From This Place – Inspiring Women Artists of the Upper Yarra Valley brings to life the inspiring stories and art making of fourteen local women artists who choose to locate their work in Warburton and surrounds, in direct relationship with the Yarra River and the natural environment.

This not-for-profit project explores why they choose to live where they do and what the landscape brings to their work.

From This Place is a full colour quality art book and an exhibition.

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I realised why I love being a part of this project so much. It’s all about celebrating women, creativity and community, three of my favourite things. And I feel these are all qualities our world is so hungry for, all vital ingredients in the co-creation of a new paradigm for our people on this earth.  Quotes: Lucy Pierce, Artist

The book: Each artist will be profiled in words and images. Both the writing and the photography will be insightful and reflective, providing an inspirational quality for readers to ‘seek the artist within’. It also will inspire all women to pursue creativity and be sustained. The book is 128 pages and an artefact in it own right.

The exhibitions: Essence portraits of each artist revealing the source of their practice and beauty in the world. Upper Yarra Arts Centro from September 1, Yarra Ranges Regional Museum from November 26.

While it’s true that this book is centred on our small regional location, I feel it is deeply relevant to a much wider field, as we collectively learn how to celebrate, cultivate and enshrine a culture which can be a fertile container for the arts and our creative capacities to become more than what we currently know ourselves to be.

Sample pages of layout: Subject to further refinement:

Why this project at this time?

Women artists are underrepresented in the art world. Less than 5% of artists being shown in galleries are women. Read more. Our aim is to raise the profiles of women artists  in the Upper Yarra Valley, which has a reputation as a strong artistic community, and to explore the sense of place that is present in their work, and their hearts. This project highlights the ‘enviable cultural richness’ of the region and the influence of culture in shaping identity, diversity and social connections.

From This Place has gathered the women  and helped to establish a deeper sense of community. Art is for everyone.

A collaboration between Angela Rivas, photographer, and Lindy Schneider, writer. 

In the process of watching this book unfold, I think many of us involved now feel ourselves to be more than we were before the witness and celebration it has offered to our role as creative practitioners. May that magic spread.

Watch our interview on Yarra Ranges Life TV