Galleries and studios thrown open for arts festival

A HOST of artists, craftsmen, galleries and studios will be throwing open their doors to visitors as part of a new arts festival in Ryedale from Friday until October 15.

The project is an initiative by the Ryedale Visual Arts Forum to celebrate the region’s diverse, distinctive and high quality artistic talent.

Led by Ryedale Council’s Cultural Officer Yvette Turnbull, the Visual Arts Forum is aimed at raising the profile of the creative industries in the area and provide rural artists with a platform to develop and market work.

She said: “We’ve been building up the network over the past four years and this is the first time that the members have come together to exhibit.

“I’m really proud of the range and quality of the work and it’s a sign of the strength and depth of Ryedale’s arts community that we can put on such a range of exhibitions.”

The festival provides an opportunity to admire the views while visiting open studios ranging from blacksmith’s workshops on farms and paper-making studios in Dalby Forest to pottery workshops in villages.

Diverse galleries in Ryedale have dedicated space to showing the work of artists based in the region – ranging from commercial galleries to areas in museums and bookshops.

Ryedale Folk Museum will be exhibiting the work of six women artists – Sue Gough, June Emerson, Sue Slann, Jackie Stonehouse and Maria Silmon.

Curator Andrew Dalton said: “The six artists showing at Ryedale Folk Museum highlight the breadth of art practice in the area.

“Works range from painting and digital photography through representation to abstraction.”

An Arts Trail leaflet accompanying the festival is available through Tourist Information Centres and participating galleries and can be downloaded from www.ryedaleartfest.com For further information visit www.ryedaleartfest.com or contact [email protected]