FREMANTLE artists will be literally pedalling their wares during the heritage festival—in a flotilla of bikes and carts.

Monotonous packing and unpacking for regular showings at the South Fremantle art market was the inspiration, says Rachel Walker.

“I though if we had  a tiny gallery attached to a cart on our bike we could ride down, and, ‘wallah’ an art gallery.”

Artists have been hunting out discarded cupboards and drawers and bike bits to come up with their wheeled galleries.

And over two weekends (May 9–10 and 16–17) they’ll be popping up  with a bizarre collection of conveyances housing equally innovative art.

• Marg and Joyce get ready to peddle their wares. Photo by Matthew Dwyer

Walker and artist mate Carol Hazel have dusted off their Marg and Joyce characters, (last year they wandered Freo with an antique washing trolley of art) and added a friend, “Violet”, to inject a bit of theatre into the slow-moving procession.

The Wild Twig Studio co-owners are behind four exhibitions in the Round House precinct during the festival, including Karen Jackson’s Beast of Battle, art of the various animals used during WWI.

Walker’s Off the Beaten Track is a collection of artworks and sculptures: “inspired by junk I collected in the bush.”

Suitcase brings a “world of wonder” created in a collection of suitcases, and indigenous artist Josie Wowolla Boyle and photographer Sandy Walker use traditional sand picture storytelling to entertain the kids: “each child will create a picture to go home with,” Walker says.

For the artists the heritage festival culminates with the Bathers Beach Art Precinct open day, May 17. All the studios will be open, art carts parked up and there’ll be stalls and food.

For the full program search http://www.fremantleheritagefestival

by JENNY D’ANGER