Art in The Artisan Hills

The Artisan Hills has stirred artists’ creativity since the late 1890s, when painters in search of picturesque landscapes dropped easels in Eltham and surrounding areas.

Albert Tucker, Cliton Pugh, Jock Frater and Max Meldrum are famous names synonymous with the region, so too the Jorgensens and Skippers, who established permanent colonies of artists and artisans at Montsalvat in Eltham and Dunmoochin in St Andrews. The rolling hills and vibrant bushland continue to inspire today: painters, poets, ceramicists, photographers, printmakers, textilers, glass blowers, jewellers, sculptors architects and musicians. You’ll find them in The Artisan Hills’ myriad studios, galleries, bookshops and performance spaces.

Don’t miss the biannual Artists’ Open Studios, a highlight of our arts calendar. You’ll not only appreciate a break from the hustle and bustle, you may discover a hidden gem.