Discover the Artistic Wonders of Cornwall: Open Studios 2024 Kicks Off This Weekend

From Saturday 25 May to Sunday 2 June, Cornwall’s artistic community will welcome visitors into their creative spaces for Open Studios Cornwall 2024.

This annual event invites art enthusiasts and curious visitors to delve into the world of local artists, as hundreds of creatives showcase their talents across the county.

A Journey Through Cornwall’s Creative Spaces

The event, marked by distinctive orange Os, spans a range of unique locations from Lamorna to Looe and Mullion to Menheniot. Visitors can explore Edwardian terraces, Georgian summerhouses, Victorian shops, potting sheds, fish cellars, and milking barns, gaining a fresh perspective on Cornwall’s picturesque villages, towns, and hamlets.

Open Studios Cornwall not only highlights the artistic talents of painters, potters, printmakers, photographers, jewellers, woodturners, and weavers, but also offers the chance to acquire original works directly from the makers. This year sees the emergence of creative clusters in Trew, Trewidden, St Agnes, Falmouth, and the Helford River area, fostering a spirit of community and collaboration among artists.

Exclusive Access to Krowji Studios

One of the event’s unique attractions is the rare opportunity to visit the artists’ studios at Krowji in Redruth, which are usually closed to the public. This behind-the-scenes access allows visitors to see the creative process up close and engage with the artists in their working environments.

An Array of Artistic Expressions

Open Studios Cornwall 2024 showcases a fusion of ancient techniques and modern ideas. Visitors can expect to see a variety of art forms, from Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints and Korean tea bowls to 19th-century wet plate collodion photography and heritage dyeing techniques. The use of diverse materials such as wool, flax, woad, clay, wax, honeycomb, stones, fossils, bones, sepia ink, and egg tempera highlights the innovative spirit of the participating artists.

Inspired by Cornwall’s natural beauty, the artworks often reflect the soft lines of sea-worn boulders, tidal patterns, the dramatic coastline, and the verdant valleys and leafy lanes. Themes of folklore, fable, and the subconscious are also explored, addressing concepts of reality, perception, humanity, and justice.

Workshops to Nurture Your Creativity

In addition to the studio visits, Open Studios Cornwall offers a series of pre-bookable workshops. These sessions provide an opportunity to learn new skills such as botanical painting, seaweed pressing, and crafting for wellness, encouraging participants to develop their own artistic abilities.

Celebrating Cornish Creativity

Project Director Bethany Lyne emphasises the event’s celebration of Cornwall’s artistic diversity. “From contemporary realism and intuitive abstracts to hand-stitched adornments, surrealist mezzotints, decorative homewares, and so much more, Open Studios Cornwall celebrates the extraordinary diversity of Cornish creativity. Whether inspired by the county’s rugged natural beauty or underpinned by broader environmental and social concerns, eclectic styles and traditional crafts combine in this annual appreciation of Cornwall’s community of creatives, which enables us to highlight their artistry, hear their voices and purchase their work.”

Open Studios Cornwall 2024 promises a week of artistic exploration, offering visitors the chance to connect with the rich tapestry of creativity that defines the region.

The Latest Information

For all the latest information, visit www.openstudioscornwall.co.uk

Select the Participants section of the website and the area of Cornwall that you would like to explore. You can either plan to visit a particular location and look up participants who are exhibiting in that area or visit a particular creative and find out who else is in their neighbourhood.

When you have curated your visit, look out for those distinctive orange Os that will guide you to the studios and workshops you have chosen.

You can bookmark openstudioscornwall.co.uk on your mobile and navigate with the help of Google Maps.

You can also follow Open Studios Cornwall on instagram.com/openstudioscornwall and X (Twitter) @OpenStudiosCorn, and like facebook.com/openstudioscornwall