Brighton and Hove’s Artists Open Houses festival reveal 2014 cover artist

Award-winning illustrator Jonny Hannah has been announced as the cover artist for the 2014 Artists Open Houses festival brochure.

For four weekends throughout May, artists and makers in Brighton and Hove will open their houses and studios up to the public – the largest event of its kind in the UK.

To promote the free festival, the famed illustrator has produced an image containing all his favourite memories of the city.

Jonny said: “It was indeed a treat to be asked to do the cover for the Artists Open Houses brochure this year.

“I’ve been involved with a couple of Open Houses over the years and it’s always been great fun to do.

“For the 2014 cover I chose to focus on Brighton and what it means to me. I’ve always loved the Helter Skelter on the pier – partly because it’s terrifying to whizz down there.

“And at one particular Open House, a long time ago, I played a very informal set of songs on ukulele, alongside two other ukuleles, one of them being the wonderful Peter Chrisp, so the ukulele had to be part of the image too.

“Then there are messages in bottles, pretty girls and a smattering of the fun fair. So I hope it all makes sense, as it was great fun to do!”

This year’s festival will feature more than 200 homes and galleries displaying more than 1,000 artists’ work.

The houses are grouped into one of 14 trails around different areas of the city, each with its’ own unique character and atmosphere – from the fisherman’s houses of Hanover to the urban warehouse spaces of the North Laine and the cottages of the South Downs village of Ditchling.

Jonny will be among them as he brings a new exhibition entitled The Road to Darktown, to The Old Market in Hove as part of the festival.

Judy Stevens, Festival Director, said: “Artist Open Houses is immensely honored to announce the amazing and quite unique Jonny Hannah as brochure cover artist for the 2014 AOH festival.

“Hannah’s exhibition at The Old Market is a must see, featuring not only his much-collected cardboard cutouts, but cabinets of memorabilia relating to Dark Town, his extraordinary imagined neighbourhood.

“More of Hannah’s work can be seen at Ravenswood Open House, in Florence Road – which offers an extraordinary collection of some of the most illustrious contemporary British illustrators. “