Grassroots Art Market Returns to The Capital

This weekend the This is Art Market makes a return to the Yarralumla Woolshed to show off the best local artists the ACT and surrounding regions have to offer.

After successful events in both Grafton and Canberra last year,  this ‘new vibe’ art market is making its third return to Canberra with a focus on affordable one-of-a-kind artworks.

Held among the rustic corrugated iron walls of the Yarralumla Woolshed, the This is Art Market will host a force of emerging local artistic talents over the weekend, including local food and live entertainment. Husband and wife duo Melissa Christie and Matt McDonald, the driving force behind the event, are passionate about making artwork accessible and affordable to the community.

“We have forty five artists and 9 street artists who are doing live art, really amazing food, local wine, heaps of live music. Just a really nice vibe and heaps of art,” Ms Christie said. “Canberra, in terms of culture, is really changing right now. I think that its improving really, and artist are getting more of an opportunity and reason to stay.”

Conceived in Melissa and Matt’s backyard, the idea for the This is Art Market was a way for local artists to sell their original works.

“It seemed like a way for artists to easily sell their art even  if they were emerging artists or hobby artists,” said Ms Christie. “Its not to intimidating, its just sort of a market that’s cheap to have a stall and it’s an easy way for artists to sell art.”

The markets are open from 10am Saturday and run till Sunday afternoon.

[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]What: This is Art Market, When: 10am-3pm, 3rd-4th May, Where: Yarralumla Woolshed, off Cotter Road [/box]

Text by Alkira Reinfrank