Oxfordshire Artweeks is the UK’s oldest and biggest open studios and pop-up exhibition event, and the 41st festival, which runs from 6-29 May and begins with a coronation, promises to be fit for a king.
As the country’s creatives open their doors to welcome visitors, for free, there’s a wealth of art and intrigue to explore. In towns and villages around Carterton as many as 50 artists, ceramicists, sculptors, jewellers – many of whom are taking part in Artweeks for the first time this year – invite you to explore more than twenty locations during the second week of the festival (13-21 May).
You’ll find artists, designers and makers showcasing extraordinary talent, explaining their materials and, often, demonstrating their methods. Touch and talk about thousands of pieces of art and craft and uncover the stories of their inspiration.
UP North
Look out for four artists in an old barn-cum-forge venue just off the A40 near Asthall
This year regulars metal sculptor Chris Townsend, animal artist Nic Vickery and jeweller Guen Palmer are joined by ceramicist Gilly Whittington who throws most of her pots on the wheel, and hand-building larger vases. Most recently she has been working with porcelain, despite its reputation for being tricky because of the way the brilliant white background gives the glazes an extra éclat.
‘I have always wanted my pots to have a feeling of spontaneity and movement, despite being static!’ she chuckles. ‘Inspired by Abstract Expressionist painters, I try to get that wonderful feeling of seemingly disorganised dynamism into each piece, and I love the exuberance of the random brushwork, and the unexpected results when the colours melt and produce a new and unexpected shade. As a contrast I also make contemporary designed mugs, bowls, and tableware in porcelain, with plain bright glazes.’
The Old Forge, Asthall Barrow Farm, Asthall OX18 4HJ (Artweeks venues 278-280)
13-21 May (11am-5pm).
On the way to Witney
You’ll find two artists/makers Jessica Parker and Meg Harris-Smith at Crawley Mill showing semi abstract landscape mixed media paintings using collage, ink and acrylic paint and freehand machine embroidery originals and stitched designs printed onto homeware and stationery in two adjacent studios (Artweeks venues 295 and 296).
Crawley Mill Ind. Est., Dry Lane, Crawley OX29 9TJ
Open 13-21 May (10am-5pm; Meg’s studio is closed on 13)
The Witney Artweeks trail
Artistic Licence
Visit The Corn Exchange for an exhibition of drawing and painting by the Witney art group ‘Artistic Licence’ which meets on Wednesdays in Witney's Corn Exchange, tutored by Sarah Moncrieff (venue 297).
The Corn Exchange, Market Square OX28 6AB
Open 13-21 May (11am-5pm)
A new face for Artweeks 2023: Steven Broughton
A witney-based potter making wheel-thrown ceramics opens his studios and invites you in (Artweeks venue 298)
53 Corn Street OX28 6BT
Open 13-14 20-21 May (11am-5pm)
Derwent House represents a range of top British designer-makers handcrafting furniture, ceramics, textiles and homewares, and local artists too. (Artweeks venue 299)
3 Bridge Street OX28 1BY
Open 6-27 May (9.30am-5.30pm, closed Sun/Bank hols)
Debbie Howard WOA
Mixed media artist and potter producing vibrant and inspirational artworks as well as offering classes and retreats (Artweeks venue 300).
47 Woodgreen OX28 1DE
Open 11th-14th (11am-4pm)
Andrew and Kerry Forkner
This husband and wife artist duo open their home studios inviting visitors to see wildlife paintings and drawings; hand-dyed, quilted and embroidered textiles and jewellery (Artweeks venue 301)
149 Manor Road OX28 3UF
Open 13-21 May (11am-6pm)
Bampton and Clanfield
At the heart of Bampton’s Market Square stands West Ox Arts Gallery which is gathering together a new selection of artists for 2023 and art that stunning stained glass inspired by the moon and lunar incantations by Kay Gibbons, a fresh take on still life by Denny Webb, intriguing corvids by Sonja Coles and felted bags by Helen MacRitchie. Alongside popular regulars Pip Shuckburgh and Tuula Nicolson, you can also visit Mark Fitzgerald at Sun Pottery and explore a first-time venue, The Old Forge, where Sue Side’s striking graphite portraits and watercolours are shown alongside organic tactile stone sculpture by award-winning David Williams and talented young jeweller Tamzin Keown.
