MAY OPEN HOUSE FESTIVAL 2008


COUNTDOWN 2008

THERE ARE 19 DAYS LEFT BEFORE
THE ON-LINE BROCHURE GOES LIVE

This year's Artists Open Houses festival will cover the first four weekends of May 3rd & 4th, 10th & 11th, 17th & 18th, 24th & 25th

Printed brochures for this year's festival will be available throughout the city from mid April.

This year's on-line brochure will go live on April 24th

To view last year's (May 2007) on-line brochure please see below

Welcome to the web site for Artists Open Houses www.aoh.org.uk. The annual festival of Artists Open Houses, which takes place during the May Brighton Festival, is quite simply, the biggest free arts event in Britain. The Artists Open Houses offer a fantastic opportunity for visitors to see artwork displayed in a domestic setting and to buy affordable work direct from local artists and makers. Entry is free and visitors are able to view the studios, homes and gardens of the artists of Brighton, Hove and the surrounding areas. As well as painting, printmaking and sculpture, the houses displayed a wealth of ceramics, furniture, jewellery, stained glass, furnishings and textiles. Most Open Houses belong to a Trail, in which the houses are grouped within easy walking distance of each other. A number of houses also served tea and cake.

In 2007 around 1,000 artists exhibited work in 198 houses, divided into 14 trails, plus independent houses. For a full listing of Trails and artists see the web site.

The Artists Open Houses are an independent organisation separate from the Fringe. If you wish to be in our brochure as part of a clearly identified trail with maps and have your work on our dedicated website, then you are in the right place.


31/03/2008 - 2007 AOH Award Winners

Maggie Feeny - winner of Unit 03 Gallery Best 2D Artist Award

Si Uwins - Winner of Unit 03 Gallery Best 3D Artist Award

The Dragonfly House - Best Open House Award for 2007


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'Storm Sky' 30 x 30 Acrylic on Wood

Maggie Feeny paints wild, dramatic often moody scenes that we can relate to as landscape, but sometimes of no one place in particular. The inner struggles and deliberations she works with manifest into wild skies and turbulent waters. She works quickly, using memories of times out walking the Downs or coastal paths in Cornwall to inspire her, she sometimes refers to watercolour sketches done whist on these jaunts. Her palette is often limited, soft ochres and raw umber blue /greys streaked with whites with the occasional orange flashes. She likes to works on wood panels and canvas.
This year in Maggie's Open House she has a diverse selection of both very established artists and those new to the scene. Robert Cooper a very renowned ceramicist and teacher from London showing beautiful tea bowls. Stella Harding also from London showing highly contemporary sculptural basketry. Stephanie Murrell and Sara Mouncer discovered at last years Brighton Degree shows, showing quite diverse, innovative ceramics .Clare Crouchman showing beautiful, textural ceramic wall panels. Schilk, a very established and talented jeweller working with silver, gold and resin. Lastly Guy Stevens showing the most stunning stone sculptures for the house and garden.
Maggie Feeny has a tropical, hidden town garden which was featured on BBC's Open Garden Programme last October in which she will show a selection of sculpture, plants will be for sale

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Si Uwins, winner of the 2007 Unit 03 Gallery Best 3D Artist Award, will be showing his exciting new work in the 5 Ways area at Sylph Baier’s house at 3 Florence Road in Brighton, as well as Chris and Jo Riddell’s place at No 28 Florence Road.
Sylph Baier’s and Illustrators Jo and Chris Ridell’s back gardens provide the perfect settings for Si’s elegant sculptures. Honed from English hardwoods such as oak, elm and sweet chestnut these intriguing pieces of alien nature are a must see in this years show.
Both houses host some of Brighton’s most inspiring work showing a range of disciplines from contemporary tableware, innovative knitware to jewellery, paintings, prints and sculpture.

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The Best Open House Award for 2007, sponsored by Compass Bars, went to The Dragonfly House, 48 Ditchling Rise, Brighton (www.48dr.co.uk), part of the Beyond the Level trail. Hosted by Marc and Angie Bonnel, it has been a popular festival destination since 1992. Shortlisted by a public vote, the judges' final decision was based on its friendly open-door welcome, the variety of high-quality work on show, and the opportunity to meet many of the exhibiting artists and makers. The children's favourite, Loppy the rabbit, sadly passed away in the summer but already an artist has been commissioned to create a fitting tribute, in the form of a wooden automaton.