WHILE previous public art events have welcomed outside artists to the region, Warwick Artists Group president Sue Keong assured there was no shortage of creative talent within the region.

Mrs Keong said although events were a strength for Warwick, having more permanent fixtures could provide a year-round attraction for tourists, showcasing the work of local artists.

"Though it would be great to welcome outside artists in some circumstances, I advocate for local artists as we have a great breadth of talent in our local community,” she said.

"From my point of view as part of Warwick Artists Group, we can certainly see the benefit of having more art in the main street, having hosted a pop-up art shop with the Warwick Potters Group just before Christmas.

"We see lots of artistic talent come out during Jumpers and Jazz in particular, but for the other 11 months of the year there's not much more for people interested in that kind of thing.

"I think the more opportunities we have for artwork in the public space and the more we can put it out there for people to enjoy, the better.”

Mrs Keong proposed using artworks to create an 'art trail' similar to Stanthorpe's, and said she'd love to see businesses and residents embracing the idea.

"We have discussed a few really cool things we could do that would be safe and easy to maintain while promoting artistic talent,” she said.

"We could have pieces of etched brass laid into the footpath or decorate the benches in the main street, so without building something new and taking up more space we're incorporating art into what already exists,” she said.

"We would love to see Rose City Shoppingworld take on an artistic component in their refurbished space, by perhaps making a wall available for a mural or sculpture works from local artists.”