An introduction to the Bridport Art Scene

Situated in 'Hardy Country' in the south west of Dorset, halfway between Lyme Regis and Dorchester, Bripdort is a small (population 14,000) but distinctive market-town with a strong agricultural and rope-making heritage, set a couple of miles back from the harbour of West Bay, on the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage site.

Bridport and the surrounding area is now gaining a national profile for it's remarkably vibrant cultural community. As well as containing dozens of artists, the area is also home to a rich variety of creative practitioners at the forefront of music, television, performance and literature.

The St Michael's Studio Complex

The Bridport Art Scene is becoming increasingly well known and includes everything from nationally recognised names to emerging and mid-career artists and keen new-comers. Of particular note is the vibrant St Michael's Studios complex, started by artist Kit Glaisyer on the historic St Michael's Trading Esate in 1999. It now provides studios for 25 artists and attracts hundreds of visitors to regular open events and exhibitions.

1999 was also the year that the first Bridport Open Studios event took place, started by artist Caroline Ireland, which now shows over 100 artists during the main event on the August Bank Holiday weekend. The popularity of the Open Studios events has led to the creation of more Open events during the Bridport Literary Festival in November and over the Easter and May Bank Holiday weekends.

The town also hosts the International Bridport Prize for Literature and this years Bridport Literary Festival takes place from13 to 22 November 2009, with many of the biggest literary lions taking part, including David Aaronovitch, Joanna Toye, Tracy Chevalier, Michael Holroyd, Rick Gekoski, Margaret Drabble, Selina Hastings, Andrew Roberts, Louis de Bernieres, Susan Richards, Anna Pavord, Michael Collins, Claire Harman, John Carey, William Fiennes, Alexander McCall Smith and Horatio Clare.

To complement this year's Bridport Literary Festival, there is a week-long Open Studios event from 14-22 November that involves dozens of artists across town. This gives both collectors and the public an opportunity to visit the studios of many of the artists at the forefront of the Bridport Art Scene. The majority of artists taking part are located in the town itself and many work at the St Michael's Studios complex, but the art scene also extends further out from the town, west towards Lyme Regis and the Marshwood Vale, north towards Beaminster, and east towards Abbotsbury and Dorchester.

The Electric Palace

Also taking place during the Bridport Literary Festival is the countertext09 project, organised by artists David Rogers and Nigel Slight, in which a number of multi-disciplinary artists will be presenting exhibitions and performances that investigate the influence of the spoken, written and printed word on the visual arts. These events take place at various venues including the Bridport Arts Centre, the Bull Hotel, the Electric Palace and in shops across town.

The Bull Hotel

Countertext09 encourages us to appreciate how widely and deeply literature as a medium and publishing as an industry, have influenced the visual arts.  It explores these close links via painting, sculpture, photography, performance and installation by Tabitha Andrews, Benedict Clarke-Roland, Carolyne Kardia, David Rogers, Samuel St Leger, Michael Shaw, Lesley Slight, Nigel Slight and Gigi Sudbury.

The Bridport Arts Centre

From the 7th November the Alsop Gallery at the Bridport Art Centre with be showing an exhibition organised by countertext09. Further down South Street there's a show on by abstract painter Tom Katz at the Pierrepoint Gallery. And further down still there's the Front Room - run by artist Julia Hutton. Also in town are the studios of emerging artists Wendy Poole, and Mart Tebbs.

S laders Yard Gallery

There are more studios and workshops in nearby West Bay including the (private) studio of Trish Wylie who shows at the Belgravia Gallery, London; as well as acclaimed painter Jon Adam at the Backyard Studios, alongside ceramicist Richard Wilson. You'll also find Sladers Yard Gallery, this month with a show by John Wragg RA and a selection of works by gallery artists such as Vanessa Gardiner, Alex Lowery, Robin Rae and (Jerwood Prize winner) John Hubbard, alongside furniture by Petter Southall.

Artwave West Gallery

Heading south-east from West Bay you'll eventually come to Abbotsbury and the studios of John Meaker, Mary-Clare Buckle, Marie Laywine and Debbie Veitch. Heading back west along the coast towards Lyme Regis you'll pass the Artwave West Gallery in Morecombelake and then the studios of Clare Trenchard and Greta Berlin hidden away deep within the Marshwood Vale.

Mangerton Mill

To the east and on the other side of Bridport, there's the small village of Askerswell, where you'll find the workshops of clothes designer Corrie van Rijn and furniture maker Alan Hussey. If you then head north out of town you'll come across David Risk Kennard in Powerstock, and the studios of Michael J Chappell at Mangerton Mill.

We would highly recommend a visit to Bridport to see what all the fuss is about. We have a great steet market on Wednesday and Saturday, with a Farmers Market on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Of course the upcoming Arts Fesival from 13-22 November offers a great opportunity to explore the local art scene with the Open Studios and countertext09 events, while enjoying the amazing line up of writers coming to town for the Bridport Literary Festival.