Country Art Escapes was launched in June 2012 and has gone from strength to strength, with around 60 subscribers on the trail, featuring many of the artists and arts and cultural venues in the New England North West region. The time has now come for Country Art Escapes to undergo a refresh with the purpose of creating a new brand that is consistent with the current Arts North West branding.

Country Art Escapes will be rebranded Arts North West Connect, with the new website shifting focus to be primarily a membership-based regional arts directory administered by Arts North West, that promotes cultural venues, artists and events in the New England North West region. The online arts trail will continue to be a feature of the new website. The new website will be launched in time for the first inaugural North West Arts Trail Open Weekend. The weekend will give visitors and locals the opportunity to explore artist studios, galleries, museums and cultural venues of the Glen Innes and Tenterfield region on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of July - the same weekend as the Glen Innes Chill n Glen festival.

Steph McIntosh, Communications Officer with Arts North West explains that with the use of the website and printed maps “anyone visiting the area on the Open Weekend can create a personalized map and stop off at the various venues. Whether you are interested in arts, history or Aboriginal culture, there is huge diversity in the range of wonderful and welcoming venues on the trail, including galleries, museums and artist studios. There is no better excuse to rug up and enjoy the enchanting spirit of winter in the Highlands.”

The North West Arts Trail Open Weekend promotion includes a simple map available in hardcopy and online, identifying each location and describes what will be on offer during the weekend; including artist talks, morning teas, arts/crafts for sale. Existing Country Art Escapes subscribers and non-subscribers in the Glen Innes, Tenterfield and surrounding region, are encouraged to register online to be a part of the Open Weekend via http://www.artsnw.com.au/open-weekend/

Pocket Productions was launched last year as an Arts North West initiative to deliver high quality productions to smaller communities and villages in the New England North West. This April, the network will welcome a series of concerts by the wonderful Bloodwood Quartet.

The Bloodwood Quartet was formed in 2006 at Sydney Conservatorium of Music and has toured extensively in Australia and abroad as cultural ambassadors for Sydney University.

Bloodwood developed a close relationship with Bloodwood Winery in Orange, NSW and have been collaborating with the Winery for their food and wine festivals regularly since 2006. Laura Curotta (viola) and Robert Jackson (cello) remain from the original quartet formation and now reside in Armidale. They are on faculty at the New England Conservatorium of Music and perform throughout New England and the North West. They are joined on violin by Daniel Lopez and Jason Tong, both sought after Brisbane-based musicians. Eleanor Streatfeild, cellist, formerly of Armidale, will be appearing as a guest artist on this tour to complete the quintet formation for works by Boccherini and Schubert.

The Quartet will be performing at the following venues:

The Art Shack, Wallabadah
6.30pm, Thursday 5 April
Contact Tania 0427 462 155

The Playhouse Hotel, Barraba
6.30pm, Saturday 7 April
Contact play@playhousehotel.com or 6782 1109

Deepwater School of Arts
3pm, Sunday 8 April
Contact Carelles 6732 1997 or Helen 0428 674 594

Breeza Community Hall
6.30 for 8pm, Friday 13 April
Contact Marlene 6747 4680 or Gail 6744 5846

Contact the venues for more information and ticket information.

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