Studios, sheds, galleries and homes: Surf Coast Arts Trail takes travelers into the intimate spaces of creativity.

Across two days, the Surf Coast Arts Trail offers access to behind-the-scenes arts activity on the Victorian coastline.

From Torquay to Lorne, Winchelsea to Deans Marsh and all of the spaces in between, art is on the agenda across the weekend of Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August 2026. Returning for another vibrant year of arts appreciation and access, the annually held Surf Coast Arts Trail is showcasing the creative pursuits of over 200 artists and makers.

The Surf Coast has long been a hub for arts activation, with the trail spotlighting the diversity of disciplines and unique environments for creation. 

Surf Coast Arts Trail

• When: Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August
• Where: Over 56 participating studios, galleries and art spaces along the Surf Coast  

Keep up to date with all things arts, exhibitions and stage here.

The Surf Coast Arts Trail is one of the region’s most exciting events, giving the public access to the behind-the-scenes of art creation. Opening their studios, galleries, workshops, sheds, and spaces to visitors, artists across the region will show off their practice. Renowned artists to local emerging creators and collectives, make up the extensive list involved in the trail, including appearances from Dee Matheson, Elizabeth Rickey, proud Noongar Wardandi, Bibulman Maaman artist Joshua James, potter Melinda Solly and award-winning ocean and seascape photographer, Tal Lemmens.

 

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The Surf Coast Arts Trail starts at Fresh Water Creek, looping through Torquay, around the Great Ocean Road open studios in Jan Juc, Bellbrae, Bells Beach, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven, and stretching as far as Lorne. Hidden gems are also scattered through the Hinterland with studios, sheds, and workshops welcoming visitors in Deans Marsh, Gherang, Buckley and Winchelsea. 

Nestled into each township, the trail includes stops at Anglesea Art House and its sister exhibition centre Anglesea Art Space, Lauren Barton’s ceramic studio Bellbrae Clay, Kayla Houlihan’s paint and sip studio, Canvas & Cork, sculpture studio, Firetail Studios, Glassworks Torquay, Hoop Gallery, Ashmore Arts and its neighbouring jeweller Valley Studios and many more.

 

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The design of the Surf Coast Arts Trail allows for sharing of knowledge as artists share their processes and speak to their works, whilst also encouraging participation through hands-on crafting of artworks. The public program is shaped to offer a snippet of all disciplines from painting to ceramics, jewellery making, print making, and the intricate practice of glass fusing. Learn the not-as-easy-as-it-looks art of wheel throwing, pick up a paint brush with both cup and canvas painting, or try your hand at whittling a simple item from wood in a woodcarving workshop facilitated by Roger Brown in his Torquay studio. The transfer of knowledge from creator to customer in these demonstrations and workshops is a rare offering that makes the Surf Coast Arts Trail a most unique experience.

A master of his practice and a bold addition to the Surf Coast Arts Trail is sculpturist Grant Finck. Having honed his arts practice over nearly 50 years, Finck’s exploration of manipulating materials has no bounds, working with ceramics, resin, steel and even bronze to create larger than life sculptures.

Favouring form, Finck builds his pieces at his Fire Tail Studio in Gherang following a relocation from Anglesea. His studio will be open for visits during the Surf Coast Arts Trail weekend where he is open to sharing his half-century wealth of knowledge in arts practice.

“Come and have a cup of tea!” Finck says. 

“I love the way the Trail helps artists make contact with the broader community and people are able to come out and see what we do, and for us to be part of something that integrates the arts into the community.” 

“I really enjoy having a chance to talk one-to-one with Trail visitors and share some of my inspirations and methods.”

He continues, “I suppose being in visual arts can be quite a solitary existence, most days I’m on my own in the studio, and it’s a great opportunity to crack that habit and reach out a little bit.”

Geelong locals and western suburbs travellers may already be familiar with Finck’s works thanks to his bold public art commissions. The glowing green five-metre-tall Reunion sculpture at Laverton Railway Station and the purple Flux sculpture in Geelong West Town Hall’s Pakington Street forecourt are made by Finck’s hands.

His continued pursuit to create, experiment, explore the endless possibilities of art creation make his studio a must-see stop on the trail.

“If I stop learning I’ll lose interest, and if I thought I’d made the perfect piece that would be it I reckon – it would be over for me. There’s a never-ending stream of work to be done and ideas to be created,” he says.

For the full program, map and artist lineup of the Surf Coast Arts Trail, head to https://surfcoastartstrail.com.au/

Print programs are also available for collection from Surf Coast Shire offices and Visitor Information Centres. A list of locations can be found here.