jewellery or glass; or by location or artistic style."

Image: Artist Leon Pericles in his Margaret River sculpture garden

The perfect time to mix some art with your wine

Fancy combining some arts and crafts with your wine tastings and long lunches?

The Margaret River Region Open Studios event will run from September 7-22 with 144 artists from Busselton to Augusta showcasing their creativity.

A 56-page Event Guide is now available in hard copy and online and artist workshops are open for bookings.

During the 16 days of the award-winning event, the largest of its kind in Australia, artists throw open their studio doors and invite the public in for a 'fly on the wall' experience of an artist creating.

“As our artists' practice and confidence grows, so does their desire to make each year's Margaret River Region Open Studios an enriched experience for their visitors," says event deputy chair and potter Jacquie Happ.

“MRROS is blessed to have a loyal following of art lovers,” she said. “In fact, last year more than 70% of our visitors were returning to the event.

“They will often revisit the studios of their favourite artists as well as seeking out new talent.

“Open Studios allows artists to grow their following and emboldens them to create fresh bodies of work each year, and perhaps try out new techniques to get instant feedback from visiting art lovers.”

Several artists will be opening new purpose-built art studios for this year's event.

Artists featured include painters, potters, printmakers, photographers, mosaicists, mixed media artists, metalwork and timber craftspeople, textile creators, illustrators, installation artists, sculptors, glassmakers, jewellers, textile makers, upcyclers, ceramicists, and furniture makers

In 2023 the event attracted approximately 15,000 visitors who made 145,000 studio visits.

And, of course, there are also all those cellar doors to visit.   

See www.mrropenstudios.com.au

Combining wine and art in Margaret River

Art and wine will be paired from September 9-24 with seven Margaret River wineries hosting local artists who will be creating and exhibiting their work for the 10th Margaret River Region Open Studios.

A total of 166 artists will be throwing open their studio doors this year in what is Australia’s largest open studios event.

Gralyn Estate, Fraser Gallop Estate, Voyager Estate, Swings & Roundabouts, Domilona, Edwards Winery and Aravina Estate are all hosting Open Studios artists or events.

Dorothy Gallop will be painting and showcasing her work in Open Studios for the first time from the Fraser Gallop Estate Cellar Door. Her main inspiration is her home - the Fraser Gallop Estate property where she lives with husband and owner Nigel Gallop. Her latest collection of works takes her back to her birthplace, with paintings of the African landscape and animals.

Yallingup painter and printmaker Jessica McKiernan will be creating from Swings & Roundabouts for Open Studios. Jessica aims to capture nostalgic scenes shaped by sentimental stories and memories of growing up in the south west.

Margaret River painter and photographer Olivia Lancaster and Margaret River sculptor Mark Hampton will be showcasing their work at Voyager Estate. Olivia specialises in painting, drawing, and photography and gathers most of her inspiration from her love of Margaret River’s seascapes, forests, native plants, and birds. Mark was originally a tool maker in the Isle of Wight and has always been fascinated by metal, engineering, and fabrication.

On moving to the south west, Mark began creating armillary dials to the region’s exact latitude - reflecting his nautical heritage and the precision of tool making.




Photographer Russell Ord will showcase his work in MRROS for the first time from his studio gallery at Edwards Winery. He began pursuing photography in the early 2000s and quickly made a name for himself with his surfing images.

The co-owner of Gralyn Estate is photographer, mixed media and installation artist Scott Baxter, who will have his work displayed in a new way this year as Gralyn Estate transforms its old cellar into a visual and sensory experience.

All profits from the sale of his art will be donated to the Cancer Council of Western Australia.

Taiwan-born Margaret River ceramic artist Yu-Hua Lan will be showcasing her work during the event from Dormilona Winery. She casts organic seeds, shell forms and other natural materials, transforming them into sculpture, jewellery, and pottery.

Aravina Estate is hosting this year’s Art Dinner on September 9. Leon Pericles has donated a bottle of 2019 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay with his signature and personalised artistic embellishment.