The CAOS
CAOS started in 2016 with three friends and founders of Carshalton Artists, Helena Vaughan, Abel Kesteven and Neal Vaughan chatting about maybe exhibiting with a few artists. Neal and Abel were inspired by a conversation in The Hope pub and were immediately joined by Helena, all agreeing what a great idea it was to have an open studios event in Carshalton.
This is what happened next...
Story
CAOS17
In our first year we hoped for 1000 visitors but we got nearly double that! We thought we might get a few friends to exhibit but instead we had 32 amazing artists in 17 locations on our first trail, including Honeywood Museum, a place where many of the Carshalton Artists had first exhibited.
The elements for all future CAOS events were there from the start; free workshops and demonstrations, great art and a showcase of local heritage. Funding support came from Sutton Council, Arts Network Sutton and a small collection of local businesses.
Little did we expect the overwhelming public response. From the start we had local businesses and community supporting us and this willingness to help and be a part of CAOS became such an amazingly unexpected thing. So the foundations for a great event and future events were laid.
Half way through planning we met the incredible Doug Shaw, who kindly donated 12 Kingfisher pictures, hidden in some of the locations as a free art drop. Events like that would not only spread the word but give back to the community. The themed art trail was born.
According to Jackie Khan from the Corner Gallery, her most memorable CAOS moment had to be “Neal Vaughan running up to our lawn with artist’s tents set up with a bottle of champagne at about 9am, so excited for the weekends ahead so he popped the cork and we all had a quick swig to kick it off. Very exciting!”
By the end of CAOS17 the message was clear, that we had to do it again!
CAOS18
Over two very hot weekends we shared art and televised football (yes, remember the 2018 World Cup?) with the local community. It was a heady mix!
As CAOS was now known to the public we opened up to applications from new artists, growing from 2017 to accept over 40 artists for CAOS18. It was at this point that we established the criteria for selecting new artists that we’ve stuck to ever since. All artists applying to CAOS must:
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Live or work local to Carshalton (referring to our published boundary map)
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Have an online presence where we can view their work
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Have an established portfolio of work to exhibit
This criteria has served us well and helped us to ensure CAOS is always a truly local event that guarantees visitors will see a wide range of high quality artwork along a walkable trail.
Heritage was at the forefront of our thinking again when we celebrated the work of Pauline Boty. Boty was the founding member of the British Pop Art scene who lived in Carshalton and died far too young, at the start of what would have been a long career. Local schools, St Philomena's, Wallington Girls and Wallington County created collages inspired by Pauline for Calladoodles on Carshalton High Street.
Despite the World Cup, visitor numbers grew to over 3000 people, and they enjoyed 6 new locations to visit, including the popular Stonecourt schools building in Grove Park.
We were overwhelmed again by the response from local artists, business, Sutton Council’s Cultural Services and Arts Network Sutton. It was such an exciting time to realise that maybe the event was here to stay. Without this support events like this just fade away.
CAOS19
CAOS 2019 was always going to be bigger and with well over 3000 visitors to the trail we certainly achieved what we set out to do. We grew in artists numbers with 60 artists exhibiting and 24 locations. They showcased their techniques and processes in more free inclusive demonstrations and workshops, some closely linked to the theme of ‘arts and crafts’.
Sutton Council’s Cultural Services were influential on the picking of the CAOS theme and in celebrating the life and work of Frank Dickinson, who built the historic arts and crafts inspired Little Holland House in Carshalton Beeches. The theme was used in lino cut workshops run by Jackie Smith and two local schools, St Philomena's and Wallington Girls, made over 100 pieces of Arts and Crafts bunting, hung in Honeywood Museum and in Calladoodles shop window.
Another first for CAOS was the pig trail. With most artist locations participating by decorating ceramic pigs, displayed at locations, available to win in a raffle. One lucky winner also won £100 towards an artwork of their choice, with the winner picking a large canvas by Catherine Fairclough.
CAOS20
The country was plunged into the COVID pandemic in March in 2020 and CAOS was cancelled within days. However, the artists still wanted to do something, give something back and raise people’s spirits, so CAOS went online and in artists windows instead!
Carshalton Artists 'Online' Studios introduced lots of events and showcased over 40 artists work online through the website. Artists displayed their work in their windows and encouraged the public to do the same. The website hosted video content with artists conducting studio tours, demonstrations and live workshops. We also introduced locally acclaimed dancer Mel Simpson, who encouraged all to ‘dance and draw.’
The ‘Online studios’ had nearly 2000 visitors to the website and we hope that, in some small way, we brought some hope into people’s lives at this dark time
CAOS21
With Covid still greatly effecting us all, Carshalton Artists ‘Online’ became ‘Open Streets’ with the artists determined to make some kind of event possible. Stepping up to the challenge was Sutton Council’s Cultural Services, SamiArt and Sutton Writers to deliver an exciting visual arts event across Carshalton. It became an important celebration of the arts post-lockdown and a beacon of hope for many.
