With 470 members, from painters, photographers and illustrators to furniture makers and jewellers, Cambridge Open Studios is the event for anyone interested in visual arts. It’s part of a countrywide movement which grants artists an audience, as well as forging relationships between local artists and the public. Cambridge Open Studios has been going since the 1960s and is a great way of finding out about the wonderful creative work being produced every day in our area, or even our own street. It takes place every weekend throughout July.
Because Open Studios covers such a vast area, you could find yourself chasing around the county in search of your favourite artists. Instead, savvy Studio visitors will pick an area and plot a route (see the Open Studios map) in order to take n several neighbouring artists in the space of one afternoon.
Tess Ainley, a mixed-media artist, is part of the East Chesterton group of artists w who will be taking part in Open Studios his year. Their community has grown considerably over the past few years, and includes Charlotte Cornish, a painter of in vibrant, modern art; Emma Will, whose miniature ceramic beach huts we just adore; glassworker Iain Smith and ceramicist Joy Voisey, amongst others.
Tess explains: “The East Chesterton group is a group of artists who meet, encourage and support each other in their work and who have formed an artists’ trail in the East Chesterton area, so that during Open Studios people can visit several artists, who work in a variety of media, in just one trip.
“In 2013 White House Arts opened for one weekend with Cambridge Open Studios for the first time and a couple of the artists were studying a mixed-media class there. One of the artists invited all eight local artists to meet and plan a leaflet to follow an art trail. The group named themselves East Chesterton Artists. Before the artists opened their studios in July, the group visited each other so they could see and describe the work of their fellow artists and they soon got to know each other well.
“Some of the artists have been exhibiting in East Chesterton with Cambridge Open Studios for over ten years. In 2012 there were just six artists in East Chesterton exhibiting with Cambridge Open Studios: now there are 14 of us. The group this year includes painters, printmakers, ceramicists, a glass artist, jeweller, sculptor, illustrator and mixed-media artists.”
Tess herself uses fabrics, paper and other textured materials – often scraps that would otherwise have been discarded – to produce beautiful collages.
“I have always been creative… I especially enjoyed art and creative writing at school. However, it wasn’t until 2003 that I went back to college as a mature student. I was living in Cornwall at the time and studied fine art textiles, graduating from Cornwall College in 2006. Since then, I haven’t stopped making and selling my work on a part-time basis.
“I especially enjoy collage and assemblage work. I mostly work on handmade paper, incorporating stitch, paint, text and various other media. I usually start with a blank piece of paper and ideas for my work usually develop from a combination of things: from the materials I’m using, inspirational words or maybe a line from a prayer, some poetry or a song. I quite often work on several pieces simultaneously, gathering ideas for each one at the same time.”
‘Cambridge Open Studios first started in the 1960s and is one of the oldest Open Studios events in the country’
Of her proudest artistic moment, Tess says, “I don’t know if I have one specific moment… I think the very first piece of artwork I sold was exciting – the fact that someone actually wanted to pay for a piece of my work. It’s great when someone says that I have inspired or encouraged them in some way, either personally or professionally. It really helps in keeping me motivated. It is also a privilege to help raise money for charity by making and donating pieces of work.
“I joined Cambridge Open Studios in 2011 and this is the third year I have been exhibiting. Prior to that I was also a member of Cornwall Open Studios.” Tess explains that the Open Studios set-up “works well thanks to the enormous time and effort that so many people put in to make it happen. We have big meetings where ideas are put forward and discussed. It requires a great amount of teamwork and dedication from so many people to succeed. Cambridge Open Studios first started in the 1960s and is one of the oldest Open Studios events in the country. It started when a small group of artists invited local people to visit their studios, to see how their art was produced, as part of a movement to demystify art and make it available to all.
“I like the fact that anyone can join. When I moved to Cambridge five years ago, it was so lovely to be able to instantly join the local art community. Several members of the Cambridge Open Studios have become good friends since, and I’ve found them to be so generous with their time, knowledge, support and encouragement.”
