Hill End Art Experience: Nicole Welch Studio Visit

Hill End Art Experience: Nicole Welch Studio Visit

Saturday 17 October 2026, 9.30am-3.30pm

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) invites you to an exclusive journey to Hill End to hear from artist Nicole Welch in her studio! 

Join the BRAG Gallery Director, team members and other like-minded art lovers for an exclusive trip to Hill End, lunch at Hill End Micro Pub, and the rare opportunity to meet acclaimed artist Nicole Welch in her studio. Travelling by comfortable coach we will depart from the BRAG Forecourt mid-morning, arriving for an early lunch at the historic Hill End Micro Pub, where we will enjoy shared lunch platters. After we are well-nourished, the coach will take us to our second stop - the studio of Nicole Welch. Nicole will share insights about her practice and has generously offered to take us for a guided walk through the bushland that forms the backdrop that inspires much of her work. Our final stop will be a restroom break at the Hospital Picnic Area, before heading back to Bathurst with full hearts and minds! Singles are warmly welcomed. Join us for a relaxed day out and the opportunity to make new friends.  

$45 BRAGS Members, $50 Non-Members, Bookings essential

What your ticket includes

• Transport via coach from BRAG to Hill End and return

• Shared lunch platters at Hill End Micro Pub (drinks available for purchase)

• Exclusive visit to the studio of Nicole Welch

• 20-30 minutes artist-guided walk through the bush that forms the backdrop of much of Nicole's work

Itinerary

• 9.30am - Marshalling for bus at Bathurst Regional Art Gallery Forecourt, 70-78 Keppel Street, Bathurst NSW 2795

• 9.45am sharp - depart Bathurst for Hill End

• 11am-12.30pm - Shared lunch platters at Hill End Micro Pub (drinks available for purchase)

• 12.40-1.40pm - Nicole Welch Studio Visit

• 1.50-2pm - Restroom break at Hospital Picnic Area

• 2pm - depart Hill End for Bathurst

• ~3.20pm - Arrive back at Bathurst Regional Art Gallery Forecourt

What to bring

• Wear closed in shoes/walking shoes

• Hat

• Water bottle

• Sunscreen

This event is proudly supported by the Friends of the Gallery, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery Society.

About the Exhibition

Transformations: Image, Time & Landscape

Nicole Welch: A Mid-Career Survey

Curated by Richard Perram OAM

Transformations: Image, Time & Landscape surveys 27 years of work by Hill End-based artist Nicole Welch. Throughout her career and across mediums, her work is rich with symbolism, tension, and transformation and explores the relationships between landscape, the body, time, and memory. Welch creates works that are at once visually beautiful and conceptually challenging.

More info

Banner image: Nicole Welch on location in Hill End during the making of Unveiling the Night, 2024. Photograph by Hugh Stewart.

BRAG is located in the heart of Bathurst on Wiradjuri Country in the Central West of NSW.

Entry is via the Gallery/Library forecourt located at 70-78 Keppel Street. BRAG is accessible by public transport.

Plan your trip

Victoria Pass Closure: A detour is currently in place on the Great Western Highway following the closure of Victoria Pass in both directions - but don't let that halt your road-trip adventure as there are Other Ways to the West. The region is still very much open for business, and there are some genuinely spectacular ways to get here.

Click here for more information

This trip will require sitting on a coach for up to 1 hour and 15 minutes both ways. 

The experience includes an optional 20-30 minute walk through the bushland on uneven and sloped ground and may not be suitable for people with limited mobility. Approximate walking track difficulty: Grade 3 (Moderate).

If you wish to discuss requirements before booking your ticket, please feel free to contact us on 02 6333 6555 or email us at brag@bathurst.nsw.gov.au