West Ox Arts Gallery Market Square OX18 2JH (Artweeks venue 287)
Open 6th-28th May (11.30am-4.30pm)
Pip Shuckburgh Fairwood, Cheapside
OX18 2JL (Artweeks venue 288)
Open 13-14th 18-21st May (11am-6pm)
Tamzin Keown, Sue Side and David Williams, The Old Forge, Church Street OX18 2NA
(Artweeks venue 289-291)
Open 13-14th 19-21st May (10am-5pm)
Tuula Nicholson Wisteria, Church View OX18 2NE (Artweeks venue 292)
Open 13-21 May (11am-5pm)
Mark Fitzgerald Sun Pottery, 2a Bushey Row OX18 2JU (Artweeks venue 293)
Open 13-21 May (10am-5pm)
Also, Neville Crowson shows plein air landscapes, garden scenes, seascapes, still life and church interiors Blomfield House, Cote nr Bampton OX18 2EG (Artweeks venue 294)
Open 13-21 May (11am-6pm)
In Clanfield, there are six further venues to explore, two of which are opening for their first Artweeks this year. Award-winning artist Petra Richards paints extraordinarily realistic paintings with an exceptional fine detail, vivid colours, dramatic compositions, and life-like capture. She’s focuses on the eyes, whether depicting humans or animals embracing the phrase that the “eyes are the window to the soul”. “There is no other part of the body that allows one to capture such a sense of feeling and emotion,” she comments.
Also passionate about faces, nearby, newcomer Tee Trueman welcomes you to Sol Studio in her beautiful garden at Setting Barn to see portraits of people using a variety of media; acrylic, ink, charcoal and pastel in both a loose and detailed style.
Petra Richards WOA
Northcourt Farm, The Barn, Marsh Lane
Clanfield OX18 2RQ (Artweeks venue 286)
Open 13-21 May 12pm-4pm (for additional time see Artweeks website)
Tee Trueman
Sol Studio, Setting Barn, High House Close
Clanfield OX18 2TD (Artweeks venue 285)
Open 13-21 May (11am-6pm)
Ben and Sue Drew and The Drew School of Ceramics
High fired garden stoneware and domestic pottery and a selection of surprising and stunning student work.
The Calf Pens, Friars Court, Clanfield
OX18 2SU (Artweeks venues 281and282)
Open 13-18 20-21 May (12pm-5.30pm)
Silvi Schaumloeffel
Contemporary expressive oil painting studio. Exhibiting original artworks in a beautiful Cotswold farm setting.
Friars Court, Clanfield, OX18 2SU (Artweeks venue 283)
Open 13-21 May (11am-5pm)
Charlotte Sweeney
Colourful, functional stoneware ceramics for the home. Wheel-thrown with some pit-fired vessels.
Elder Barn, Bushey Drive
Clanfield OX18 2TS (Artweeks venue 284)
Open 13-14 16-21 May (11am-5pm)
Elsewhere across the county, explore a five-acre sculpture park in the Cotswolds, take an art trail through the towns of Woodstock, Watlington and Wallingford or visit city studios in the heart of Oxford, including a printmaking workshop in the heart of the Bodleian library. Artweeks also promises a global journey through the eyes of Oxford artists who have been influenced by people and places around the world and the colours, fabrics, and styles of exotic destinations: tour America on a motorbike, go on safari in Tanzania, head to Svalbard or Cuba, and be enchanted by Rajasthan.
Where will you go first?
For more information on these and hundreds of other venues visit artweeks.org
