Artists and makers revealed for Scotland’s open studios event

February 3, 2020 | Culture

Spring Fling’s 2020 line-up offers a superb chance to enjoy a Bank Holiday weekend visiting studios across Dumfries and Galloway.

A total of 87 artists and makers, including more than a dozen new participants, have been selected to take part in Spring Fling 2020 – Scotland’s premier open studio weekend.

Studios across Dumfries and Galloway will throw their doors open to the public for the Bank Holiday Weekend of 23 to 25 May.

Spring Fling is one of the UK’s most successful contemporary visual art and craft events having attracted well over 100,000 visitors (who have made more than 300,000 studio visits) since it began in 2003.

Visitors from the UK and beyond enjoy meeting the creators of high-quality work and see their studios in country and coastal cottages, farms, converted chapels, custom-built studios and a multitude of other settings.

As ever there will be an abundance of established artists and makers as well as emerging talent. They include painters, illustrators, printmakers, ceramicists, woodworkers, jewellery makers, photographers, textile and glass artists, sculptors and photographers.

Joanna Macaulay, assistant director for Upland, which runs Spring Fling, said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming visitors to this year’s Spring Fling – there’s such an exciting choice of artists and makers to meet, and so many wonderful studios in beautiful parts of the region.

‘It’s a chance to make the most of the Bank Holiday weekend by visiting artists and makers as they demonstrate their work and discuss their inspirations. Plus there’s the opportunity to buy a piece of art direct from the artist.

‘Each studio is unique, every artist is different but all of them offer a fascinating insight into the inner workings of an artist’s life.’

There will be six colour-coded routes that visitors can follow – allowing them to see a wide variety of studios in different parts of this large rural region.

Painter Hazel Campbell (Photo: Colin Hattersley)

Participants include the international willow artist Lizzie Farey, glassmaker Amanda Simmons, bespoke furniture maker Daniel Lacey, luxury textile designer Morag Macpherson well-known landscape artist Hazel Campbell, sculptural metal artist Adam Booth, jewellery designer Michael Pell and painter Emma Visca. There will be ceramics by the likes of renowned potter Clare Dawdry, plus the chance to visit Port William printmaker Lisa Hooper and Wigtown painter Davy Brown.

There will also be Springbacks – people from the region who currently live elsewhere – such as ceramicist Jo Walker who is based in Fife and jewellery maker Jesse Ball from Ireland.

The Neighbours scheme provides a platform for artists and makers from adjoining areas and this year includes Gail Kelly (textile artist from Northern Ireland), painter Deborah Campbell from the Scottish Borders ceramicist Hannah Spicer from Ayrshire and mixed media artist Suzanne Stuart Davies from Cumbria.

There will also be artists who have been awarded bursaries to enable them to take part and members of the Emerge mentoring scheme, which pairs young and established artists to transfer skills and experience.

Details of the rest of this year’s event programme will be released soon.

For further details on Spring Fling visit www.spring-fling.co.uk.

Spring Fling is Scotland’s premier visual art and contemporary craft open studios event covering all Dumfries and Galloway, South West Scotland. It is the flagship annual event of Upland CIC.