Welcome to Village Connect

The popular county-wide visual arts festival returns to full form after being forced online in 2020. During the month of September artists all over the county invite you into their studios, homes and organised exhibitions to witness at fi rst hand the inspiration and motivation, which drives them to create. Step inside a pottery studio, discuss diamonds with a jewellery designer or watch demonstrations of painting, printmaking and traditional crafts in a relaxed environment. Many artists will also present their work as individuals or groups in galleries located across the county and for the majority of them, this will be their fi rst time exhibiting work undertaken through lockdown so there will be plenty on offer.

A brochure and an online platform accompanies the event, which shows you the huge range of art activities featured this year and to help you choose where to visit, not just for this September, but for the whole year ahead.

This year we are very lucky to have the support from two venues, who will play host to our artists taking part in Northants Open Studios. Each artist will have the opportunity to select two pieces of work that best represents their practice and showcase one in each of our central exhibitions.

Jeyes of Earls Barton will start the festival off with a Launch Party on Saturday 4th September from 3pm. It will be a great opportunity for visitors to see a wide range of works from the participating artists and it is hoped that it inspires them to get out and about around the county to visit studio spaces and exhibitions. To conclude the festival, we will be awarding several artist prizes, which will be announced at the Awards Ceremony taking place at the JGallery in Moulton, our second Central Exhibition venue. The ceremony will celebrate the achievements of all our artists and acknowledge all of our supporters, without whom, none of this would have been possible.

Central Exhibitions

Saturday 4th to Saturday 25th September at Jeyes of Earls Barton and the J Gallery, kindly supported by Kettering & District Art Society.

Events:

Launch Party at Jeyes of Earls Barton, Saturday 4th September, 3-7pm Closing Event and Prize Giving Ceremony at J Gallery, Moulton, Saturday 25th September, 5.30-7.30pm.