Creative pursuits

Cycles of creativity weave through the Off Season like an Antarctic gust through a winter elm.

There’s something in the atmosphere at this latitude – the cooler air and the low afternoon light – that sends Tasmania’s community of artists scuttling away to get busy. They write, draw, paint and sculpt. They design new recipes and weld rusty iron into lusty shapes.

In Tasmania, winter is far from barren – it’s downright fertile.

Hone your craft, learn something new, prowl galleries, peruse market stalls or immerse in artsy stays: join the creative dots as you explore the island.

Get festive

Tasmania’s winter festivals are a mainline into the island’s creative flow.

A few days at Dark Mofo (June) is a fast-track education in Tasmanian creativity. Tune in, tap a toe and test your vocals with the talented singers at the Festival of Voices (July). Find visual delight at Bicheno Beams (June–July), where prisms of brilliant light streak the night sky, or head to Beaker Street Festival (August) for a week of surprising science-infused experiences.

Let the festive artists do the creative heavy lifting and don't forget to book your tickets in advance (…we’d say, “you snooze, you lose”, but that sounds a bit mean-hearted).

Art time

Less ephemeral but just as engaging are Tasmania’s leading art galleries. Don’t miss a cool winter’s day spent pondering sex and death in the warmth of Mona, or head for the elegant galleries of the esteemed Hadley's Art Prize (July) where Australian landscapes transport you across the continent.

Salamanca Arts Centre is a sensory feast of retail galleries, artist studios and public spaces hidden in the old sandstone warehouses of Hobart's waterfront precinct.

Gain an enriched perspective on Tasmania’s creativity, culture and heritage while perusing the extensive collections at Hobart's TMAG or Launceston's QVMAG. Also in Launceston, Design Tasmania is brimming with contemporary design and uniquely Tasmanian artisan works.

Creative community

When someone’s really, really good at doing something and they’re willing to show you the ropes, it’s plain foolish not to listen. Spark your inner creative and visit the Tasmanian Sculpture School in the north for a hands on lesson with a professional bronze sculptor.

In Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula, whip up a three-course fish lunch at Little Norfolk Bay Bistro and Chalets’ chef led cooking demonstration.

If you’d prefer to get creative in the kitchen at your accommodation, fill a hamper of seasonal produce at Harvest Market in Launceston or Farm Gate Market in Hobart (or a host of other great farmers’ markets) and cook up a storm. To stock your suitcase with local arts and crafts, peruse the eclectic Salamanca Market, held each Saturday near Hobart’s waterfront.

Artsy accommodation

Steep in creativity during a stay at Hobart’s MACq 01 Hotel, where your accommodation is accompanied by a storytelling tour – painting Hobart’s storied past in character-filled colour. The hotel takes storytelling so seriously that they employ an in-house Master Storyteller.   

Extend your Mona visit at Mona Pavilions, each featuring art from the museum’s collection and furniture by Tasmanian designers (water views and wine fridges thrown in for good measure).

Queenstown’s Empire Hotel features a National Trust-listed staircase carved from Tasmanian blackwood. Admire the craftmanship before savouring a hearty meal paired with local wine in the hotel restaurant – ideal after a day exploring the west coast.

Book a stay at the Whimsy in the state’s north for the chance to design your own jewellery with a precious stone fossicked from a nearby river. You can even give fossicking a try yourself with all the gear you need supplied in-house.