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With 23 artists spread across nine venues, this year’s Creative Napier Art Route over the Freedom Day weekend marked a confident evolution for one of the Overberg’s most intimate arts gatherings — blending open studios, workshops, music and a renewed focus on storytelling and visibility.
Multidisciplinary artist Nastasha Minyon Sale is one of three artists based at Muddy Waters in Napier.
Among the artists shaping that experience was multidisciplinary creator Nastasha Minyon Sale, a co-founder of the route who has lived in Napier for a decade and participated in all six editions. Her work, rooted in natural processes and conservation, offered visitors a tactile encounter with the landscape itself.
“Eco printing is, I always like to call it alchemy, it’s technically chemistry,” Sale explained. “You pre-treat the fabric… it goes into a steaming process and then this is the actual pigments of the plants… everything has been hand dyed as well so my threads are hand dyed.”
Working primarily with plant-based dyes, Sale draws colour from the environment around her — often using invasive species. “I mainly work with invasive plants… I always say it’s good for something. It gives you really beautiful colour and quite nice lines,” she said, referencing materials such as penny gum, sugar gum and pecan leaves.
Her practice sits at the intersection of art and conservation — an approach shaped by both place and philosophy. “I’ve always worked with nature in some way or form… living in this area, conservation,” she said.
From hand-dyed silk and cotton to intricately detailed works incorporating shells and bones, Sale’s pieces reflect a slow, deliberate process. “This is a hand dyed cotton tote bag… dyed with acorns… onion skins give you a very bright, very nice yellow,” she noted, describing the layered techniques behind her work.
A route rooted in community
Creative Napier itself emerged from a simple idea: that a small town with a strong concentration of artists could create its own platform.
“It was something that actually was born here at Muddy Waters,” Sale said. “We got together the artists that were already available in Napier… and discussed the idea of creating an art route here.”
First tested over Heritage Day weekend in 2020, the concept quickly proved successful, expanding into a recurring event. This year, however, marked a deliberate shift.
“We changed the date, we re-branded, we focused a lot on media this year, so we really tried to elevate the whole event,” Sale said.
The move away from the traditional December slot — often a demanding time for artists — appears to be paying off. “We’ve had a really great response. It’s been fantastic,” she added.
More than an art exhibition
The 2026 route extended beyond static exhibitions. Visitors could engage with the creative process through workshops, demonstrations and live performances.
“There are nine different venues, 23 artists. We’ve got two concerts… a demonstration and… a drumming workshop,” Sale said.
This mix of disciplines — from ceramics and painting to music and participatory sessions — reflects a broader trend of art routes becoming immersive cultural experiences rather than simple gallery walks.
At its core, Creative Napier remains deeply local: a collaboration between artists, venues and the town itself. Maps scattered across Napier guide visitors from one space to the next, encouraging exploration at a slower pace — whether along the main road or tucked-away studios like Muddy Waters.
Art that travels beyond Napier
While the route draws visitors into the town, artists like Sale are also reaching wider audiences. Her brand, The Adorned Home, caters to what she describes as “the conscious consumer,” offering sustainably sourced, hand-dyed textiles through an online store.
“I have an online shop… I stock a few places in Cape Town… mainly online,” she said, highlighting the balance between local presence and digital reach.
Footnote: While the main Creative Napier programme has wrapped, several artists and venues are expected to keep exhibitions open over the Workers’ Day long weekend, offering a final opportunity to explore the route at a more relaxed pace.
