Why local art matters, and how to get involved in Maroondah

If you've ever stood in front of a painting and felt something shift, even just for a second, you already know what this story is about.

This weekend, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, Central Ringwood Community Centre hosted the first Maroondah Art Fair. It's the first one in the area, and walking through the hall I kept thinking about how far back art goes for me, and why it still matters so much.

About twelve years ago I ran art events at Rainbow Serpent festival. Through that work I worked with international artists like Alex Grey and Android Jones. That was quite something, and it's stayed with me.

So it's lovely to still see communities putting on art shows, whether it's at a festival or right here in Ringwood. Art and creativity are very dear to me, because I understand how important they are. Not in an abstract way, either. I've seen what happens when people are given the space to make something.

When you create art, something switches on. It generates that creative spirit in a person, and it gives you a way to express yourself that words don't always give you. It's meditative, too. You sit with it, you work through it, and the rest of the noise drops away for a while.

And then there's the other side of it. When a piece ends up hanging in someone's house, it keeps going. It communicates a message, a feeling, an emotion, every time someone walks past it. I think that's a really powerful thing, because it's a way of tapping into the human spirit, both for the person who made it and the person living with it.

That's why I'm keen to promote and support art: the development of art, the creation of art, and communities like this one so they can thrive.

The fair brought together more than 200 original artworks, and most of them came from members of the Ringwood Art Society. Each member could enter up to two pieces, so what you saw on the walls was a real cross-section of the people making art around here, not just a handful of names.

The Ringwood Art Society has been bringing local artists together for 60 years. That's a long time to keep a creative community going, and it shows. A fair like this is the payoff of all those classes, workshops and evenings people have put in over the years.

When I spoke with the organiser in person, they told me they're hoping to make it an annual event. I hope they do. A first event is always the hardest one to get off the ground, and the best way to make sure there's a second is for people to come along, have a look and tell their friends.

Maybe you painted at school and haven't picked up a brush since. Maybe you've always wanted to try but figured it wasn't for you. That's exactly who these groups are for.

The Ringwood Art Society welcomes beginners, emerging and advanced artists. It runs classes, workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions and plein air groups, where you take your easel outside and paint what's in front of you. If you're not sure about joining yet, you can test the waters at a demonstration night first.

And if paint isn't your thing, Central Ringwood Community Centre is starting a collage class on Tuesdays from 27 October. It's a nice, low-pressure way to get creative with what you've got.

Ringwood Art Society

Collage class at Central Ringwood Community Centre

Please check current details, times and costs with the society or the centre before you go.

Art doesn't need a gallery or a big name to matter. It needs people willing to make something and a community that turns up for them. Maroondah has both. So have a go, come along to the next one, and let's help it thrive.