When wine and art combine

Hill-Smith Family Estates in the Barossa and Chapel Hill in McLaren Vale are among a growing number of wine brands linking with art and artists.

Winesmiths, the family-owned wine-on-tap (cask) brand produced by Hill-Smith Family Estates, this week announced its latest artist collaboration - this time partnering with South Australian artist Claire Ishino to launch a new collection of limited edition 2-litre packs, to be available across Australia and New Zealand from September through December.

Following last year’s New Zealand-inspired designs by Ross Murray, this year’s release brings the
spotlight back to South Australia, where Winesmiths and Ishino share connections to the flora and
fauna which call the state home.

Known for her artworks inspired by Australian native flora, Ishino has created a series of pack designs that reflect the biodiversity of Winesmiths’ sustainably farmed vineyards.

“When I’m walking through native bushland, I’m constantly noticing patterns, shapes and colours in the plants and how they interact with light," said Ishino. "That’s what I wanted to capture in this series.

"Collaborating with Winesmiths has been such a joy. It’s about celebrating the beauty of our environment and encouraging people to tread lightly.”

The collection includes designs for five Winesmiths varietals: shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, dry rosé, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.

Winesmiths is also donating $25,000 to Greenfleet, a leading environmental not-for-profit that plants biodiverse forests to capture carbon emissions and restore critical ecosystems across Australia and New Zealand.

The Claire Ishino x Winesmiths Limited Edition 2-litre packs will be available in major liquor retailers and independent stores throughout Australia and New Zealand from September until December. RRP $16. See winesmiths.com.au



Chapel Hill, meanwhile, has unveiled the winning art and artist for its inaugural Horizons Art Prize.

The $5,000 acquisitive prize has been awarded to Stephanie Radok for her work It’s Morning! (above) which will now hang in the winery’s iconic 1865 tasting chapel as part of its permanent collection.

All finalist artwork will be exhibited at the Chapel Hill Tasting Room for the duration of the South Australian Living Arts Festival.

The judging panel included respected local arts figures Adele Sliuzas, visual arts curator at The Mill Adelaide, and Maria Zagala, curator of prints, drawings and photographs at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

They were joined by Chapel Hill’s chief winemaker, Michael Fragos, whose long-standing passion for visual arts helped guide the selection.

Together, the panel reviewed more than 120 submissions from 86 entrants spanning painting, drawing, photography, and multimedia.

“When we launched this inaugural award we had no idea that it would be embraced with such enthusiasm and provocative creativity,” says Fragos.

“The level of passion, flair and skill exhibited in the submissions has been truly humbling. We are so proud to be able to showcase these amazing artists and their intimate creations, we now look forward with excitement as to the direction this competition will lead us in the future.”

Cross to REDSEA for a new arts experience

When you think Margaret River you probably think superb beaches and world-class wines.

What is less well known about Margaret River is that it is home to dozens or artists across a variety of disciplines and crafts.

Now a new "international" art gallery has opened in the townhip, featuring a collection of paintings, sculptures, glassworks, ceramics, and even cutting edge X-ray art.

REDSEA Gallery is a contemporary gallery housed in a revitalised century-old heritage space.

Owners Chris and Charlie Churcher established REDSEA Gallery in Singapore, exhibiting global artists - including some from Australia - more than 20 years ago and have now opened a sister gallery in Margaret River, which they now call home.

“For many years we’ve holidayed in Margaret River with our daughters and have loved the relaxed lifestyle and natural beauty,” Chris said.

“When the opportunity came up to acquire the historic building situated at the entrance to Margaret River town on Bussell Highway, we were compelled to retain the artistic presence the building has upheld for 50 years."

Margaret River’s first art and craft group, which had 80 members, rented the space in 1974 for 13 years. It was then sold to a group of 15 local artists who refurbished the buildings.

It has remained an art gallery ever since, with the Churchers acquiring the building from the JahRoc team in 2022, exactly 100 years after it was built.

One of the original artists, Shaun Atkinson, continues to be represented there today.

“We’ve extremely proud to be creating the next chapter of the building’s creative story,” he said.

The gallery showcases a diverse range of art and artforms from local and global artists and operating the two galleries allows exhibitions and artworks to travel between Singapore and Margaret River.

“The Margaret River Region is a drawcard for artists and art lovers," says Chris. "We now represent a number of incredible local creators and are excited to showcase them to our Singapore clients too,” says Chris.

REDSEA Gallery is at 83 Bussell Highway Margaret River. See redseagallery.au. Open six days. Closed on Tuesday.

Art to entice visitors to Margaret River

Wine and food are far from being the only reasons to visit Margaret River in Western Australia.

There are also fabulous surf beaches, tremendous natural beauty- and a thriving arts scene.

A record number of artists have signed up for this year's Margaret River Region Open Studios, an annual event that will run from September 1-25.

From Anniebrook to Witchcliffe, and Boallia to Eagle Bay, the Margaret River region will be a sea of Open Studios signs welcoming art lovers to the artists' usually private world of paint, canvas, kilns, fabric, fire, timber, charcoal, chainsaws, pencils, found objects, welding tools, looms, printing presses, clay, metal and millinery.

Chair Jim Davies said the response from artists to this year's Margaret River Region Open Studios event was a wonderful outcome.

“We've been bowled over by the number of artist registrations this year,” he said. “We thought there might be some uncertainty due to Covid, but I suspect the desire to share beauty and creation is more important than ever before to our artists and community.

“Our event has grown year-on-year and the word-of-mouth spreads through the artistic community.

“An astonishing 43 artists will make their Open Studios debut in September, which is another record broken, and 16 artists will have participated in all nine events, providing a rich and diverse offering for our visitors.” 

The 16-day event will showcase art in all its forms.

Visitors will find artists in family homes, old timber mill cottages, hobby and dairy farms, straw bale homes, a converted water tank, cottages, hay sheds, converted school bus, brewery, beach shack, industrial sheds, sea containers, shearing sheds, bush blocks, a 'Sheila shack' and more.