Digswell Arts

🖨️ Imprint Art Fair – International Artist Open Call Applications are now open for the Imprint Art Fair Open Call, taking place this autumn at RHS Lawrence Hall, London (29 Oct – 1 Nov). Formerly known as Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Imprint brings together galleries, publishers, and artists working in print and editions — placing print at the centre of contemporary art. Selected artists will be part of a curated presentation within the fair. 📌 Open to artists working in print and editions 🌍 International submissions welcome ⏳ Deadline: 9 July 🔗 Find out more https://imprintartfair.com/open-call-navigation

🎨 Open Studios — 20 & 21 June Join us for a weekend of art at Digswell Arts Open Studios. Explore working studios, meet the artists, and discover a wide range of practices — from painting and printmaking to sculpture and mixed media. ✨ Free entry 📍 All welcome 🔗 Find out more https://digswellarts.org/step-inside-the-studios-digswell-arts-trust-open-studios-weekend/

Digswell Arts Fellow Katy Cook is exhibiting this weekend at Kimpton Art Show 2026 🎨 Taking place at St. Peter & St. Paul’s Church, the show brings together a wide range of artists in a beautiful village setting across the Bank Holiday weekend. 📍 Kimpton, Hertfordshire 🗓 Friday 1st – Monday 4th May Opening night: Friday, 6–9pm A great chance to see Katy’s work alongside other artists and support a long-running community event. More info: www.kimptonartshow.co.uk

✂️ Rediscovering Collage with Katy Cook Collage workshops led by Digswell Fellow Katy Cook offer a chance to slow down, disconnect from the digital world, and reconnect with making. Often overlooked since school days, collage becomes something entirely different here — a playful yet thoughtful process of working with colour, shape, and materials. As Katy shares: “It’s a wonderful way to be present and play… calming, but with energising results.” Each participant leaves with something personal, vibrant, and unique. 🎨 Register your interest for future workshops → www.katycookart.com 🔗 Read more via the link in bio

🌟 Save the Date — 20–21 June Digswell Arts Open Studios is coming up this June. Spend the weekend exploring artists’ studios, discovering new work, and meeting the makers behind it. From painting and printmaking to sculpture and mixed media, Open Studios offers a chance to experience art where it happens. Whether you’ve visited before or are planning your first trip, we’d love to welcome you. 📍 More details to follow

🎨 A Creative Dialogue with Red Gables We’re pleased to share an insight into Katy’s 2026 residency project, developed in collaboration with Red Gables. This evolving body of work explores connection, creativity, and exchange — bringing together artists and participants in a shared process shaped by dialogue and lived experience. Through workshops, making, and conversation, the project reflects on how art can create meaningful spaces for engagement and expression. Read more about the project → https://digswellarts.org/a-creative-dialogue-with-red-gables-katys-2026-residency-project/

🎨 Join Us for Open Studios — 20–21 June Save the date for Digswell Arts Open Studios — a chance to step inside our studios, meet the artists, and experience work in progress across a wide range of practices. Explore painting, printmaking, sculpture and more, all within our creative community. Whether you’re curious about how work is made or simply want to discover something new, everyone is welcome. 📍 More details coming soon

Our Featured Artist of the Month is Nade Simmons. In this interview, Nade shares insights into her creative process, current work, and experience as part of the Digswell Arts community. Read more: https://digswellarts.org/featured-artist-of-the-month-nade-simmons/

Fen Ditton Gallery in Cambridge has launched the Contemporary Printmaking Prize 2026! This free-to-enter prize is open to all artists based in the UK working in the field of original printmaking. Submissions open on Wednesday 1st April 2026 and can be made via the gallery website. The overall winner of the Contemporary Printmaking Prize 2026 will receive £500, be featured across the Fen Ditton Gallery networks and record an interview with Gallery Manager, Hannah Munby, for the popular gallery podcast. An exhibition of shortlisted artists will take place at Fen Ditton Gallery from the 23rd May - 14th June 2026. For more information, terms and conditions, and to enter, visit: fendittongallery.com/printmaking-prize-26.

