NEARLY 70 artists and crafters from all over the borders will be taking part in a new festival in Kington during the first May Bank Holiday.
The Marches Makers Festival will showcase the wealth of talent in and around the town and it will feature professional artists with international reputations, crafters reviving ancient practices, and community creativity that includes music, story-telling, textiles, jewellery, craft workshops, photography, painting, print-making and lots more.
From May 5-7 the festival will exhibit 70 artists and crafters in 11 venues in Kington.
These will be open from 10am to 4pm, with some individual galleries having their own opening times.
Participating galleries include Made in the Marches, Studio 54 and Leg of Mutton. The Old Police Station will show 12 exhibitors including oils, watercolours, ceramics, jewellery, leatherwork, wood carving, textiles and prints.
St Mary’s Church will host over 40 exhibitors showing painting, ironwork, handmade books, textiles, stonecarving, wood turning, ceramics, jewellery, prints, furniture and more.
Hergest Croft Gardens has an outdoor exhibition of sculpture that includes a huge kinetic piece alongside stone carving, architectural ironwork and willow. The Border Bean café will show paintings by three artists and Kington Library will be having a Making a Story event from 1pm to 3pm. This is free but needs to be booked ahead on [email protected] All ages welcome.
On the Saturday and Sunday Kington Art and Craft Market will be open from 10am to 4pm and will offer a wide variety of stalls, including demonstrations, while Harmony Handmade Craft Shop offers a craft café, where people can try their hand at making something themselves.
Kington Arts Society is holding its annual art exhibition as part of the Marches Makers Festival in Kingswood Village Hall. The Marches Makers Festival is an exciting new project initiated by Kington Town councillor Christine Forrester and organised by a team of local makers. A spokeswoman said: “Marches Makers is a group of artists, crafters and makers based in and around Kington.The town has become something of a focal point for makers of all kinds over the years, and they felt they should come together to support each other, promote the fruits of their labours and let the world know just how much lovely stuff there is here.”
For more information contact: [email protected] and see www.marchesmakers.co.uk.