Devon Open Studios 2024
I’ve been saving up some reflections on taking part in Devon Open Studios for the first time. I’m going to share pros and cons, just from my own point of view, as it might be helpful for other artists considering taking part in the future.
It felt costly & nerve-wracking to take part when accounting for everything - framing, memberships, promo materials, signage etc etc. The amount of money I spent getting ship-shape makes me want to cry a bit. However, sorting out framing and promo means I am now set-up, neat, tidy, professional & ready to approach other settings/galleries/shows now that DOS is over - when I otherwise wouldn’t have been. It takes me a lot of courage to pay for framing, and display materials, and a lot of courage again to approach places that might display or sell my work. So taking part in DOS removed a barrier in doing that, and now I can go forth and get brave and see who wants my stuff on their walls and on their shelves.
For me, it didn’t really translate into many sales. I certainly made more sales than I would have if I hadn’t taken part, but I didn’t cover my costs. However, it did translate into building community, finding connections, networking & lining up future work & future involvement in other projects. I’ve really loved the conversations I’ve had & the bonds I’ve started to make. Not to mention the inspiration and stirring up of hints of ideas this all caused.
I felt REALLY vulnerable, and some days it really poked at my insecurities. But, the result is that I also felt brave, and proud, for putting myself out there, letting people into my home, and sharing my work.
It pushed me to be sociable, and find ways to talk about my work, which is very tiring but also really very enjoyable. I am quite a chatty, friendly introvert so I can often find social contact exhausting even though I love it. Doing DOS gave me an avenue to socialise in what is usually a very insular, solitary occupation. It’s nice to have a balance, and DOS provided an opportunity for that balance.
Taking part in Open Studios also forced me to sit in my studio and WORK. I have more paintings and WIPs now than I would have done, had I not taken part. Those pieces are still percolating , uncovering a further step in a current body of work. Those pieces wouldn’t exist were it not for the fact I had to sit down and do something to keep busy. Being a busy mum, and dealing with ADHD, I can find it really really hard to find the headspace to knuckle down and prioritise making art, even though it’s actually the only thing I ever really want to do. There’s always something else - laundry, exercise, school run, meal prep, mindless scrolling, other jobs. Having to be in the studio meant one more barrier was removed in making work. Hallelujah!
It felt really lovely to be part of a big something, and it felt exciting to build some involvement & momentum into my art practice and into my social media presence. This provided another way of finding community and having fun, which I really loved. I didn’t factor in making time to visit other studios this year, and I wish I had. If I take part again, I will make sure I find the time to venture to other spaces and have more lovely chats and put more faces to names.
I did, at first, find it slightly soul destroying on days when nobody showed up at all. Then my husband reminded me all I ever want is to be working in my studio in peace, and that was exactly what I was getting. So…every cloud?
Having Open Studios on my calendar gave me something to work towards, and forced me to get my shit together. I REALLY need that every few months, it is so helpful. Working as an artist can make time quite fluid, with little urgency unless you build that urgency in yourself. I am the type of person that mostly needs a sense of urgency in order to complete a task, so I was really grateful I had a focal point on my calendar to keep an eye on.
Taking part also made me feel slightly more embedded in this town & area that I have adopted as my home. I’ve only been in Devon for just over two years, and I still feel like an interloper. Having said that, this place certainly draws artists from all over the place, so I am not the only artist transplant in the area. But through opening my studio doors, I discovered many local artists who live nearby, saw my signs and popped in. We’re all over the place, hidden in plain sight, and you’d never know. Thanks to DOS, I learned of a local film screening, and a local exhibition, and was able to visit both, and meet even more local arts folk. Magic.
I found that the majority of visitors were fellow artists. I get the feeling that general, non-artsy people may find it a little confusing/intimidating to come & have a look around. I’m not sure I could really adequately articulate what the point of Devon Open Studios is yet, to the general public. Comments I got from some people is that they may feel pressure to buy something, or they would not be sure what they were looking at, and would they have to talk to the artist? All totally valid questions, I think.
All in all, I’m glad I took part, and I am open minded about doing it again. I have heard rumours that the dates of DOS may change in a couple of years, and that would be greatly beneficial as August/September is such a busy time if you have kids. If I join in next year, I’d do some things differently;
I’d invite more artists to share the studio. It was great having another artist share their work in the studio, it gives people more value when visiting and it’s also more sociable. I’d like to include artists with totally different styles to mine.
I would also maybe try to link up and coordinate opening times with other local studios, as I suspect some of my dead days were when other local studios were closed.
Not a single soul ever arrived before midday 😄 so I don’t think I need to open at 10am sharp again. And quite right too.
I’d really like to find ways of making the whole thing more approachable, interesting & encouraging to non-artists. I firmly believe that art is for everyone, and that it does us all good to get some art in our eyes and broaden our horizons, and that this can provide an opportunity for de-mystifying artist techniques and lives. I’d love to find new ways of spreading the good word.
And finally, I’d make some bloody friggin sodding flyers/business cards for people to take away with them! I completely forgot! So many people asked for them! What a wasted opportunity.
Basically, I feel positive about it. As a professional exercise, I need to think about the cost aspect of it. Very often, being an artist feels like spending money to do your own job. This is hard to live with, and I am never reconciled to it. I’m glad I took part, I’m glad I saw it through and did it all properly. As a personal goal, I smashed it and I’m thrilled.