Mosman Art Trail, launching on 30 April, will take walkers to 10 scenic locations along a 10-kilometre route between Mosman Bay and Pearl Bay.
A series of interpretive signs at viewpoints along the trail will provide insights into 12 notable paintings from Mosman Art Gallery’s The Balnaves Gift that are inspired by sites on the trail.
The late Neil Balnaves was a long-term Mosman resident, businessman, and philanthropist who, in 2010, donated The Balnaves Gift to the Mosman Art Gallery.
The gift was 16 Australian Impressionist and early 20th-century paintings worth more than one million dollars at the time. These artworks depict the area through the eyes of Australian artists Arthur Streeton, Margaret Preston and Elioth Gruner.
During COVID-19 lockdowns, Neil walked the tracks of Mosman and found great joy in experiencing the same scenery depicted in the paintings he donated.
He wanted to share that enjoyment with others and first proposed what has become the Mosman Art Trail, with key paintings from The Balnaves Gift reproduced on outdoor signs placed at the artists’ viewpoints.
After Neil’s passing in 2022, his wife Diane and children Hamish and Victoria were determined to complete the project in his memory through The Balnaves Foundation.
Spoken word commentary, read by actor Claudia Karvan, explaining the history of each work, will be accessible via QR code on the signs and on the Mosman Art Gallery website.
Download the art trail map here.