REVISITING the hugely popular blind box fundraiser, Mundaring Arts Centre invited sixty-one established, mid-career and emerging Western Australian artists who have been crucial to their programming over the past six years, to think ‘inside’ the box.

The challenge was to create small, intimate covetable artworks contained within identical wooden boxes, ‘Tied Up With String’.

The invited artists were each supplied with an identical handmade plywood box with sliding lid, and encouraged to interpret the brief in a way that highlights their unique practice.

Whether a personal artwork, an experimental piece, or something representative of their everyday practice, the parameters were to create an artwork working within the physical constraints of the box, with no adjustment to the external material.

The box might serve as a frame, or a container for jewellery, miniature prints, textiles, or a set of ceramics nestled within its casing, or the carrier for a folded sculptural piece which opens to a larger display.

Whether the box becomes integral to the artwork or is merely a vessel for the artwork to be hidden within was up to the artist.

The 56 boxes are available sale sight-unseen for $300. Upon purchasing a box, a unique number is randomly assigned to the purchaser.

This number is then drawn out at ‘The Great Unboxing’, an event exclusively for artists and purchasers.

With the artworks not visible from the outside, people will see only a row of identical boxes neatly tied up with string. Only at the unboxing will it be revealed which number is randomly matched to a box, and which artist created the work.

Boxes are already on sale via the Mundaring Arts Centre website.

‘Tied Up With String’ is not only a fun and exciting way to connect with the local artistic community and acquire a new work, but is also a fundraiser, with proceeds split between artists and the arts centre.

As a not-for-profit community organisation, Mundaring Arts Centre has nurtured the arts in Perth’s eastern region for close to 50 years and can continue to do so with support.

Participating artists are: Aaron C.N. Seymour, Amanda Alderson, Amanda Bell, André Lipscombe, Andy Quilty, Angela Ferolla, Antony Muia, Arif Satar, Audrey Fernandes-Satar, Ben Joel, Bernard Kerr, Bethamy Linton, Craig McKeough, Eden Lennox, Greg Crowe, Jen Kerr, Jo Darvall, Joan Johnson, Kate Campbell-Pope, Kati Thamo, Katrina Virgona, Lesley Parker, Linda van der Merwe, Liz Berry, Louise Wells, Matt Perrin, Max Thornton-Smith, Megan Kirwan-Ward, Moira Court, Nalda Searles, Naomie Hatherley, Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli, Penelope Forlano, Peter Dailey, Rachelle Dusting, Ric Burkitt, Rob Kettels, Sandra Black, Sarah Keirle, Sarah Thornton-Smith, Sarah Toohey, Shanti Gelmi, Silvana Ferrario, Stacy Gardoll, Stephanie De Biasi, Stuart Elliott, Sue Starcken, Sultana Shamshi, Susie Vickery, Tanija and Graham Carr, Trudy Hardman, Una Bell, Vicki Ames, Yamaji Art: Nicole Dickerson and Lily-mae Kerley, Sharita Croft and Chantel Riley, Natasha Smith, Faelan Smith and Tarlah Smith.

‘Tied Up With String’ is on display at the Mundaring Arts Centre from Saturday, November 21 to Sunday, December 20.