Brighton Christmas Open Houses

The Christmas Artists Open Houses Festival 2011 runs for three weekends:
26th  27th November, 3rd & 4th December and 10th and 11th December, 2011.

We are showing in two beautiful houses this year.
Different work in each house :
Mel and Jonathan William's  house at 14 Southdown Avenue, Brighton, BN1 6EG.

Also showing are :
Maika Crampton textiles,
Belen Gomez ceramics,
Vanessa Mooncie knit and crochet jewellery,
Helen Musselwhite paper artist,
Julia Smith ceramics,
Jonathan Williams prints,
Mel Williams cushions and lavender bags
Annabet Wyndham jewellery.
and me, Sarah Young prints, paintings, tea-towels.

A very welcome return of such a positive and lovely house, full of desirables!
 Vanessa's badger in hat brooch is something else, and I especially liked the vintage children's illustration cards. The whole house is very joyful.

 As is Joy's! at The Festive Fox 53 Kingsley Road, Brighton, BN1 5NH.
Showing:
Lesley Buckingham watercolours
Carol Butler hand embroidery
Joy Fox button jewellery and textile work
Victor Stuart Graham marine assemblages and houses
Sarah Lock lamps and shades
Sarah Young prints, paintings, tea towels and little heads.

Carol Butlers embroideries are so beautiful, especially the bird's nest.
I invigilated yesterday and it was such a pleasure to just be in such a lovely house. Fairy lights illuminate the fig tree in the night garden, with the railway beyond. We are very lucky to have friends in Brighton who let us show work in this way.

For times and information on all the other houses see here http://www.aoh.org.uk/for-visitors

MADE11 - Video report

Andrew Collins and Kayleigh Lewis from Brighton and Hove Free Press have made a video report about this years MADE11 show and we think its good. Click here to view

MADE11 Peer Prize Winner

We've just announced the winner of the MADE11 Peer Prize which is chosen by the exhibiting makers themselves. It was quite close with 2 makers in the lead but in the end the weaver Holly Berry pulled clear and was awarded this years prize....

Brighton and Hove Collects Awards

Brighton and Hove Collects Awards were awarded last night.

The awards are jointly funded by MADE11 and Brighton and Hove Museums to purchase work from outstanding makers for the craft and design collection at Brighton and Hove Museums- which is one of the best collections in the country.

Thus year they have made 2 awards to

Louise Hibbert for 'Bacteriastrum III' a piece in Sycamore, Silver and Resin

and

Becky Crow for 2 narrative brooches in Silver and Gold Leaf - "if I go up to the heavens" and "If I settle on the far side of the sea"

MADE11 - best show ever

 

(Sarah Young - heads)

"Best show yet" "incredible variety and quality" are some of the comments we've had about this years MADE show at the Corn Exchange.

 

(Woodchild - childrens'safari blanket)

The word seems to have got out that this years show is exceptional. Last nights Private View was - as always - quite busy but today, which is meant to be the quiet day is seeing capacity reached and a queue to get in.

(Wolfram Lohr - gorgeous iPad Cases bags and sketch book covers)

People waiting to come in are not disappointed though, everyone is praising the quality of the work on show and I'm please to say spending money buying special gifts for Christmas (or indeed themselves)

 I've taken a few snapshots of work which has taken my fancy. (above Murray Marks Shaker Boxes)

 Mickey Wolters (Porte Bonheur De Wollie)

Alison Haddon

 Katrin Moye

MADE11 Exhibitors Arrive

MADE11 is looking great so far. Everyone is more or less in with no major incidents. Setting up is going on apace. How all that stock and furniture finally is fitted into the stands and it looks sleek and spacious I don't know.

Exhibitors are already commenting on how high the standard is again, and how new exhibitors to the show raise the bar each year. There certainly is a fantastic mix of different disciplines with some wonderfully unusual and quirky work appearing. We're excited!

Do come and visit, and please leave us your feedback on the back of your entry ticket. We read all your comments and love to hear what you the public think of the fair.

 

 

MADE11 - this weekend

 We're at the Corn Exchange today putting the screens up for the MADE11 show. So far all very smooth although playing musical chairs with large HGV's and Coaches in the tiny loading lane is interesting (The Darkness are at the Dome tonight and they have a lot of kit!)

 

I'm pleased to say everyone is rather excited about MADE this year, we do have some fantastic makers exhibiting and everyone is after tickets to the Private View so it could get busy - my advice is if you really want to see the work at leisure come in 11.00 on Friday and it shouldn't be too busy, and you'll be able to browse and shop at leisure. The Cafe is serving nice cheap(ish) lunches so you can think about purchases and tick through the Christmas present list.

I think that our creative design genius Sarah Young has come up with a stonker of a image for this year. The posters and banners really zing out and stand out through the town. Even in the grey Autumn. Lots of press and magazine coverage coming in so it should be a good one.

The makers arrive tomorrow so we'll be going round choosing the recipients of the Brighton and Hove Collects Award (to go in the Museum Craft Collection) as well as having first dibs on the best work for our Christmas present list.

 

MADE11 Starts Next Thursday

Possibly our most popular and eagerly anticipated fair of the year MADE11 will open to the public next week with 112 stands of featuring work from some of the best designer makers from all over the British Isles.

It's an opportunity to see original, and exceptional work and purchase direct from the maker and designer. For many people it's the perfect chance to crack Christmas and buy unique gifts that won't be found in the High Street. (you are allowed to buy for yourself or drop leaden hints about desirable items to loved ones!)

Brighton and Hove Collects Prize - every year MADE teams up with Brighton and Hove Museums (who hold a stunning collection of craft and design - one of the best in the country) to present a purchase award to one or two designer makers exhibiting at MADE to purchase or commission work for the museum collection. Previous winners have included Louise Loder, Nick Barberton, Ark Glass, Julianna Sissons, Kate Jenkins and Sarah Warsop.

MADE11 takes place in the Corn Exchange, Church Street, Brighton BN1 1UG in the heart of Brighton just around the corner from the Royal Pavilion.

Opening Times
Thursday 17th November 6.00pm - 8.30pm (Private View - ticket only)
Friday 18th November 11am - 7.30pm
Saturday 19th November 10am - 6.00pm
Sunday 20th November 10am - 5.00pm

We have a few tickets available for the Private View at £10 each - these can be purchased online here

Tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday can be purchased on the door at £6 or for £5 in advance here

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Lost in Lace - Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Lost in Lace
29 October 2011 to 19 February 2012
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Admission free
www.lostinlace.org.uk

Step into a world of lace like you’ve never seen before. See how the patterns, materials and cultural traditions of lace are represented through radical new approaches by 20 leading UK and international artists.

Featuring large-scale, theatrical and visually spectacular work, this exhibition challenges perceptions of what lace can be, involving the visitor in an environment where spaces become fluid and thread creates entirely new boundaries. 

Many of the international artists are showing in the UK for the first time and artworks will be breaking out beyond the bounds of the gallery, into public spaces.

The exhibition is curated by Lesley Millar MBE, Professor of Textile Culture at the University for the Creative Arts, and will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue (£25). Lost in Lace is produced in partnership between Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the Crafts Council as part of the Fifty:Fifty Programme, and is developed in association with the University for the Creative Arts.