Be Inspired Arts Festival. Week 2 Update

After a fabulous Festival Launch in Warragul last week, the Be Inspired Arts Festival continues its creativity throughout the second week of May.

We Feel Fine is the highlight event of the Festival this week. Visit the Latrobe Regional Gallery and interact with this fantastic multimedia installation. 4 -29 May.

Fancy a fabulous afternoon in the Sale Botanic Gardens on Mothers’ Day (8 May) ? Relaxing as the sun goes down, waiting for Gippsland’s latest glowing artform to be revealed? With big, bouncy inflatable art, mingling among friends and other art lovers? Then Reveal is the event for you. Don’t miss it. (4pm start, for a dusk launch).

And don't wait! Book now to be a part of the Festival Finale in Lakes Entrance on 28 May. Featuring the locally crafted animation Iddeus, this closing party at the Lakes Entrance Surf Club is a celebration of a big month. Iddeus is a fun take on East Gippsland culture created by local artists John McKenzie, Gary Yelen and Amelie Boucher - in shadow puppetry. Come cheer the Iddeussy, enjoy the moment, relax at this surfside venue immersed in the sights and sounds of Suitcase Royale and enjoy the company of your arts community. It's free - but bookings are essential!

Mirboo North's Arty Gras and Art Show is a festival of Art, Sustainability and Environment kicking off on Friday night 6 May and running all weekend.

Stratford's own celebration begins on Thursday (5 May) with its unique take on all things Shakespearean - Macbeth by kids, Cymbeline by the Community, The Tempest by the Groundwork Youth Festival and Hamlet by the Hartwell Players. And there's a visual feast at the Art of Dance Exhibition at the Stratford Courthouse Gallery where artists have been challenged to create a work inspired by dance. Official opening on 7 May at 6.30. Stratford, just a few kilometres east of Sale, has great cafes, great antiques and does great Shakespeare -with a little vocal nosh on the side.

enLIGHTenment at Town and Country Gallery in Yarragon features the work of three artists. Darren Gilbert's recycled metal sculptures and intricately detailed pen and ink artworks; Leone Gabrielle's dream-like oil paintings; and Karin Ryan's exquisite acrylic paintings and etchings bring the world of childhood memories and imagination to life. Meet the artists 1-3pm Sunday 8 May.

Bass Coast sculptor Sian Adnam presents her Little Lights exhibition of mixed media candelabres and tea lights at the Arty Farty Sculpture Studio in Cape Woolamai, opening on 9 May.

Great comedy theatre tours East Gippsland with the Fall of the Roman Umpire visiting Mallacoota, Orbost and Lakes Entrance (Kalimna). 6-8 May. And the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow stops at Morwell on 11 May.

Think about planning your Open Studio tours. In the Latrobe City region, Sunday 8 May is the day to discover your local artists - Carolyn Henry, Sue Coppock, Tracy Roberts, Werner and Ursula Theinert and Wayne Milner all open their doors.

In West Gippsland 15 May is the day to take the Open Studio Tour - there are 18 studios to visit so start early! Get online and plan your route. This is a rare chance to see Gippsland artists in their natural habitat!

Freestone Press features original linocuts, etchings and woodcuts at their beautiful studio in (very arty) Briagolong 7 & 8 May. Take a drive and discover a hidden gem.

Kerrie Warren - abstract expressionist, opens her studio doors for the weekend (7&8) at Crossover in West Gippsland. Tini, Ing and … Helen open at Lillico Glass Studio on the 7th. While Jason Foster displays his latest landscape paintings From the Mountains to the Sea at the Maffra Exhibition space. In Orbost it's the ever-popular Pizza Box exhibition back at feastonart Gallery opening on May 7. Reflections exhibition by Heather Carroll and Marian Quigley is at the Community Hub Gallery Inverloch. Check all the details online.

Exhibitions continue everywhere around the region - visit the website and browse the Visual Arts listings.

See what's happening at Cowwarr Art Space, Arc Yinnar, Gippsland Art Gallery (Sale), Stratford Courthouse Gallery, Meeniyan Art Gallery, Gecko Studio Gallery (Fish Creek), Yarram Courthouse Gallery, Mangowood Gallery (Warragul), Sandy Point Gallery, The Big Gallery (Briagolong); Coal Creek Art Gallery (Korumburra); Manna Gum (Inverloch) and Galleria del Mare (Rhyll), Mingara Gallery (Cowes), Studio 21 (Cape Woolamai).

Look out for the results of ABC Open's video project One small window of LIGHT. This collection of minute-long videos was created during a whirlwind workshop tour of Gippsland. They are on display at venues around the region - Lakes Entrance Library; The Grainstore, Mirboo North; West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul; Wonthaggi Town Hall; Traralgon Performing Arts Centre.

There's another Slow Photography Workshop in Nowa Nowa. It's a weekend of making art with your camera, overlooking Lake Tyers, led by award winning photojournalist Ewen Bell and local artist Gary Yelen. Nowa Nowa Photo Photo.

Meanwhile the Arty Farty Latte Party continues in cafes around West Gippsland for the entire month of May.

Discover your Creative Gippsland!

www.creativegippsland.com.au