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

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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

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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....

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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"

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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

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

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