Artists getting the band back together for trail

THIS year’s Henley Arts Trail will be the biggest in the event’s 15-year history.

The trail, which normally takes place over the May bank holiday weekend, had to be cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In October, a scaled-down autumn show was held in Henley, Shiplake, Twyford and Hurst that featured four physical venues and five accompanying online exhibitions.

The socially distanced event was a success, but the trail’s organisers subsequently decided to rethink their approach to 2021 in light of covid.

As a result, it is taking place this weekend (July 10 and 11) and next (July 17 and 18).

Kate Findlay, who co-founded the arts trail in 2006 and now chairs the organising committee, said: “We had a meeting back in January and we looked at the way things were going and we thought, ‘Well, May is obviously going to be very tight.’

“And then it was just, well, what happens if we then rethink it in terms of a different time of year — and July seemed to be a good option.

“We were just hoping at that point that if we went for July then because it was summer and everything it would just be a better time of year, which I think is proving to be the case.”

The Government’s decision to delay the final easing of coronavirus restrictions by four weeks, from June 21 to July 19, naturally came as something of a disappointment.

But the organisers were prepared for the possibility that some covid measures would remain in place and are looking forward to hosting the event, which in 2019 attracted an estimated 10,000 visitors.

This time around, more than 200 artists will be showing their work across 40 different venues in Henley, Lower Assendon, Nuffield, Checkendon, Shiplake, Wargrave, Charvil, Twyford, Waltham St Lawrence and Hurst.

Kate said: “When we decided to do it as two weekends, the reason was because we were aware that we have quite a lot of venues that are village halls and we were worried that if we just said, right, it’s this one weekend, people might find that the halls were already booked for another event.

“We thought that if we could give them the choice of two weekends then hopefully we would capture most of our venues.

“But what’s interesting is that the majority of our venues have now opted to be open for both weekends, if they possibly can, which wasn’t quite what we were expecting, but it’s great — we’re very happy about that.”

In previous years, the Old Fire Station Gallery in Market Place has hosted a group exhibition by the Henley Art and Crafts Guild that has been designated venue number one on the trail.

But this year the switch from May to July meant that the gallery was already booked up — by the Reading Guild of Artists, which is hosting its 90th annual exhibition from next Friday (July 16) until Tuesday, July 27, and taking part in the second weekend of the trail as venue number nine.

Fortunately, most of the HACG artists have been able to find a berth elsewhere on the trail, which this year features a number of new venues.

Kate said: “Some were due to take part last year but weren’t able to, but of course that was their first time so they are new to the trail.”

The new venues include The Maker Space in Nuffield (venue two), the Eyot Centre in Wargrave Road (venue 15), and the Pool House in Mill Lane (venue 20).

Wargrave oil painter Shelagh Casebourne, who earlier this year reached the final of the Sky Arts channel’s Landscape Artist of the Year competition, is opening her home studio to visitors (venue 38) and will also have work on show as part of the Reading Guild of Artists’ exhibition.

Bix sculptor Dawn Conn, who last year won the BBC’s Home Is Where the Art Is, is showing her latest work at fellow artist Sarah Pye’s new Artistry Gallery in Reading Road (venue 19).

Meanwhile, with Bix village hall currently undergoing renovations, many of the Bix Six group of artists will be showing their work at the David Rodger Sharp Workshop in Bell Street (venue seven).

For her part, Kate will be exhibiting at Micklems Farm in Knowl Hill (venue 39) on the first weekend, followed by the Eyot Centre on the second weekend.

She said: “We’ve been trying to get the Eyot Centre for a long time as a venue and we managed to secure it. Then we didn’t have anybody to run it, but I realised that I was effectively free, so I’ve stepped up to run that venue, where we’ve got 12 artists in total showing their work.”

Kate and her colleagues are now hoping the weather will smile on them.

She said: “Hosting the trail in the middle of summer means that the venues can have doors and windows open and lots of airy space. And it means there might be one or two venues with marquees in the garden. It’s just easier when the weather’s nice.

“I think there’s definitely a sort of pent-up demand in terms of the artists wanting to be out there showing their work.

“We do have quite a few professional artists and therefore it’s actually quite important to them, really, because there has been so little else in terms of other exhibitions. So an art show like the trail is actually a pretty important outlet for them.

“We’re hoping we will be seeing our regular visitors again this year and because there has been less to do for quite a while I think we will hopefully pick up people who just want to have a nice day out.

“We felt that we just had to set a date, go with it and throw everything we could at it — and just keep out fingers crossed, quite frankly, because otherwise it just feels as though nothing’s ever going to open up ever again, doesn’t it?

“And we all need it. The artists who are making a living from it need it and the public need it because they need some normality. We just need to do this, don’t we?”

For more information on each of the 39 venues, including opening times and dates, and to download a map, visit www.henleyartstrail.com