Suffolk Open Studios
June 2019 sees the welcome return to Suffolk of the popular Suffolk Open Studios visual arts programme. Every weekend, artists across the county will be opening their studios to the public to allow visitors a unique opportunity to watch them at work and quiz them about their creative process.
This year’s programme runs over all five weekends in June, commencing Saturday 1st, with over 100 artists taking part as well as eight galleries. All studios are open 11am-5pm and entry is free. Numbers this year are significantly up on last year, marking a powerful testimony to the event’s growing popularity.
Participating artists come from every corner of the art world and will be showing pieces across a wide choice of mediums covering every aspect of the visual arts, including painting, ceramics, glassware, print-making, screenprinting, pottery, woodturning, sculpture and more. With work ranging from the strictly traditional to the highly abstract, there’s something for every art lover.
What makes Suffolk Open Studios special is the opportunity to meet artists in their own working environment, and have the chance to discuss their work one-to-one and ask how they go about creating it. It also gives the public a chance to visit not just established studios but to discover ones “off the beaten track” and enjoy work which might otherwise get overlooked.
This year sees a number of changes in response to feedback. Simplified maps make it easier to find members’ studios, while a new “Meet the Artist” section highlights the four finalists who competed to be the “face” of Suffolk Open Studios on this year’s posters, flyers and directory. Two features which have been retained are the well-liked members’ trails and hubs: full details appear on the Suffolk Open Studios website and in the 2019 directory.
Visitors can learn about participating artists, see examples of their work, check opening times and plan their route by visiting the Suffolk Open Studios website at www.suffolkopenstudios.org. An online map shows the location of all artists and galleries. They should also look out for Suffolk Open Studios posters, flyers and pocket-size directories, available in galleries, libraries and tourist information centres throughout the county and downloadable from www.suffolkopenstudios.org/annual-open-studios/2019-directory/. They can follow Suffolk Open Studios on Facebook and Instagram: search for @suffolkopenstudios.
