A group of 18 photographers from MAPgroup have taken shots of 90 different creatives from the city. They have then pasted the 1.8 metre portraits on walls and buildings around town. 

"We have been documenting rural communities for quite a long time now," ​MAPgroup photographer and project manager Krystal Seigerman said.

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"The organisers realised there was a strong and diverse creative community in Castlemaine. They thought it would be great to showcase them."

MAPgroup is a not-for-profit association of independent photographers.

Their Beyond the Studio project pieces are being exhibited from Mostyn Street near the Castlemaine State Festival Hub at Theatre Royal, to the Phee Broadway Thearte on Mechanics Lane.

There are also other portraits on display at The Mill and Lot 19.

"We see it as a visual archive of this creative community," Ms Seigerman said. "We hope it will be a good record for them."

MAPgroup has currently installed about half of the 90 portraits and the support from the community has been overwhelming. 

"We've had a lot of interest," Ms Seigerman said. "A lot of people have been driving past as we were putting them up and pulled over to ask what we were doing."

"A lot of artists have been really enthusiastic as well," she said. "The enthusiasm has been really lovely."

There were over 180 creatives to choose from for the project, but MAPgroup only had the capability to photograph 90 people.

So group said they are planning to continue Beyond the Studio with another instalment next year. 

“We are excited by what we have achieved, but we are even more excited to return and continue work on this fantastic project,” MAPgroup president Brian Carr said.

The group will be officially launching the 2019 portraits at Lot 19 on Sunday March 24 from 2-5pm. The paste-ups will be displayed around Castlemaine until March 31. 

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