Why I Stepped Up to Help Keep ‘Art in the Open’ Alive – 5 Lands Walk 2025

This year, something unexpected happened. There was no committee to organise Art in the Open—the beautiful community art event that brings the 5 Lands Walk to life with colour, creativity and connection.

So I put my hand up.

As a local Central Coast artist and nature lover, I just couldn’t stand the thought of this part of the 5 Lands Walk being lost. It’s too important. Not just to me, but to the many artists who show up each year, brushes in hand, painting live in the elements along the walk. And to the walkers—thousands of people of all ages, who travel from beach to beach, land to land, experiencing the powerful mix of movement, culture, community and art.

Granted, with only a short window before Sunday 22 June, this year’s Art in the Open will be a little more low-key—an unofficial version of itself. There won’t be thousands of dollars in prize money or big-name artists chasing awards. But there will be art. We’ll be out there, painting on the land we love, and catching up afterwards to celebrate what we’ve created together.

Walking for Something Bigger

The 5 Lands Walk is more than a stunning coastline trail linking Macmasters Beach to Terrigal—it’s a cultural experience with a deeper purpose. It’s about connection. Reconciliation. Reflection.

This event brings together the Central Coast community and its visitors to walk in unity, honouring the Traditional Custodians of the lands—the Darkinjung and Guringai peoples—and acknowledging their deep and ongoing connection to Country.

Reconciliation can feel like a big word, but in moments like this, it becomes something you feel. You walk gently across the land, you take in the Welcome to Country, the stories, the shared silences. You realise this land holds so much more than footprints. It holds memory, culture, resilience.

Walking together is a powerful symbol—of respect, of listening, of moving forward side by side.

Why We Paint En Plein Air

For artists like me, creating outdoors—en plein air—is magic. There’s a certain energy that can’t be bottled when you're out in the elements. The crash of the waves, the crunch of sand underfoot, the calls of the birds—it all seeps into the work.

Artists support this event by showing up, not to sit back and sell, but to paint live. To be part of the moment. We paint what we see, feel, and absorb. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s often imperfect—but that’s the beauty of it.

There’s a vulnerability in creating publicly. People stop and watch, ask questions, tell stories. It creates a bridge between artist and community. And as someone who believes that art should evoke feeling—whether it’s peace, joy, memory or connection—I can’t think of a better way to share what we do.

My Personal Connection to Nature

Nature fuels my art. Always has. I grew up in Aotearoa (NZ), and now live and create on the Central Coast, where the landscapes are just as soul-stirring. Whether I’m painting pet portraits, local landmarks, or exploring the female form, there's always an element of nature that finds its way in.

The 5 Lands Walk feels like an extension of that connection—walking with purpose, surrounded by sea spray and winter light, stopping to create or appreciate something beautiful.

So yeah, I stepped up. Not because I had the time (who really does?), but because I believe in this. I believe in keeping the arts alive in community spaces, and in making sure people have moments of beauty to carry with them. If I can help make that happen, even just a little—I’ll show up every time.

See you on the walk.

Maz x

Follow @mazsmuses on Instagram for updates and sneak peeks of the art in progress! #5landswalk #artintheopen #pleinairpainting #centralcoastartist #reconciliationthroughart #natureinspiredart #lovecentralcoast