Claire Ritchie
Published on
This AusArt Day, we’re raising money for our new regional artist travel fund, Get Me There.
Western Australia makes up nearly one-third of the Australian continent. For many regional artists, reaching Perth itself is a big journey.
From Ravensthorpe, it’s a five-and-a-half-hour drive north-west, in a car you own and fuel yourself. Think the bus is easier? It runs a few times a week and takes closer to eight hours.
From Derby, there’s no direct flight south, so you’re driving two and a half hours to Broome, then taking a flight to Perth, which can cost around $600 in fuel and airfares. Think driving’s the way to go? That’s 2,400km, or roughly twenty-five hours behind the wheel.
And that’s before you get to play at the music festival in Nannup, before you exhibit your art in Brisbane, before you undertake your writing residency in Rome. Multiply the time. Multiply the cost. Over and over.
Regional artists are doing extraordinary work. Distance and cost shouldn’t stand between them and their next big opportunity.
What is AusArt Day?
Created by Creative Australia, AusArt Day is a national day of giving to the arts. On Thursday 22nd October 2026, artists and arts organisations across the country are inviting Australians to back the creativity they love.
What is the Get Me There grant?
Each year, Regional Arts WA fields requests to help artists get where the opportunities take them. Get Me There is a streamlined grant program built to fund exactly that: flights, fuel, insurance and accommodation. Artists will be able to apply, with application details to come.
Our goal is to raise $10,000. Every dollar raised goes straight to WA regional artists through this program. A small investment, an incredible return: bigger careers, stronger regions and a more connected WA arts sector.
Meet our artist ambassadors
Regional WA artists are lending their voices to our campaign because they know what it takes to get from home to opportunity.
Martine Perret, South West
Martine is a photographer and artist based in Margaret River. Following a long career in photojournalism, Martine now focuses on visual artistry, including aerial photography as a storytelling tool. Martine’s Ebb+Flow residency with North Midlands Project, in collaboration with the Regional Arts Network, took her to the skies above the salt lakes of WA’s Mid West.
Supported by Regional Arts WA: Martine received a Regional Arts Fund Project Grant for Saltwater Women of the Mid West, a multimedia exhibition sharing the stories of ten women from Midwest coastal towns. The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government Program that supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote communities in Australia. It meets the strategic priorities of supporting participation in, and access to, the arts; and encouraging greater private sector support for the arts. The Regional Arts Fund is designed to benefit regional and remote arts practitioners, arts workers, audiences and communities. The program is managed nationally by Regional Arts Australia and is delivered in all states and the Northern Territory by Regional Program Administrators.
Jenna Pickering, Pilbara
Jenna paints hyper-realistic portraits on found objects from her base in Tom Price. Jenna has reached national prominence as a finalist in ABC’s Portrait Artist of the Year, and her awards include the Lester Prize. She also won Best Overall Artwork at the 2023 Cossack Art Awards.
Supported by Regional Arts WA: Jenna received a Next Level Fellowship for a month-long residency with mentors Paul Newton and Paul Field, developing her portrait practice, career sustainability and professional networks. The Fellowship is proudly supported by the WA Government, and delivered by Regional Arts WA.
Stay tuned to our social media accounts for more from these artists and others.
How you can help
On Thursday 22nd October, you can:
- Donate at givenow.com.au/get-me-there-rawa. Every dollar goes towards getting a regional artist where they need to be.
- Share the campaign with #AusArtDay and #GetMeThere.
- Partner with us: If your business would like to support artist travel, please reach out to us.
Regional artists need to get to their big opportunities. Help us help them!
Featured image: Artist Martine Perret about to take to the skies to capture aerial photography of the ebb and flow of the landscape and lake systems near Carnamah, Three Springs and Perenjori in WA’s Mid West region. The photographs were part of Martine’s Ebb+Flow residency, hosted by North Midlands Project in collaboration with the Regional Arts Network. Photo courtesy of North Midlands Project and Martine Perret.
Posted in Grants Program, Initiatives, News & Stories.