Explore new approaches to lithography and experimental printmaking this April at Digswell Arts. This one-day studio workshop introduces alternative lithographic processes that do not require traditional stone, opening up accessible and creative ways to develop layered prints and expressive mark making. Suitable for beginners and those wishing to expand their print practice. 📅 11 April 2026 ⏰ 10.00am – 4.00pm 📍 The Forge, Digswell 💷 £85 including all materials Places are limited. Read more: https://digswellarts.org/exploring-lithography-alternative-techniques-april-2026/

🎨 Open Call – Eagle Gallery Open Art Exhibition 2026 Artists in Bedfordshire and surrounding counties are invited to submit work for the first Eagle Gallery Open Art Exhibition, taking place 20–27 June 2026. This new event aims to showcase the breadth of creative talent in the region and connect local artists with a wider audience. 🗓 Submission period: 1 March – 30 April 2026 💷 Entry fee: from £10 Find out more and apply → https://www.eaglegalleryartists.co.uk/eagle-open-2026.html #ArtistOpportunity #OpenCall #DigswellArts #EagleGallery #BedfordshireArt #ArtExhibition #ContemporaryArt 📸 Poster courtesy of Eagle Gallery

🦋 The Butterfly Effect in Hatfield We’re proud to have collaborated on The Butterfly Effect, a new public art installation launched by Hatfield Town Council at the end of January. Created in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council and Butterfly Conservation, the project brings art and environmental awareness into the public realm — encouraging reflection on biodiversity, transformation and our shared responsibility for local habitats. The installation features work by Angela Bull and Digswell Arts Fellows Liberty Burrough and Magdalena Gluszak. Public art has the power to become part of everyday life — not just something experienced inside gallery walls. We’re delighted to support our Fellows in contributing to meaningful civic projects across Hertfordshire. Read more on our website: https://digswellarts.org/the-butterfly-effect-art-project-unveiled-in-hatfield/

Discover the expressive possibilities of drypoint and collagraph printmaking this March at Digswell Arts. This one-day studio course explores mark making, texture and layered intaglio processes in a supportive, hands-on environment. Whether you’re new to print or looking to expand your practice, you’ll experiment with techniques that produce rich, tactile results. 📅 21 March 2026 ⏰ 10.00am – 4.00pm 📍 The Forge, Digswell 💷 £85 including all materials Places are limited. Book here: https://digswellarts.org/drypoint-with-collagraph-course-march-2026/

The Past is Tense 14 artists at Barbican Arts Group Trust explore time, vocation and the ghosts of making Exhibition dates: Friday 5 December– Wednesday 31 December 2025 Private view: Thursday 4 December, 6:30–8:30 pm Venue: Atrium Space, Barbican Arts Group Trust, 32A Hertford Road London N1 5SH Opening hours: Friday - Sunday, 12–5 pm; Sunday Admission: Free Barbican Arts Group Trust presents The Past is Tense, a group exhibition of 14 artists whose practices stretch across decades and disciplines. Centred in the Atrium Space, the show traces the stubborn, restless presence of the past in the act of making – how it clings, shifts, argues and insists on being re-seen. The exhibition title comes from a painting made in 1985, The Past Sure Is Tense, itself a nod to the late Captain Beefheart’s skewed reflections on memory and time. Here, that phrase becomes a lens through which to look at lives spent in and around the studio, and at works that refuse to sit quietly in their “period”.

Down to Earth – Exhibition by Digswell Artist Stuart Smith We’re pleased to share Stuart Smith’s upcoming solo exhibition Down to Earth, opening 27 November at The Collective Gallery, St Albans. This new body of work reflects Stuart’s collaboration with the Chilterns Landscape Trust, exploring texture, geology, and the traces of natural history through painting and mixed media. 🗓 27 November – 3 December 2025 📍 The Collective Gallery, 18 Holywell Hill, St Albans AL1 1BZ 🎨 Private View:@ 27 November, 6–9pm Read more about Stuart’s process and inspiration on our website → digswellarts.org/down-to-earth-local-artist-collaborates-with-chilterns-landscape #DigswellArts #StuartSmith #DownToEarth #TheCollectiveGallery #StAlbansArt #ChilternsLandscapeTrust #ContemporaryArt #ArtExhibition 📸 Image courtesy of the artist

✨ Artist of the Month – Heather Ellis ✨ We’re delighted to feature printmaker Heather Ellis, whose work captures the movement, mystery, and atmosphere of nature. Combining drypoint etching and monoprint, Heather creates landscapes inspired by the Isle of Skye, the Outer Hebrides, and everyday moments of quiet observation. 👉 Read more: https://digswellarts.org/featured-artist-of-the-month-heather-ellis/

🎨 Call for Artists – Barbican Arts Group Trust A reminder that the deadline for submission forms is Tuesday 4 November at 11:59pm. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of one of London’s most respected artist-led organisations, supporting creative practice through studios, exhibitions, and residencies. Find full details and the application link at 👉 https://www.barbicanartsgrouptrust.co.uk/info.html