Artists welcome the public into their studios

Out in the wilds of North Yorkshire, artists may have plenty of inspiration, but they also have to contend with a real paucity of visitors.

Over the next two weekends, the sometimes lonely existence of the working artist gets busier as the seventh North Yorkshire Open Studios takes place.

This year 120 artists will be opening the doors to the places where they create their work, with the studios spread out across North Yorkshire. It is a rare opportunity for the audience to meet the artists in their own environment, especially given that this year the studios include spaces inside converted barns and cottages, racing stables, train station waiting rooms and suburban living rooms.

Launched in 2005 North Yorkshire Open Studios (NYOS) and run by Art Connections, a Skipton based organisation that aims to support and promote professional artists and other creative businesses based in York and North Yorkshire.

Christine Keogh, Arts Connections’ project director, says it was in 2001 she began to see a need for artists across North Yorkshire to have some way to connect to each other, with audiences and with organisations in the sector.

“We were becoming aware there were a lot of artists who were working across North Yorkshire and who were really quite isolated,” she says.

“We decided to create a network of support, which is why Arts Connections was created in 2001 and the Open Studios evolved out of that.”

Arts Connections was working – the artists were getting to know each other, but one of the key pieces of the puzzle was still missing – the audience.

Realising there were working artists all across North Yorkshire, Arts Connections decided in 2005 that the best way to get the word out was to bring the audience in.

North Yorkshire Open Studios was born.

Each year around 100 artists take part in the event, with this year over 120 artists opening their doors.

The event receives £25,000 in Arts Council money and £15,000 from North Yorkshire County Council, with the funding being used to run the two weekend event alongside a programme of exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations throughout the region. Last year the studios welcomed over 18,000 visitors.

“As we have become more established, we’ve begun to see artists working towards the Open Studios weekend. It has become a key point in the year for working artists to sell their work, meet new customers and just to get their work seen,” says Keogh.

Last year artists across North Yorkshire sold £85,000 worth of work, with a further £65,000 of art being sold through contacts made during the weekend, either through commissions of follow up sales.

Why should this matter to the public purse? As Keogh says, it helps to sustain these artists who populate the vast swathes of North Yorkshire – better to have an artist’s studio in the middle of the Dales than an empty barn?

“It also brings people to the region where they spend money in cafes and shops hotels and bed and breakfasts. We are finding that people are planning trips to North Yorkshire to coincide with the Open Studios weekend; it really has become that popular.”

Since its inception the NYOS has had at least 100 artists involved, with all those showing work being selected by a panel. Annabelle Bradley, a Malham-based blacksmith, is a perfect example of the kind of artist the Open Studios weekend celebrates.

A former blacksmith’s workshop in Malham, owned by the local church, had lain empty for years when she discovered it. A change in profession from tax accountant to full-time artist inspired her to approach the church and ask if she could set up studio in the empty workshop.

“I was dealing in small scale sculptural work, but the church was keen to retain the heritage of the blacksmiths’ workshop,” she says.

“So I learned the basics and have practised on the job. I now make sculptures, chandeliers, small pieces, using traditional methods.

“Although we have lots of tourists coming through Malham, the Open Studios bring an entirely new set of people into the area and into my studio. It’s great to get to meet not just new customers, but new people coming into the area specifically for the event.”

North Yorkshire Open Studios, June 10, 11, 12, 18, 19. Details on www.nyos.org.uk or 01756 748529.

Artists and their studios

Rachel Welford, Stable Studio, Royal Crescent Lane, Scarborough: Glass artist whose work will be seen in York Hospital later this year.

Sarah Denny, Park House Farm, Tadcaster: Silversmith committed to hand-making silver vessels using traditional hammering techniques.

Charlotte Morrison, Artison, Masham: Ceramicist who currently handbuilds with porcelain, to create her quirky compilation of decorative and functional ceramic items.

Mawdsley Williams: Asquith Industrial Estate, Gargrave: Dales based furniture makers.