We’re about a month away from the annual Oxfordshire Artweeks, when hundreds of local artists across the county open their homes, studios and galleries to display their creations to the public. While there will of course be plenty of exhibitions from bigger venues, part of the charm of Artweeks is coming across artists you may not have seen before tucked away down an ordinary street or the middle of the countryside. Here are just a few of the creatives we’ve got our eye on, who will be sharing their work over the course of May.
WEEK 1
The first week of the festival will be taking place in South Oxfordshire, which gives you a nice little excuse for a trip out of the city! In Didcot, you can find the characterful textile creations of Yvette Phillips, Karina Tarin’s bold narrative paintings drawing from folklore and mythology, and a group exhibition curated at Cornerstone Arts.
Catch Josie Clouting’s evocative landscapes, Sophie Bass’ vibrant graphic illustration and Judith Rowland’s uniquely textured jewellery in Wallingford, while Kay-Marie Taylor-Duke’s colourful decoupage and Robert Bruce’s delicately rendered portraits can be found in Watlington.
Local arts groups and galleries will also be displaying their handiwork in group exhibitions; keep your eyes peeled for Art on Tap, West Ox Arts and Sunningwell School of Arts’ group exhibitions on your travels.
WEEK 2
Week 2 takes us to the North and West, where Bampton, Witney, Kidlington and more will be sharing their talents. We’re particularly taken with Marjolaine Trewavas’ textile figures (which reminds us a little of Oliver Postgate’s puppet creations!), as well as Kevin Hinton’s highly graphic still lifes and the contrasting textures of Phil Jolley’s porcelain ceramic pieces.
If you’re in the market for some jewellery, Lucy Sylvester’s finely wrought sycamore chains, gold oak leaves and silver moth wings are a sure hit. Melissa Keskinkilinc’s glasswork is equally delicate, recalling coral reefs and seascapes, while Tabitha Grove’s mixed-media collages take snapshots of little moments that tell bigger stories.For group shows, you can find exhibitions by Kings Sutton Collective, Fired Up Potters and Oxford Textile Artists (which our staff have some allegiance to!), as well as nestled in the gallery of the Mill Arts Centre.
WEEK 3
We head into the heart of the city for our final week, and as well as showings from the big hitters like the Bodleian and the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, there’s also plenty of independent local colour, with Oxford Printmakers Co-Operative, Multaka, Oxford Art Market and Caper Bookshop all showcasing pieces.
In Oxford West, Rebecca Rowland’s precisely ordered glass motifs takes inspiration from DNA electrophoresis and aperiodic tiling patterns. Howard Aspden’s highly textured and impressionistic paintings evoke a sense of archiving fleeting memory, a goal shared by Sky’s Landscape Artist of the Year contestant Alice Kwan, who can be found exhibiting in the city centre.Jill Colchester creates ephemeral but still strikingly expressive likenesses in her gestural illustrations, capturing a person’s essence in as short a time as she can - find her at St Michael and All Angels Church. Near Summertown shops, Maggie Levien’s still lifes carry a sense of warmth and ease in their colour palette and broad brushstrokes, and a little further afield Sebastian Volak brings the classical influence of his training in Florence into his finely rendered portraiture.
Climb aboard Lady Banbury Butty Boat to take in surreal, symbolist and folklore-inspired pieces from Karis Harrington, or head to Campbell Road where Abby Mason’s pottery combines modern techniques with mythic beasts. Bry Leighton’s mixed-media collages carry with them a wry humour, and there are definitely smiles to be found in Laura Pomarius’ playfully stylised creations in ink, lino print and even a hand-painted lamp or two down Cowley way.
With so many great artists to be found throughout May, this is really only the tip of the iceberg. The entirety of Oxfordshire Artweeks’ artists’ catalogue can be found on their website, and just so you know exactly where to look, they’ve also got a handy map for each area in their 2026 guide for you to plan your movements. You’ll also find some areas (like East Oxford) where there’s a good density of studios have their own maps - visit one stop and you’ll discover many more nearby. Whether you’re going on an arty pilgrimage or discovering what’s just on your doorstep, have a fabulous Artweeks!
Oxfordshire Artweeks takes place from Sat 2nd - Mon 25th May.