ArtMakers’ second year builds on and expanded our work in northern Devon supporting artist and makers. This included opening a new gallery ‘Art Upstairs’ in Bideford, taking five artists to the Affordable Art Fair in London, and staging our first events at Arlington Court.
The first project in November and December of 2022 was to contact over 60 holiday-let companies in the area. This research led to 16 companies offering to participate in future work with ArtMakers. January 2023 saw the launch of the new look website with its ‘dark’ design and new buyers journey.
February saw the launch of the Appledore Book Festival programme cover competition. This competition was open to all artists in northern Devon and attracted over twenty designs. It was won by ‘Between The Burrows’ a mixed media work by Karen Combe
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The competition was quickly followed by the first virtual exhibition of the year ‘Spring Breaks’, which saw over 20 new works by local artists on display. “Exmoor Magazine’ also published an article on the New Atlantic Wave exhibition in Appledore.
April saw a flurry of activity with a number of firsts. The first Creative Breakfast was held in Barnstaple, while the first meeting about the new ‘Art Upstairs’ gallery was held in Bideford. At the same time the first session of a workshop, run by Sharon Gale ,organised with a local social prescribers team took place in the Burton at Bideford.
Spring saw ‘Coast’ magazine publish a ‘New Atlantic Wave article. While June saw a series of workshops at Arlington Court, a property managed by the National Trust. July saw the opening of ‘Art Upstairs’ galley attended by over 60 people, and the launch of its first exhibition, ‘Openings’.
Autumn saw two major exhibitions – one at the Appledore Book Festival and the other at the Affordable Art Fair in London. Several workshops and masterclasses were also organised as part of the Appledore Book Festival Fringe. Membership of ArtMakers reached over 150. The New Atlantic Wave is recognised by the Arts Council as the third largest grouping of visual artists after London and Cornwall.
