Introduction
Welcome to Open Studios 2011, an action packed visual arts project now in its 23rd year. It runs alongside the renowned Newbury Spring Festival and the two events resonate to provide wonderful cultural experiences in May.
The Directory of Artists is central to Open Studios and can be used all the year round. It gives a clear outline of the range of opportunities which will enable you to find out more about contemporary art, craft and design. Use the Directory to find your way to artists’ studios, exhibitions, workshops and arts events in West Berkshire, North Hampshire, Reading and the borders of Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.
Talking to artists in their working environment is fascinating and offers a chance to unlock something of the mystery that surrounds art. The various approaches highlight diversity. One artist, who uses exquisite Venetian glass to make beads, says ‘I make miniature pieces of wearable art to be used, treasured and passed down to future generations to enjoy’. A furniture maker works with sustainably sourced, temperate hardwoods to create furniture with ‘quiet presence’. A painter sees his work as ‘a series of negotiations between image, time and materials. This concern to unite the physical and the psychological is central to his practice’, while another expresses her excitement at going out, getting close to nature and ‘painting what I feel’.
All of the artists are represented in our flagship exhibition INSIGHT 2011 at New Greenham Arts. The gallery is stunning and it is possible to purchase a work of art, as you can in the studios, feeling confident of its' provenance.
Other exhibitions include a small group of artists, painters and potters at Sir Terence Conran’s Benchmark and the annual exhibition at Arlington Arts called Received Wisdom, where there is also a sculpture trail. The West Berkshire Hospital hosts both a significant exhibition and workshops for patients in the Charles Clore Day Therapy unit. At the Corn Exchange, Newbury, a group of artists have been inspired by ground breaking dance and music performances and present a show which reflects their responses.
Bring out your creative side by taking part in free hands-on workshops in studios or venues such as the Whitchurch Silk Mill and the amazing Stanley Spencer murals in the Sandham Memorial Chapel. What about visiting a school to see what innovative work comes out of the art curriculum? This year, three primary schools are working with a sculptor and a theatre artist on a family learning project, which begins with a visit to Highclere Castle (think Downton Abbey) to see the Egyptian treasures there.
Open Studios is committed to the notion that art is for everyone. It is reciprocal in that it benefits both artists and visitors of all ages and backgrounds. To make it possible, administrators and committee members work hard throughout the year on a voluntary basis. Profound thanks are due to each and every one of them.
Pat Eastop MBE,
January 2011