Stephen Anderson celebrates our local creative community – Artists Open Houses and The Seven Dials Trail
So, it’ s May already, and Festival time is well and truly with us. An integral part of this is Artists Open Houses. This year there are some 197 venues displaying the work of over 1,000 artists. This may seem daunting, but areas are divided into Trails to help you navigate. I was asked by director Judy Stevens to share my experiences at a meeting to new participants. My advice was simple. Create something memorable, make visitors welcome, enjoy the experience- and don’ t underestimate how much work is involved.
Here in the Seven Dials, we have our own Trail which offers a diverse range of venues hosting a great line up of Artists, Designers and Makers. Some venues in the area have been opening for many years and from small beginnings it has grown in scale and now encompasses some 21 venues, our largest yet. The trail is geographically compact, stretching from Brighton Station to St Ann’ s Wells Gardens and there are lots of local cafes and bars; so, you can look at the art while pausing for a tea or coffee, or maybe a relaxing glass of wine.
The Trail encompasses an amazing range of creative work from the surreal world that is The Little Picture Palace to the bright abstracts of Print House and the ethereal paintings of Abigail Bowen. It would not be complete without mention of Cecil Rice whose sensitive watercolours have been part of the event for over 26 years. Designers and makers form an important part of the group so look out for my neighbour Chanchala who produces colourful paintings and intricate jewellery made from upcycled found objects including watch parts.
Gardens are a sanctuary and several houses are offering a chance to relax in the sunshine- look out for tea and cakes at Alizeti Creative or, for the more adventurous, a locally brewed ale in The Garden House. Rosie and James look forward to welcoming you to this new venue which, as well as displaying art and ceramics, will be serving North Garden Brewery beers in their lovely cottage garden, sounds like a perfect combination.
I have decided to host Print House again this year. We had lots of lovely visitors last year and hope they’ ll return with your friends. There are both old favourites and new artists this year as well as pop-up guests offering a range of prints, books and cards. We’ ll be offering print demonstrations – both to watch the process, and the opportunity to take away a unique print.
So now there’ s no excuse for you not to explore our creative community and the venues it provides. Listed below are a few of the highlights but please pick up a brochure or visit the website for further details. Look out for the trail flyer which details all of the participants.
Stephen Anderson is our arts correspondent and host of Print House.
Some Highlights of the Trail: Abigail Bowen, 22 Clifton Street, BN1 3RH Chanchala, 41 Buckingham Road, BN1 3RP The Garden House, 8 North Gdns, BN1 3LB Alizeti Creative, 3 Alexander Villas, BN1 3RE The Little Picture Palace, 33 York Ave, BN3 1PJ Cecil Rice, 14 Granville Road, BN3 1TJ Print House, 38 Buckingham Road, BN1 3RP
Artists Open Houses May 2024 Festival runs for four weekends throughout May https:// aoh. org. uk
Images( from top, clockwise): 1. Perspectives by Stephen Anderson at Print House 2. Abigail Bowen with some of her work 3. Enjoying the sunshine at Alizeti Creative or The cottage garden at The Garden House 4. Ceramics by Rosie Adamson 5. West Pier by Cecil Rice