Sometimes a new chapter does not begin with the closing of one door, but with two paths meeting at exactly the right time.
For Mid North Coast artists and woodworkers Bim Morton and Ian Horncastle, that meeting has inspired the creation of Tree-O Artisan Gallery—a new destination for art, craft, furniture, workshops and community connection at 7 Alex Pike Drive, Raleigh.
The partnership brings together two familiar regional names: Bim Morton’s Tree-O Furniture Gallery and Ian Horncastle’s The Woodcraft Gallery, formerly located at the historic Old Butter Factory in Bellingen.
Both businesses have grown from a deep respect for timber, Australian craftsmanship and the people whose hands turn raw materials into objects of beauty and purpose. Their coming together is more than a business merger. It is founded on a shared belief that creativity deserves to be seen, skills deserve to be passed on, and regional artists deserve places where their work and stories can find an audience.
The Tree-O story
Tree-O Furniture Gallery has established a reputation in Raleigh as both a gallery and a working creative space.
Bim creates bespoke furniture onsite in the workshop adjoining the gallery, using carefully selected timber to produce distinctive pieces designed to endure. Around that workshop, Tree-O has grown into a showcase for Mid North Coast creativity, presenting handcrafted furniture alongside paintings, ceramics, sculpture, jewellery and unique artisan pieces.
For Bim, timber is not simply a building material. Each slab carries its own markings, history and possibilities. His work respects those natural characteristics, allowing form and function to meet in pieces intended to become part of people’s homes and lives for generations.
Tree-O has also provided opportunities for established and emerging artists to present their work through regularly changing exhibitions, helping make the Raleigh gallery a creative destination within the Bellingen Shire.
Continuing a Woodcraft legacy
The Woodcraft Gallery brings a different but complementary history to the partnership.
Established in 1985, the gallery became a recognised part of Bellingen’s creative landscape and a destination for visitors seeking finely made Australian timber pieces.
Under proprietor Ian Horncastle, The Woodcraft Gallery continued that tradition while broadening its collection across woodcraft, kitchenware, sculpture, gifts and work by Australian artisans.
When the physical Bellingen gallery closed, its story did not end.
Ian saw an opportunity to carry its heritage forward in a more flexible and community-focused way—combining a physical gallery with online access, travelling opportunities and practical creative experiences.
That vision found a natural home alongside Bim’s established workshop and gallery in Raleigh.
A shared vision begins
Together, Bim and Ian imagined a place where people could do more than view finished work.
They wanted visitors to experience the creative process, meet artists and makers, learn traditional and contemporary skills, and feel welcome to participate—whether as an established artist, an emerging craftsperson or someone simply curious to try something new.
Tree-O Artisan Gallery will bring together:
- Furniture and woodcraft manufacturing
- Handcrafted furniture and woodcraft retail
- Art and craft exhibitions
- Community workshops and creative events
- Woodworking and certification workshops
- An online virtual gallery experience
- Opportunities for regional artists and craftspeople
Selected woodworking programs will offer certification or associated accreditation, creating pathways for people who want to develop practical skills with recognised outcomes.
The gallery will support a changing collection of regional work, including furniture, woodcraft, paintings, ceramics and sculpture. Its virtual gallery experience will extend that reach beyond the physical venue, allowing artists and makers to connect with audiences well outside the Mid North Coast.
The mindful art of making
At the heart of the venture is the idea of a creative hub—a welcoming place where knowledge is shared, conversations begin and people experience the sense of purpose and wellbeing that can come from working with their hands.
There is something mindful in making.
It asks us to slow down, observe the grain of timber, feel the shape of clay, consider colour and texture, and become present in the process.
In a world increasingly shaped by speed and mass production, Tree-O Artisan Gallery will celebrate the human qualities behind every handmade object: patience, imagination, skill and care.
The partnership also reflects the strength of the Mid North Coast arts community.
Regional creativity is not confined to conventional gallery walls. It lives in workshops, studios, sheds and home workspaces. It can be found in knowledge passed between generations and in the determination of artists willing to turn an idea into something tangible.
Tree-O Artisan Gallery aims to bring those creative threads together and give them a shared home.
Venue details
Tree-O Artisan Gallery
7 Alex Pike Drive, Raleigh NSW 2454
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