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Nine Days to Explore Art in and around Cheltenham

You have nine days to explore the artistic life of Cheltenham town and its countryside. There will be many venues in the town but, especially this year, the Festival reaches outside Cheltenham into the studios, homes and galleries of the wider Cotswolds area.

Artists are opening up their studios and homes. A great time to explore and see wonderful work in unexpected places – from garden sheds to churches. Churches will be transformed into galleries, wonderful places to stand back and absorb paintings. University of Gloucestershire students will exhibit at Frances Close Hall and other artists will be showing at St Luke’s Church and All Saints Church.

A visitor to the 2007 event, Suzanne Temple said “This is an intriguing opportunity to see where and how all that creativity happens. It’s a really great day out.”

So get out and experience the processes involved – see sketchbooks, kilns, wheels, printing and bookbinding presses, jewellery benches, easels and smell the paint. Above all, talk to the artists who relish the contact with an appreciative audience. If you are lucky you may find a venue that is offering cream teas.

Experienced artists and makers will be exhibiting alongside young and emerging artists. There is a huge variety to see and so this is a unique opportunity to acquire established and new artwork.

Photographic students from Cheltenham Bournside and Sixth Form Centre will be curating their own exhibition, turning a domestic space into a gallery which they will share with a group of other artists.

You can join in as well, again, for free. St Luke’s Church is holding adult workshops and talks. Cheltenham Museum and Art Gallery is hosting “Kidzart” for children and “Artists in Action” where you can see artists such as Jo Lucas, working. Jo, is new to Cheltenham, and has a fascinating painting practice. She places her canvasses on the floor and layers paint onto them to sensitively evoke our local landscape – the Cotswolds over to the Malvern Hills.

All the participating artists are listed in the free Guide (which includes a map to locate all studios) is distributed throughout Cheltenham and its surrounding areas. Get a copy from Cheltenham and other Tourist Information Offices, Cheltenham Town Hall and Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum.

For more information about this years event download the following 2009 Cheltenham Art Festival & Open Studio guide book or see the website below.

Cheltenham Art Festival & Open Studio guide book 2009
(4.67 MB)