Bonchurch Artists Open Studios 2026
Discover a vibrant mix of artists and makers at this year’s Bonchurch Artists Open Studios, where visitors can explore a rich variety of contemporary art, ceramics, leatherwork, painting, and mixed media inspired by the Isle of Wight’s unique landscapes and heritage. Five exhibitors are within a short walk along Bonchurch Village Road.
Rachel Clare transforms discarded and found materials into striking textural abstractions of the human form. Working with everything from 1960s newspapers discovered beneath old carpets to brown paper market bags and old exercise books, she combines collage, graphite, and drawing to uncover beauty and meaning in the overlooked and abandoned.
Teresa Grimaldi, after studying Theatre Design, Puppetry at Central School of Speech and Drama, and Visual Performance at Dartington College of Arts, she has exhibited widely across the UK, Norway, and Italy. Her distinctive works have appeared in galleries, theatres, and journals worldwide, including her acclaimed solo exhibition at Quay Arts in 2009.
Elizabeth Smith captures the charm, quirkiness, and occasional melancholy of the Isle of Wight’s architecture and landscapes. Working in watercolour, ink, oil and acrylic, her paintings celebrate the island’s rich Victorian history with warmth and nostalgia.
Sue Lowday showcases beautifully crafted leather and metalwork, shaped by more than thirty years of experience exploring dyeing and moulding techniques. Using sustainably sourced vegetable-tanned leathers — many produced to her own specifications in Italy and working leathers from one of Britain’s remaining heritage tanneries — Sue creates timeless belts, bags, journals, and accessories designed to age gracefully and last a lifetime.
Award-winning ceramicist Jane Cox presents her vibrant slip-decorated earthenware ceramics, alongside demonstrations revealing how her flowing patterns and richly coloured designs are created. Inspired by rhythm, reflections, and the coastal beauty of the Isle of Wight, her ceramics are celebrated for their bold use of colour and dynamic surface decoration.
Graham Robson exhibits atmospheric works rooted in natural textured surfaces and layered imagery. Using poured oils that fracture and flow unpredictably across the surface, his paintings explore tension, movement, and organic transformation.
Opening times
Graham Robson, Spring Gardens on Madeira Road 17th, 23rd, 24th. 11 am - 4 pm.
Friday 22nd May 6-8pm
Jane Cox & Sue Lowday, Rock Villa 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th 11am - 4 pm. Friday 22nd May 6-8 pm
Elizabeth Smith, Nightingales 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th 11 am - 4 pm. Friday 22nd May 6-8 pm
Rachel Clare & Teresa Grimaldi, 2 Undermount 15th, 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th 11 am - 4pm.
Friday 22nd May 6-8pm