The Harleston & Waveney Art Trail is set to celebrate its 20th year in picturesque Waveney Valley this weekend and next. Chair Malcolm Cudmore explains how the trail is going from strength to strength
Twenty-six artists will open their studio doors to visitors across the weekends of 18-19 May and 25-27 May, including the late bank holiday Monday – to celebrate 20 years of the Harleston & Waveney Art Trail. It’s an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to explore how and where artists work in the landscapes of south Norfolk and north Suffolk. As well as many members who will already be familiar to regular visitors, two artists join the trail this year. Nineteen artists will be in their own studios and a group of seven will be showing together at Wingfield Barns.
The free event features a range of artworks including contemporary and traditional paintings, abstract work, batik, mixed media, lino prints, drawings, collage, textiles, wire sculptures plus greetings cards and prints made from the artists’ original artwork.
HWAT chair Malcolm Cudmore says: ‘I am so proud that HWAT goes from strength to strength and that we have been part of the art scene in this region for 20 years now.
‘I’m delighted to say that, despite our maturity, we continue to refresh and renew the offer to our visitors with excellent artists and such a diverse range of artwork. Following our very successful group exhibition at The Bell Gallery in Bungay in December 2023, we look forward with confidence to the next decade with much optimism and inspiration.
‘It’s wonderful that a group is showing together at Wingfield Barns. This includes some members who, for many reasons, may no longer be in a position to open their own studios in future years.
‘With the support of our regular sponsors – Durrant’s – we welcome you to “get out on the Trail” with us this year. Look out for our banners and the distinctive studio site boards featuring our Kingfisher logo. You will be assured of a warm welcome.’
The artist’s studios are dotted around the valley – in Harleston, Redenhall, Denton, Ditchingham, Bungay, Thwaite St Mary, St Cross South Elmham, Homersfield, Wortwell, Mendham, Weybread and Syleham.
Artist Dom Theobald, who is based in Mettingham, says: ‘I am in a new spacious studio, refitted and equipped for both painting and printmaking. This is great for work of all sizes, including large-scale canvases and a range of etchings and smaller paintings.
‘It is tucked away in a beautiful location in Mettingham, surrounded by woods and fields. My paintings are dominated by bright colours and abstracted forms found in the landscape of the Waveney Valley and beyond.
‘HWAT is a brilliant opportunity to share both the work and the environment in which it is developed. It is very much ‘behind the scenes’- so different to a gallery setting. It’s an opportunity for me to show work that is distinctly in progress, and to demonstrate that art is simply thought and process intertwined. And also, that anyone can engage themselves in the experience of making, if they want.’
The two new artists taking part in this year’s trail are Denise Scoggins, an abstract artist in St Cross, and Robin Harries, a figurative sculptor in Bungay.
Sculptor Nicci Dedman says: ‘I am delighted to be opening my studio in Weybread for my third year and am looking forward to welcoming all visitors to my wire world.
‘The Art Trail is so much fun to be a part of: I get to meet lots of really interesting people and show them my unique wire sculptures. Come to visit me and sit on my wire sofa and have a wire dog at your feet, relax and enjoy the wire wildlife, don’t worry about watering the plants, they’re wire too! All made by me using a pair of pliers and some determination.’
The Harleston & Waveney Art Trail (HWAT) will take place across the weekends of 18-19 May and 25-27 May, including the late bank holiday Monday. The event is sponsored by Durrants Estate Agents. Trail brochures listing all the artists, studio locations, directions (including an easy-to-read scale map) are available now. They can be picked up from any branch of Durrant’s, The Shed at Pura Vida and many other locations across the region. All the studio details are also available on the HWAT website which includes a specially pinned Google map with studio locations – enabling routes to be plotted between any of the studios. Each studio also has a What Three Words location. All studios are open across the two weekends between 10am and 5pm each day. Wingfield Barns is not open on Saturday 25th May due to a private event at the complex. For more information visit hwat.org.uk
Featured image of Artist Dom Theobaldone. All images supplied
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