Art / Art on the Hill
Art trails coming up in BS3 and BS8
Between them, the months of October and November welcome back five of Bristol’s annual neighbourhood art trails – those brilliant weekends where all of the artists in a given neighbourhood show off their work in homes and venues across the postcode.
First up is Art on the Hill, the arts trail for the south Bristol suburbs of Windmill Hill and Victoria Park, which returns on the weekend of October 7-8. As ever, AotH will this year offer an exciting range of visual arts, craft, performance and workshops across these two creative neighbourhoods adjoining BS3’s Victoria Park.
You’ll find a whole host of painting, drawing, photography, printing, sculpture, ceramics, glasswork, jewellery, textiles and much more, on display in homes and venues including the Windmill Hill Community Centre, Victoria Park Baptist Church, the small Off Centre Gallery and a couple of the neighbourhood’s hostelries.
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Helen Perry is one of the many artists exhibiting at Art on the Hill
Performing arts also play a major part: across Saturday afternoon and evening in the Community Centre and on Sunday afternoon in Victoria Park (weather permitting), you’ll find performances of music, poetry, and dance from various genres and traditions.
The Trail also has an entertaining programme of participatory arts and music workshops, both for adults and children (pictured top), taking place at the Baptist Church, St Michael’s Church and Victoria Park itself.
The following weekend it’s the turn of the West Bristol Arts Trail, which celebrates its tenth iteration this year. Across the weekend of October 14-15, over 100 artists in 50 homes, studios and public spaces across Clifton, Cliftonwood, Redland and Hotwells will be showcasing their work to the public.
Taking part in the Trail this year are fine artists, photographers, potters, ceramicists, printmakers, jewellers and sculptors. Returning exhibitors include Sheena Vallely – painter, printmaker, and Senior Teacher at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden. Trained as a printmaker and painter, Sheena exhibits in both media.
Prince Pumpkin, by West Bristol Arts exhibitor Frances Cooley
“Each year for the Arts Trail, I make a point of showing new work from either printmaking or from painting,” she explains. “This year it will be painting. There is also a distinct difference in my style and in the subject matter between these two mediums – although for both, I prefer to use readymades. In printmaking, I might etch a found object; when painting, I would choose a readymade over a canvas for the support.” This year, Sheena will present a new body of paintings, entitled Close Encounters of the Animal Kind.
Sheena’s fellow exhibitors include sculptor Julian Cox, an experienced artist who was elected to the Royal British Society of Sculptors in 2006.
Sculptures by Julian Cox
Julian specialises in abstract bronze and carved sculpture alongside abstract and nude ink drawings. His work is composed of sensual organic shapes influenced by the human form combined with elements from man-made functional items such as tools and weapons.
Julian has been exhibiting on the Trail since 2009. “The West Bristol Arts Trail is very important to me as it is the start of my busy autumn selling season. Sales are obviously important to any professional artist, but I also enjoy meeting anyone who appreciates the visual arts. It is lovely when a visitor says kind things about your work and it is so good to see clients that I have known for many years.”
Art on the Hill Oct 7-8. For more info, visit www.artonthehill.org.uk
West Bristol Arts Oct 14-15. For more info, visit www.westbristolarts.com
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