Arran Open Studios keeps the home fires burning

It is near the bleak midwinter and although the Arran Open Studios (AOS) are now a sunny memory, the organisers are keeping busy and preparing for the 2014 event. Several meetings have been held since the 2013 event and another will be held on Thursday 23rd January at Ardshiel in Whiting Bay. All participating artists are warmly invited to attend and share their views on the organisation and contribute ideas about the ways forward.

Already decisions have been taken about registration. To facilitate a more timely production of the brochure, which in 2014 will take the form of a booklet, a call will be made to artists wishing to take part, to return both their intention and their submission by the end of February; the fees for 2014 remain unchanged at £50 – watch the press for details. New participants are warmly welcome to register. And for artists who feel they do not have a studio worthy of a visit but art-works worthy of being seen, there are initiatives afoot to help those people without studios suitable for visitors who still want to exhibit.

Discussions have been had about the Art Bus which all agree was not used to its best effect this year. The Art Bus continues to be both a great idea for AOS and a work in progress; ideas are being floated about how it might better work. Meetings have also touched on the possibility of linking with other open studio events across Scotland to share information and aid in the distribution of booklets and provide that vital publicity to draw people to the island for the AOS weekend.

Some people might not know that the open studios has its own dedicated webpage www.arranopenstudios.com and participating artists are reminded that they have a free space on the website. All they have to do is email Josephine Broekhuizen with short biographical notes and a few images of themselves and the work they produce. AOS also has its own Facebook page.

The AOS organisers are hoping to recruit some shops and hotels to display the odd artwork in the run-up to the event. By so doing the event is publicised by the community at large which in itself is benefitted by being part of the event. This co-operation has been particularly successful in the likes of the Pittenweem Arts Festival. OS organisers hope that Visit Arran might also wish to be more closely associated with the growing event.

Contact Ruth Mae on 820373 or by email at ruthmae.nagare@gmail.com or Josephine on 600287 or email her at tim.pomeroy@onetel.net for more details.