Inside M|Arts Precinct
Murwillumbah has become one of the Northern Rivers’ more active creative pockets, shaped over time by places like the Tweed Regional Gallery and Tweed Regional Museum, along with a network of independent studios and artist-run spaces across town.
At the centre of that shift is M|Arts Precinct, which opened in 2017 inside a converted Art Deco building and adjoining industrial spaces in the town centre.
It was developed by Stephen and Kris Webb and now brings together artists, makers and small
creative businesses under one roof. Studios open onto shared walkways and common areas, and the building moves with the day. Conversations happen across thresholds, ideas carried from one space to another without much effort.
Inside, artists work across painting, design, music, jewellery, ceramics, homewares, antiques and collectables. Food and hospitality sit alongside it all — a café bar, pastries, cheese, wine, and a small cinema. These aren’t separated experiences. They sit in the same flow, shifting the pace of the building from morning through to late afternoon.
Painter and long-time resident Sandra Guy describes the change in her practice since working there. “ As an artist working from my studio within the Precinct, this creatively active environment provides stimulation for my creative practice, along with collaborative and economic opportunities,” she says. “It creates a feeling of connection to my community, the wider arts community, and takes away the isolation of a solo practice.”
Doors stay open. Work is visible. Installations spill into shared spaces. People move through slowly, often drifting from watching something take shape into conversation with the person making it.
Workshops fold naturally into the precinct. Artists open their studios for painting, drawing, mosaics and
jewellery sessions, while bigger community workshops happen on the second Saturday of each month. For many visitors, it becomes less about observing and more about participating.
M|Arts Precinct is open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 3pm and Saturdays until 2pm. Studio hours vary slightly depending on which artists are in, so please check before visiting.
It’s a place best taken slowly, one studio, one conversation, then the next.
