Press Release

40 West Dorset Artists Open their Studios for Easter

Forty Artists in and around Bridport in West Dorset are taking part in an Open Studios event over four days at the Easter Holiday weekend. This event allows the public to explore artists’ studios and workshops, gives an insight into the creative process and is an opportunity to see works in progress and to buy or commission new work direct from the artists.

The Open Studios includes artists from towns, villages and hamlets across West Dorset, stretching from Bridport up towards Broadwindsor and south as far as Abbotsbury, and establishes the Bridport Art Scene as the centre of contemporary art in the West Country.

In Bridport town you'll find painters Marnie Shaw and Mart Tebbs, then head north to painter Nicola Leader and sculptor Oliver Strong in Waytown, and abstract painter Carolyne Kardia in Broadwindsor. To the east are painters Michael J Chappell in Mangerton Mill, Gemma Hibbs in West Milton and David Kennard in Powerstock. To the south, painters Annalisa Renee in Chideock, Jon Adam and Tom Katz in West Bay. And along the coast road in Abbotsbury, textile artist Mary-Clare Buckle as well as painters Marie Laywine and Debbie Veitch.

Artist and event organiser Kit Glaisyer says, “We're seeing a remarkable artistic renaissance in West Dorset as more and more artists want be a part of this exciting art scene. Many well established artists now take part and it's become a great opportunity for art collectors to spot new talent."

Other major art exhibitions around Bridport over Easter include Julia Hutton with "Thresholds of Drawing" at The Bridport Arts Centre, and painter Simon Read at the Pierrepoint Gallery. The Electric Palace will be showing films as well as serving lunches and dinners. In West Bay there's "An exchange of Light" at Sladers Yard Gallery, also Michael J Chappell will be showing at Mangerton Mill, and in Abbotsbury there's the Dansel Gallery and D'Veitch Gallery.

25 Artists on show at St Michael’s Studios

Twenty-five artists can be found in the renowned and ever-growing St Michael’s Studios in the ‘Big Red Building’ on the St Michael’s Trading Estate in Bridport. The creation of new spaces for artists here has helped to transform the South West Quadrant into the thriving artistic quarter of Bridport.

St Michael’s artists include Kit Glaisyer who started the studios ten years ago, who will be unveiling his dramatic new series of Marshwood Vale paintings. Also see a preview of paintings from a forthcoming Dorchester Museum exhibition by Caroline Ireland. Newcomers to St Michaels include Antonia Fraser whose work is full of the sunshine of Tuscany and Florence with huge brightly coloured paintings glowing with gold leaf. Another new artist is Paul Richmond from London, who paints distinctive nudes with a sensual palette and a gritty impasto. Meanwhile, award-winning Illustrator Charlie Fuge will show original drawings from his children’s books in Studio 48.

Some St Michael’s artists have now expanded into larger spaces. Ian Dunn has taken on a ground floor studio where he works on huge glowing abstract geometric paintings based on the golden mean, and upstairs Studio 14 has another six artists showing. At the front of the building in the new Tower Studios, popular figurative painter John Rabbetts has established a large studio which will also serve as a gallery from May.

Next-door the artist-run SPACE Bridport will have a group exhibition of eight painters, including Farah Fortnam, Moby Hill, Nigel Hughes, Mike Jones, Maureen Nathan, Mark Russell, Philomena Harmsworth and Madeleine Preston.

To find St Michael's Studios from Bridport town centre, head down Gundry Lane towards the Big Red Building on the St Michael’s Trading Estate. Refreshments will also be available over the weekend.

The Easter Open Studios event will take place over four days on Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, 10 – 13 April, and most venues will open from 10 am – 6 pm. For more information, maps and features on participating artists, visit the www.bridport.org website or call 07791 205 693.