WHERE THE LOCALS GO FOR THEIR INFORMATION—
bluemountainsgazette.com.au/community/eedition/
The Blue Mountains community has a special relationship with its local paper, the Gazette. You only need to leaf through a copy to see how well it reflects the many aspects of our lives. There are over 35,000 copies printed weekly and delivered free throughout this widely scattered region. Two favourites within the paper are the Letters to the Editor and the Arts pages. Nowadays you don’t even have to crawl around in the bushes on a rainy evening to find your precious copy, you can go straight to the high-tech e-edition. The Gazette is where you find many of the latest arts events for the week.
Subscribe to Blue Mountains City of the Arts e-News
The next most useful source of up-to-the-minute information on arts events is compiled weekly by Blue Mountains City Council in its City of the Arts e-News available to subscribers. This is information which has been forwarded to Council by arts bodies and individuals and includes the program at the Council’s Cultural Centre in Katoomba as well as many of the musical and theatrical events which are neglected in other what’s ons. You do not need to be a member of Tourism to have your event included in the newsletter, which makes Council’s e-News a much more interesting and authentic listing.
Blue Mountains City Library Services
Katoomba library's beautifully designed and welcoming space is always packed with browsers, checking out the latest publications, relaxing in comfortable armchairs, using the computers and enjoying the stunning view to the escarpment. Look up opening times of this library and other local libraries and the regular program of author readings and other events.
Photo: Adrian Baljeu, Sublime’s Moon
ESPECIALLY FOR VISITORS—
visitbluemountains.com.au
Blue Mountains Tourism has a high profile in the promotion of information about events and activities in a region with an economy almost entirely reliant on tourism. There is good information to be found under Events for the current and next month, including many popular community fairs and festivals. Listings under galleries and other arts-related businesses and activities are limited to those which are members of Tourism.
www.bluemountainscitytourism.com.au/whatson
The two important visitors’ centres at Glenbrook and Echo Point have, interestingly, detached themselves from the main Blue Mountains Tourism body and are producing a very informative what’s on, although their galleries section is pretty much identical to the other Tourism site. This may also be a reflection of the rather downbeat gallery scene not only in our region, but nationwide.
An excellent website with a wealth of useful information
bluemountainsgazette.com.au/community/eedition/
for the Blue Mountains Wonderland magazine — a colourful and informative publication featuring many of the region’s most important commercial arts-related businesses, museums and galleries.
Create your own ‘What’s On’
If you would like to do something out of the ordinary while visiting the Mountains, or have a group of friends or family visiting you here or you know you will be coming to the Mountains and want to plan something unusual to do, why not use our Arts Blue Mountains directory imaginatively.
Lyn Hart is a wellknown potter with a beautifully equipped studio, gallery and Japanese-inspired garden in Leura who holds regular classes but who could also offer a short potting event for a group www.hartceramics.com.au
Diana Levy leads one-day yatras (meditative walks) as well as one-day haiku walks in different beautiful parts of the Mountains (the roos jump / like popcorn of the paddock / at my approach) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Chris Tobin will take you into the bush to paint aboriginal designs on gum trees and teach you and your family about the aboriginal people who lived here and their culture and ways This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
John Ellison is a high profile and well respected Blue Mountains artist and writer who runs unusual and stimulating courses for creative people to recharge your batteries or to stimulate the creative juices - in Katoomba www.harrisonandellison.com
Linden resident Jane Lennon not only cooks delicious vegan food but also makes colourful papier mache pieces, from sculptures to chairs - talk to Jane about a paper making workshop This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sondi’s Studio in Wentworth Falls is where you can make your own beautiful piece of silver jewellery This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Experiences such as these would be individually tailored, for a minimum number of people and so requiring some lead time.
Photo: Bischoff (left) and Piguenit in the Grose Valley, 1875 (Blue Mountains Historical Society)
