Site Festival Open Studios : 11th-12th and 18th -19th May

Over 80 artists opened their studio doors across the Stroud Valleys over 2 weekends.

The Open Studios Taster Exhibition looked incredible at the new Stroud Brewery building, and this year we had artists exhibiting at Woodchester Mansion.

A warm welcome to Open Studios 2019 : From Jonny Fluffypunk

The first time I ever came to Stroud, it was on an Open Studios weekend. I didn’t know Open Studios was on. I knew little about the town; a half-remembered conversation had left an impression of an oasis of ageing anarchists and arty bohemia in the cultural desert of the Cotswolds and I came to find out if it was true.

It was. That weekend I must have wandered in and out of thirty-five stranger’s houses; thirty-five welcomes into very different vibrant worlds. It was the quality that hit me- such exciting, colourful, challenging stuff. Growing up in a small town in the sticks had left me with a terror of ever returning to live in one; of consigning myself willingly to a parochial Hades of insipid watercolour landscapes and pub covers bands. But Stroud’s different. A law unto itself, with a gravitational pull so strong that creative souls seem powerless to resist. At the end of that weekend, my mind blown by all the shapes and colours, clutching a letterpress print from an ageing anarchist, I decided I had to move here too.

Go and check these wonderful people out. Wander down alleys and lanes and in through doors. Enjoy the riot of creation. And, if you’re less skint than me, buy it.

Jonny Fluffypunk, writer and stand-up word-speaker.

Explore Artists’ Studios in the Stroud Valleys

There are so many fantastic artist studios to discover along the 6 Open Studio routes starting with Route 1 in the town centre and and then Routes 2-6 stretch out along the Five Valleys out to Bisley, Golden Valley, Valley and Vale,  Nailsworth, Painswick and Slad.

In Stroud town centre, you will find SVA, a central Open Studios hub with over 26 open studios artists. There is an eclectic mix of with independent shops, cafés and galleries and home to one of the best Farmers’ Markets in the country.

The town is set against the dramatic backdrop of the beautiful Five Valleys, just 90 minutes by train from London. Stroud is well-known for its industrial heritage and visitors can visit artists in the former textile mills such as St Marys Mill and Victoria Works along the valleys.

Taster Exhibition at Stroud Brewery

Stroud Brewery, Kingfisher Business Park, London Road, Thrupp, Brimscombe, Stroud GL5 2BY

The Open Studios 2019 Taster Exhibition was its best yet at the new Stroud Brewery building, and we are very very grateful to everyone who made this possible.

Artists Information

The directory gives information on the 86 participating artists who showed their work in 43 open studio locations in May.

Open Studios is a great way to meet artists, find out more about the ideas behind their work and the techniques they use. Feel free to use the directory for contact information, if you would like to arrange to view artwork now that the Open Studios weekend has passed.

Supporting artists

SVA has been hosting Open Studios since 1997, starting out with a handful of artists and has now expanded into one of the best rurally based Open Studio events in the UK.

Open Studio Hubs

Over the last few years we have been promoting groups of artists as Open Studio Hubs. 

This year Stroud Brewery, Woodchester Mansion, established studio hubs such as Victoria Works, and a great selection of private homes, proved to be a wonderful mix of artists together.