OPEN STREETS 2021- Honeywood Exhibition

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'I visited Honeywood on the first weekend with both my children and my husband and we had a fabulous hang out, chatting to artists and trying out two different forms of printing. XXXX (age 2) had visited the crotchet animals before we did courtesy of a visit with her childminder where they bumped in to the artist one weekday morning and had a guided tour! How awesomely cool is that? She loved sharing her favourites, running to them to tell us about them. Both our children are proud of the monoprinting they created and it's on display at home….I have come away so inspired. Every artist I spoke to asked if I was an artist. I found my response gradually changing from 'no I'm a musician, but I have to lead art at school, to, 'well, I'm loving exploring and learning and enjoying having a go'. What amazed me was that every single artist was more than happy to tell me how they create their art, it wasn't a secret, they wanted to share their knowledge and love and encouraged me to have a go. So much creativity in one place. Who knew?! Clearly Helena and Neal had an idea and now there must be many people feeling like me: keen to have a go, signing up to a workshop, enjoying the talent, and feeling part of the Carshalton Artists community. Who could ask for more?' (Facebook review)

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Earlier this year Carshalton artists sadly announced that they could not go ahead with plans for their hugely popular annual open studios event. They replaced the event with a hugely successful ‘Open Streets’ event that took place for six weeks in June and July, funded by Arts Network Sutton and, in part, by the artists themselves and local business partners.

This exciting open-air event saw 64 pieces of art and literature displayed on the streets, parks and shop windows across Carshalton and an immersive, community led, Yarn Bomb. The centrepiece was the historically significant heritage building, Honeywood Museum. Here, there was a hugely significant exhibition of current local artists work and two community engagement art fair weekends with live demonstrations, artwork on sale and a showcase of the work of local groups that have supported the community through lockdown. 

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Neal Vaughan, of Carshalton Artists, set up the event; ‘it's been a tough year for everyone, so let's brighten up our daily walks with a visual festival of the arts, open to all, to showcase all those creative projects you and I have been doing during lockdown.'

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There was further calls for the community to get involved by displaying their own work in their windows and many took this opportunity to get involved.

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Other events during the six weeks included Dancer Mel Simpson, joined by cellist Elizabeth Andrews and singer songwriter Miss Chloe Ray to present an enchanting improvised happening, where they collaborated for the first time, in real time. Part live music and dance performance, part serenely moving life sculpture, there was over 30 artists standing and seated to focus on drawing the dancer, the cellist, the singer or all three over the course of this transfixing 2 x one hour happenings. And finally...there was a rare opportunity to join a life drawing session with a Rhino in Sutton Ecology Centre! run by Jackie Smith and in aid of raising awareness of the plight of the Rhino.

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Exhibiting artists: Abel Kesteven, Adrienne Roberts, Anne Cady, Barbara Andrews, Brenda Pennington,, Carol Baker, Caroline Warwick, Chris Roberts, Claire Chandler, Doug Shaw, Eleanor Platt, Gavin Mundy, Helena Vaughan,Ingrid Barber, Irene Caboni, Jackie Smith, Jeannette Foley, Jo Sharpe, John Stillman, Julian Heath, Julie Curry, Karin Jashapara, Kate Marsden, Kate Wilson, Keith Mountain, Kevin Ireland, Livi Kesteven, Liz Lees,Lyn Crush, Maggie Penton, Mary-Carmen Featherstone, Mia Andrews, Nabil Hamad, Neal Vaughan, Pia Jaime, Raquel Acosta, Rebecca Tucker, Samia Tossio, Sean Bright, Seyhan Gunay Kaya, Sian Highwood, Simon Burder, Steve Parker, Sylvia Gurr, Ted Eggs, Teresa Allen, Tessa Spanton, Tracey Downing, AND FROM SUTTON WRITERS: Barbara Saunders, Bernard Jacobs, Colin Stern, Rosie O'Carroll, Philip Smith,Georgina Shaw, Meg Jeffries, Ann Pattison, Marcus Jones, Debbie Brewin, Miranda Lewis,Claudia Forero R Douglass,

AND A YARN BOMB, a RHINO........and we may have decorated the boards on the disused public house, The Fox and Hounds...Enjoy!