Preview: Jamaica Street Artists Open Studios 2018

The first weekend of June sees the return of the much-loved Open Studios event at Bristol’s super-creative Jamaica Street Artists community.

The JSA residents will throw open their doors across the weekend to celebrate over 20 years of artistry, with launch parties, new commissioned artworks, activities and the ever-popular JSA Auction springing up over the three floors of their historic former carriage works at the corner of Jamaica Street and Stokes Croft.

Alongside all this, visitors can stroll the studios and meet over 30 of its resident artists, all making new work from printing to painting, illustration to sculpture, textiles to graphic design. Much of the work you’ll see will be on sale – or you can just chat to the artists, in their studios, about their creative practices.

It all kicks off with a Launch Night on Friday, June 1 (7-10pm), featuring music, a bar (beer from Bristol’s own Lost and Grounded brewery) and a preview of the work available. Then, from 10pm onwards, JSA team up with their new downstairs neighbours Jamaica St Stores to continue celebrations late into the night. The buzzing ground-floor restaurant will be alove with dancing and drinking, featuring special guest DJs.

Scenes from last year’s Open Studios weekend. Pics: Damien Hockey

Then, across the weekend itself, the Studios will be open from 11am-5pm on both days. Ramble through the Grade II listed building, meet the artists, buy some art – and see a newly commissioned work made for JSA’s historic elevator shaft. Plus, at 5pm on the Sunday, finish off the weekend by snatching yourself an affordable one-off artwork by a JSA resident at the ever-popular Auction.

Jamaica Street Artists is one of the UK’s largest artist-led spaces outside London and is home to nearly 40 practitioners, working across a broad range of disciplines. The artists are looking forward to throwing open their studio doors, too. ‘Open Studios is always such a fun weekend,’ enthuses textile artists and JSA studio holder Annie Clay. ‘I love opening up my studio and offering the public a chance to see my space, how I work and my works in progress – instead of just the final pieces that make it into exhibitions.’

Zoe Power is an illustrator, sign writer and JSA resident. ‘Everything I make starts off as a pencil sketch, that then is finished using a mix of traditional and digital techniques. My work is bold and bright, often featuring typography and symmetry alongside themes of feminism and nature.

‘This is my first open studios and I sure am looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of friendly faces and having a snoop around some of the other studios and what people have been up to.’

Elsewhere, Jessa Fairbrother’s practice involves creating analogue photographs that she then hand-marks using needles and embroidery. “These are hand-printed, often by me as well. The themes of my work revolves around yearning, and the body as vessel and surface. I draw inspiration from a broad range of performative practices and am fascinated by a range of crafts, as well as the markings of armour and lace.

This is Jessa’s fifth JSA Open Studios. “It’s such a good way of staying connected to the city and meeting up with other artists. We’re all so busy that it’s actually quite rare to see what other people are doing – Open Studios is a lovely way of sharing that practice.”

Lucy Ward is JSA’s studio manager. “Open Studios is many things to us. It’s the reason we tidy up once a year! But we also look forward to it as an opportunity to welcome people into the space to see behind the scenes. It’s also when we get to talk about the work we make in the space we make it and this is very special. We also throw a great party, so come along to our launch night – it is great fun!

“Open Studios is also an important fundraising event for the studios. We receive no external funding, so we rely on fundraising to keep our studios affordable. Keeping workspace costs low is essential in allowing artists to take risks, be experimental and to make new and challenging work.

“This is where the fundraising auction comes in. Each artist in the studio produces a mini-canvas artwork that we auction off. It’s a fun and informal event, and can be a great way to pick up an affordable piece of work by your favourite artist. My top tip for the auction is to watch which pieces the studio artists are bidding on – they have the insider knowledge as to who’s worth collecting!”

Lucy feels that JSA is a crucial part of Bristol’s adventurous cultural landscape. “Affordable workspace for artists is so important, especially in a city that prides itself on its creative and cultural economy. It allows and encourages people to develop their work, to meet and network with other artists and to have somewhere they feel safe to experiment. Jamaica Street Artists has sustained itself as an artist community through the collective nature of the organisation, and the infectious support and success shared by its members.”

Jamaica Street Artists Open Studios 2018 Fri, June 1 (7pm onwards) / Sat, June 2 & Sun, June 3 (11am-5pm). For more info, visit www.jamaicastreetartists.co.uk

Check back on Thursday, May 24 for our interview with JSA resident Jemma Grundon

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