AOH: And the winner is…
Projects Support Manager Emma Willcocks, Artists Peter Cutts & James Grantham, Joe Fuller.
Photo credit: David Francis
Our editor Joe Fuller reports on the Artists Open Houses award winners, including The Latest’s pick for Best Open House
One of the most striking things about the longlist this year was the variety of different experiences on offer. Some exhibits weren’t even in houses, such as the wheelchair art exhibit at a Sainsbury’s cafe which will surely have reached a wide audience. The art was made using a wheelchair device called ‘enAball’, which enables artists with limited mobility to draw and paint using motorised wheelchairs, and you can find out more at www.mssussex.com.
Artists Open Houses showcases the breadth of artistic talent in Brighton and its surrounding areas, so it was really tough to pick a shortlist and winner when the quality was so good across the board. You can read some of my thoughts on the longlist in the editor’s column on the contents page of Latest 7 on the flip side of Latest Homes.
The three houses I shortlisted stood out from the crowd however. 11 Rugby Road was a cornucopia of ceramic crunckle candle things, which are a great creation, as well as plants, prints, jewellery and a momentous sweets room that has to be seen to be believed.
Encounters was a well curated art gallery, with beguiling palimpsest digital montages, video art, gift shop style trinkets and a poignant piece about a missing artist’s work, who was sadly denied a visa to be there himself. Connecting the works through a theme of nature and technology also worked well, ensuring that a visitor gets something different each year.
Artists Open Houses showcases the breadth of local artistic talent
It was a very difficult decision, but the Latest Award for Best Open House went to Montefiore Open House. Grace Eyre Artists at Montefiore Open House offered an impressive range of quality art including paints, a particularly good felt tip work, enigmatic photographs, sculpture, mosaics and more. The relaxed space was welcoming, and the consistent high quality and affordability of the art was commendable.
I came away from Montefiore Open House with the longest notes regarding all the great artworks I’d seen, which helped me gather my thoughts and conclude that Grace Eyre Artists were deserved winners. I also probably should have purchased one of the photographs in fact. Curse my indecisive ways!
I suggest checking Grace Eyre Artists’ work again in a future exhibit, and you can find out more from their news link at bit.ly/2sVj7BP. Again, it was a very difficult decision and Encounters and 11 Rugby Road offer exceptional experiences for the visitor that I can also thoroughly recommend.
The Best Artists Open House Award, sponsored by The Latest/Latest TV:
Winner: Montefiore Open House
Other finalists:
11 Rugby Road
Encounters
Best Newcomer Award, sponsored by Handmade at Amazon:
Winner: Sophie Wake – Red Brick House
Other finalists:
Ruth Mulvie
Arthouse 37 – Carolyn Genders
The Gemini Print Award, sponsored by Gemini Print:
Winner: Artists at 3 – Naomi Sack
Other finalists:
Varndean School – submitted by Melanie Thomas
Comic Pop-up’ at Hanover pub submitted by Simon of Boing Graphics
The AOH Brochure Cover Artist 2018, sponsored by Lawrences Art Supplies:
Winner: Melodie Stacey
Other finalists:
Carolyn Genders
Sophie Wake
Gallit Shaltiel
Sally Welchman