Suddenly 64 pieces of art and literature appeared, displayed on the streets, parks and shop windows across Carshalton. Artwork was carefully curated so many images portrayed elements of the locations they were placed in, interspersed with poems and verses from members of Sutton Writers.
Then an amazing, expansive, community Yarn Bomb led by Samia Tossio and Carole Baker appeared, almost overnight, outside Honeywood Museum. Woolly wonders adorned trees and railings around the ponds. Bugs, flowers, mandalas and even a working woolly bicycle brought a riot of colour, a ton of smiles and a few emotional moments…like this;
"All this would have been enough…but a relaxing of restrictions suddenly gave us the opportunity to invite the public once again to Honeywood Museum, Cryer Arts and Sutton Ecology Centre."
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 was hastily arranged. Mel Simpson joined with cellist Elizabeth Andrews and singer songwriter Chloe Ray to present an enchanting, improvised event, that was part live music and dance performance, part serenely moving life sculpture, there were over 30 artists drawing during two 60 minute sessions.
There was also a rare opportunity to join a life drawing session with a Rhino in Sutton Ecology Centre run by artist Jackie Smith and in aid of raising awareness of the plight of the Rhino.
So many people lost so much in these difficult two years and yet, with support from Sutton Councils Cultural Services, Arts Network Sutton and Cryer Arts, we were hopeful that we could give some hope to our community.
CAOS22
In 2022 Honeywood Museum once again played host to artists, but as a trail location not just a heritage site. There was a market place feel to the collective and that was alongside an artists water themed exhibition.
Another firm favourite to return was the open air exhibition of artwork by all CAOS22 artists accompanied by written pieces from the members of Sutton Writers group.
A yarn bomb appeared again and the artist, Carole Baker, was now a part of CAOS, as were a host of brand new artists exhibited in new locations for the first time. We were also joined by Gallery Kairo and the affect that Carshalton Artists was having was becoming evident in further galleries appearing in the coming years and our support of Sutton Council and their Cultural Impact Award.
Part of our legacy is the opportunities CAOS gives to young artists, a passion of Jackie Khan from The Corner Gallery. The Corner Gallery have been the biggest support of CAOS and in 2023 started Teen CAOS, giving young artists the experience of being a professional artist, mentored by Jackie and selected artists.
2022 also saw the sad passing of one of the CAOS artists, Fred Gillespie. Fred was with us from the start of CAOS and many of us knew him personally. Fred was always a vibrant, kind and generous man who was part of the Carshalton arts scene for many years.
CAOS23
CAOS 2023 saw more growth, with new locations and firm favourites back.
The Piggies were back, with artists decorating the ever popular pork based ceramic money banks, raising money for the Mayor of Sutton’s charities.
The Vellum Mill Gallery were a brand new location this year. It was in 2023 that they converted the once empty print work space into a new gallery space, hosting Neal Vaughan as their first artist in residence. Since 2023 Vellum Mill Gallery has been a firm favourite on the trail, not only in CAOS, but also throughout the year, hosting exhibitions, workshops, poetry readings, classical concerts and even the odd techno club night!
CAOS has always fostered collaborations between artists and in 2023 we had another of these with Maria Pia Jamie (The Fabric of Society mural) encouraging visitors to learn about making mosaic decoration using the rejects from Kathryn Sherriff (By the Line Pottery).
CAOS24
2024 had 50 artists at 16 locations around Carshalton, Carshalton Beeches and Oaks Park. There was a firm new committee now taking over running of the event from the Vaughans, as they took a year out to visit the trail they had lovingly created.
The new CAOS committee immediately began to modernise CAOS into the event you see today. A new feature on the trail maps was a key telling visitors where artists will either be running demos or an activity for you to have a go. Also shown was where there is step free access and dog friendly locations, all now part and parcel of CAOS. Online feedback forms were introduced as was a Google map, a new website and digital marketing to get the CAOS message out there to more people.
CAOS25
This year was the first time in two years we had invited new artists. 10 new artists joined us and brought 6 new locations, bringing a wealth of new inspiration to the trail.
Another new location this year was The Garden Hall, joining The Corner Gallery and Vellum Mill as a multiple artist location. We also developed our map, going digital and paving the way for the CAOS app.
THE FUTURE
CAOS has grown from its humble start of 32 artists and 17 locations to now over 80 artists in 29 locations. It has put Carshalton on the map as a place of excellence and visibility for the visual arts.
We have also become a private limited company from 2026 with an app to guide visitors and grow the exposure, reach, experience and vibrancy of what we give to our community.
That journey could have only been achieved with our amazing community of visitors, artists, business and heritage buildings. We thank you all and look forward to the years to come. The last words go to Helena Vaughan, our founder and drive ”CAOS has been hard work, but it is inspiring and emotional, everything the visual arts should be.”