The Oxfordshire Artweeks 2022 festival guide is hot off the press and bursting with ideas for the county art festival taking place in open studios and pop-up exhibitions from May 7-29.
Top picks to look out for include:
- The airy space of the new Mathematical Institute in the Radcliffe Quarter where Oxford Photographers (see main pic) present their annual exhibition with abstract, architectural, documentary, landscape and street photography (Artweeks listing 24).
- In Summertown’s Blandford Avenue Marquee alongside a jeweller, a ceramicist and printmaker Morna Rhys‘ copper plate etchings are inspired by some very British landscapes. (Artweeks listing 63).
- In Botley, visit Kate Hipkiss’ conservatory gallery and garden studio where she cuts her designs by hand to create layered pictures ranging from picturesque Oxford architecture and landscapes to microscopic patterns found in the natural world, altered maps and atlases as part of her fine art research at Oxford Brookes University. (Artweeks venue 20).
- New Hinksey Arts present a huge variety of art at South Oxford Community Centre, from meticulously-detailed monochrome pen and ink drawings, Cabaret Couture and theatrical abstracts. (Artweeks listing 142)
well over 1000 artists are presenting their art at more than 400 different venues
- Ceramicist Kina Gorska creates delicate quirky porcelain pieces in East Oxford, on The Plain, She’ll show you her methods and creations, on show alongside multidisciplinary mixed media art by Monika Filipek, in a joint exhibition inspired by the craziness of Alice in Wonderland (Artweeks listing 127).
- At the foot of Shotover Hill, in a magical woodland setting, visit a two-storey wooden studio set int the side of a hill where Sophie Mack Smith is exhibiting mosaic pieces and Alan Brouder’s stylish handmade wooden items, from kitchenware and lamps to coffee tables and clocks.
- This year’s cover shows an elegant glass vase by Anne Arlidge, a well-respected glass artist and a long-time exhibitor with Oxfordshire Artweeks. It’s a vessel is from a series of ‘Jelly Pots’, with their never-ending small variations of shape and colour. (listing 286).
Oxfordshire Artweeks was launched 40 years ago and was the first of its kind in the UK. Since then, millions of visitors have enjoyed the friendly welcome of Oxfordshire artists, and now the festival encompasses every corner of the county.
With well over 1000 artists presenting their art at more than 400 different venues, there’s something to amaze, intrigue and inspire everyone, from the traditional to contemporary and multidisciplinary.
Visitors can enjoy stunning paintings, striking sculpture, intriguing photography, and art of all types from fashion to furniturein venues from The Ashmolean to garden studios in hidden glades in Oxfordshire’s furthest reaches.
You’ll also find multidisciplinary practitioners pushing their creative boundaries reflecting the world around us, and community exhibitions where art has helped with specific challenges.
Today you’ll find both open studios and pop-up galleries in an array of amazing places. The ethos, however, remains the same: artists and makers open their doors and welcome, for free, anyone who would like to see their art, their studios and chat about their work and inspiration.
“When else can you choose to chat to an artist and maker? There’s a story that comes with every piece.” Esther Lafferty, Festival Director asks.
The first week of Artweeks (May 7-15) focuses on Oxford ; the second week (May 14-22) across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse, and the final week (May 21-29) in North and West Oxfordshire.
Pick up a festival guide from Oxfordshire libraries, cafes, leisure centres and other local information points. Or browse and download a copy at www.artweeks.org/festival/guide
