Surrey Artists Open

Studios summer

event

9 - 24 June and 20 -

22 July 2012

www.surreyopenstudios.org.uk

Call 01483 519285 for a brochure

Surrey Artists Open Studios (SAOS) is a

not for profit organisation offering artists

the chance to profile their work direct to the

public either online or in our annual summer

Open Studios event. Here the public can

visit studios, meet artists & makers, view

demonstrations, buy artwork, enter our free

prize draw, view taster exhibitions and take

part in creative workshops.

We offer this opportunity to studios

throughout Surrey and around its borders.

Jojo Rowley, ceramicist in Cobham

Look out for the orange Open Studios flags

and balloons or pick up a brochure at a Surrey

local library or arts venue.

What’s new for Surrey Artists Open

Studios summer event?

We now offer a bursary scheme for emerging

and none commercial artists, this is to make

our event as inclusive as possible and offer

a more diverse and exciting range of art to

the public. For 2012 we had 3 lucky bursary

winners: Amy Gagahan (recent graduate

specialising in architectural print design and

textiles) Joe Szabo (glass artist) and Angela

Thames (book artist and printmaker). The

deadline for bursary submissions for the

summer 2013 Open Studios event is early

January 2013.

For the first time we will be offering an

additional weekend to the established June

event. This will be 20 - 22 July to coincide with

the Olympic Torch coming to Surrey

Alan Brain, painter in Chobham

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Audience Incentives

We will also be hosting an additional prize

draw, any member of the public that visits

more than 3 studios on bicycle during the

June event and has their loyalty card signed

by the studios they visit will be entitled to enter

our extra free prize draw for cyclists! We are

hosting this extra prize draw in celebration

of the Olympic Road Cycle races coming to

Surrey on the 28 & 29 July.

‘There is such a great collective of styles on

offer, and with over 160 studios, there will be

one open just around the corner!’

Caroline Jackman, SAOS Coordinator

Artists at the touch of a button

We also feature all of our open studios

artists and more on our online resource ‘Find

a Surrey Artist’, available throughout the

year. Here you can search for Surrey Artists,

each of whom has an individual web page

showcasing up to 12 images of their artwork;

listings of their exhibitions and workshops

and many indicate that their studio is open by

appointment throughout the year.

Our online calendar

We now offer an online calender of events,

this features our artists promoting creative

workshops, exhibitions, artist talks and art fairs

that they are participating in. This resource

is a great way to tap into what’s on offer

throughout Surrey and beyond.

How we develop as an organisation

Each year we invite our artists and our

visitors to complete short feedback and

evaluation forms. All comments and

Jim Tucker, asemblage artist in Leigh

suggestions are taken into consideration for

the future development of SAOS and Surrey

Open Studios. As an outcome we publish an

evaluation document in the autumn detailing

our events and our future proposals.

All details on SAOS and Surrey Open Studios

visit www.surreyopenstudios.org.uk

Gillian Harris, feltmaker in Dorking

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Surrey Artists Open Studios

summer Taster exhibitions

To kick start the Open Studios event,

we have 3 taster exhibitions allowing our

audience the chance to view a selection of

From Monday 30th April to Friday 18th May.

Opening hours to be from 10am to 5pm.

www.esc.ac.uk/rsdm

All participating Open Studios artists will be

invited to submit work for this exhibition.

West Surrey Taster exhibition

At Lewis Elton Gallery, University of Surrey,

Guildford

From 9 – 24 May 2012

Private view held at 6pm on Tuesday 8 May.

Open Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm.

Car Park 1. Weekends by appointment only.

01483 682 167

Selected Surrey taster show

At Bournseside Gallery, Station Road,

Gomshall, Surrey

4th June – 23rd July.

Open Mon 12 - 5pm, Tue - Sat 10am - 5pm

and Sun 11am - 4pm

01483 202 433

19th and 20th Century printmakers and glass

exhibited alongside local visual arts and craft.

artists work from across Surrey at one venue,

giving them an insight as to what they can

expect to see when visiting studios in June.

The Surrey taster exhibition

At East Surrey College, London Road,

Gatton Point, Redhill.

East Surrey College

www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/visualarts

Artists participating in the West areas of

Surrey Open Studios will be invited to submit

work for this exhibition.

Lewis Elton Gallery

www.bournesidegallery.moonfruit.com

A spacious light space above a lovely cafe,

this new idyllic gallery situated in the hart of

Surrey, with easy access on the A25 or train

from Guildford. Accommodates work from

Bourneside Gallery

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How do we support our artists?

Through our membership scheme we offer

year round promotion of our artists online

including a dedicated web page for each at

www.surreyopenstudios.org.uk on Find A

Surrey Artist.

Why is SAOS such a vital resource to

artists?

Surrey is such a diverse county, either built

up urban towns or remote and rural. Many

of our artists join our resource for the simple

chance to network with other artists and

The future of SAOS and Surrey Open

Studios

We always strive to develop this organisation

and the Open Studios event, our focus will

be on establishing a Christmas Open Studios

event; to offer residency opportunities for

artists to work in schools as part of the

Open Studio scheme and to continue with

our partnerships raising our profile and arts

development opportunities.

for SAOS membership call 01483 519285 or

visit www.surreyopenstudios.org.uk/members

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We offer monthly e-bulletins on opportunities

and events. We offer training and networking

events including ‘how to promote you and

your work to galleries’. Professional studio

photo shoots and most recently we offered

our members the chance to have their work

photographed to museum standard by Anne

Purkiss (professional museum photographer

for Watts Gallery). The results have given

many of our members’ high quality images for

their promotional portfolios.

Caroline Jackman, painter/printmaker in Godalming

makers. They also find the e-bulletins on

monthly opportunities and events a vital link to

what’s on in and around Surrey.

For artists and makers who wish to diversify

or simply build up their knowledge in

marketing or professional development, the

courses set up by SAOS or linked through

partnerships such as Social Media marketing

at East Surrey College in May are vital and

worthwhile affordable tools.

Judith Needham, willow weaver in Farham