London’s leading artist community opens its doors

This May London’s burgeoning art community will open its doors to the public, enabling art lovers to get so close you could smell the paint, and feel the wood shavings. The biannual Open Studio at Second Floor Studios & Arts (SFSA) gives Londoners the chance to meet the artists and watch them work in their private studios. The community of more than 160 professional arts and crafts practitioners will open their studios to the public; inviting visitors into their creative spaces to discuss view and even buy, their work. The Open Studio will be open to the public on Thursday 17th (5pm - 9pm), Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th (11am - 6pm) May

Helen Pynor and Ray Richardson

A stone’s throw from the Thames barrier, SFSA is an affordable studio provision and creative space championing the practice of art, crafts and design in London. It is an arts community in the truest sense. A multi-million pound development, once complete SFSA will provide 160,000sqft of affordable arts space, studios and facilities for more than 300 artists. The development currently houses more than 160 artists from the fields of painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, graphic and digital design, animation, illustration, fashion and jewellery design, mosaic, glass-making, cabinet-making and interactive sound installation.

L-R Veta Gorner, Paula Ortega and Le Guo

Throughout the Open Studio No Format, London’s newest art gallery located at SFSA, will host 'Never Promised Pound Land', an exhibition of works by Ray Richardson, Cathie Pilkinton and Mark Hampson.

The Thames Barrier Print Studios at SFSA, one of London's most spacious open access fine art printmaking studios, will be open with a series of print technique demonstrations throughout the weekend. The new CANTEEN terrace arts cafe will be open for teas, coffees, homemade foods and a summer BBQ. ☐