Introducing The Art Note: A New Way to Support Local Art in the Southern Highlands
Supporting local artists does not always begin in a gallery.
Sometimes it begins with a wine tasting.
Sometimes it begins with a conversation and sometimes it begins because a local business chooses to create space for art, creativity and connection.
That idea is behind The Art Note, a new voucher initiative created by The Pop-Up Project to connect local artists with new audiences while strengthening the relationship between art, business, tourism and experience in the Southern Highlands.
Launching as part of Colours of Creativity at Centennial Vineyards, The Art Note gives visitors who enjoy a wine tasting at Centennial Vineyards a $50 voucher to put towards an original artwork from the exhibition.
It is a simple idea with a much bigger purpose.
Enjoy the vineyard. Discover the artists. Find a piece you love. Take something meaningful home.
What is The Art Note?
The Art Note is a $50 art voucher designed to encourage visitors to discover and collect original local art.
Guests who book a wine tasting at Centennial Vineyards receive a $50 Art Note, which can be redeemed towards an artwork from The Pop-Up Project’s Colours of Creativity exhibition.
The initiative is designed to make original art feel more accessible while creating a direct connection between the visitor, the artist and the venue.
Rather than simply viewing an exhibition, visitors are given an invitation to engage with the work more closely and perhaps take home something they genuinely connect with.
Supporting Southern Highlands artists through new audiences
For artists, visibility matters.
Many people appreciate art but may not regularly visit galleries or seek out exhibitions. Bringing artwork into places people already visit creates new opportunities for discovery.
That is one of the strengths of Colours of Creativity at Centennial Vineyards.
The exhibition features original work by Southern Highlands artists Sally Beresford and Jan Pooley-Hibberd, placing their work in a setting already known for wine, hospitality and visitor experiences.
Someone may arrive at Centennial for a tasting and discover Sally’s work for the first time. Another visitor may connect with one of Jan’s pieces while spending an afternoon at the vineyard.
Even better someone visiting the Southern Highlands for the weekend may leave with an original artwork that becomes part of their memory of the region.
When local business supports local art
The partnership with Centennial Vineyards demonstrates what can happen when local business and the creative community work together.
Artists gain access to new audiences and new spaces. Businesses can add another layer of interest and meaning to the customer experience and visitors are able to experience more of the culture and creativity of the region in one place.
For The Pop-Up Project, this kind of collaboration is important because supporting local artists is not only about staging exhibitions. It is also about building networks.
It is about connecting artists with businesses, venues, visitors and collectors in ways that create longer-term opportunities.
Making original art more accessible
Buying original art can sometimes feel intimidating, particularly for people who have never purchased a piece before.
The Art Note is designed to make that first step feel easier. A $50 Art Note voucher is not about discounting the value of art. It is about creating an invitation, an invitation to look more closely. To consider owning original work while supporting a local artist and perhaps to begin, or add to, a personal art collection.
The idea is to move people from simply admiring art to imagining it as part of their own home and story.
The Art Note at Colours of Creativity
The Art Note launches as part of Colours of Creativity at Centennial Vineyards, featuring original works by Sally Beresford and Jan Pooley-Hibberd.
Visitors who book a wine tasting at Centennial Vineyards can receive a $50 Art Note voucher to use towards an original artwork from the exhibition.
It is a small initiative built around a much bigger idea: When local artists, local business and tourism support one another, the whole community becomes stronger.
Colours of Creativity is showing at Centennial Vineyards from 25 September to 30 November 2026.
