NOST is coming (29th August)

Northants Open Studio Trails (NOST) Launch Day

Alfred East Art Gallery & Manor House Gardens

Saturday 29 August, 11am – 4pm

Northants Open Studio Trails (NOST) is the largest visual arts event of its kind in Northamptonshire, launching with a host of activities and entertainment for the family. NOST enables members of the public to see some of Northamptonshire’s finest artworks as artists invite you into their studios to witness first-hand the inspiration and motivation that drives them to create.

Northants Open Studio Trails runs from 1^st until 30^th September, with a central exhibition (featuring a piece of artwork from each participating artist) running from 29^th August until 26^th September at the Alfred East Art Gallery.  Visitors can tour the county visiting studios and exhibitions hosted by artists. Step inside a pottery studio, discuss carving with a stonemason or watch demonstrations of painting, printmaking and traditional crafts.

NOST Launch Event: 29 August

NOST kicks off with a launch event on Saturday 29^th August (11am - 4pm) in the Manor House Gardens with pop up exhibitions, live demonstrations, free drop in workshops and entertainment for all ages, throughout the day.

At the launch event, visitors can enjoy artists’ demos in the Gardens, as well as some free children’s workshops including pottery, mural sticker art and Little Draw, a community drawing project sponsored by Northampton Community Fund; participating children take home a goody bag! For our adult visitors there is the chance to take part in THE BIG PAINT, a collaborative community art project. With materials being sponsored by ColArt, 100 members of the public can show off their talents by painting a section of what will become a much larger painting, which will be hung for the month of NOST in the Gallery.

Guy Holloway, Head of Corporate and Cultural Services at Kettering Borough Council, said: “NOST provides a delightful opportunity for us to look forward to welcoming visitors and showcasing the impressive variety of art across the county.”

Cllr Lesley Thurland, Kettering Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community and Culture, said: “It’s a huge honour for the Alfred East Art Gallery to host the central exhibition for Northants Open Studio Trails and I’m excited for it to begin. The big launch looks set to be a wonderful event for the whole family so make sure you’re there to witness the creative talent across the county.”