southbank bristol arts trail

Our local arts trail is over for another year. This was the tenth consecutive year we’ve been participating.

We were very fortunate as far as the weather was concerned and so there were lots of people wandering around the streets of Southville+Bedminster over the course of the weekend. It’s always difficult to know just how many visitors come through our door but, some years ago, we tried to estimate numbers and came to the conclusion that it was probably in excess of 500. This year’s trail certainly produced a constant stream of people and it could well have been our best ever in terms of attendance.
Although people did purchase a lot of our art stuff (inevitably, some more “successful” than others due to the type of work), the weekend is NOT all about selling. For us, one of the huge attractions is that it offers a great opportunity for re-connecting with old friends and colleagues (and even potential clients in some cases!).
On the other hand, for most of us, the weekend does also provide a focus/deadline for putting together a body of work (as well as the discipline of an annual clear-out/tidy of the basement!) and it’s always good to receive words of encouragement/appreciation!
It’s also a wonderful opportunity for the local community to come together (over 130 artists/performers within a half-mile radius!) and celebrate something about the local neighbourhood.
Photo: mid-afternoon on day one in our basement.
PS: This year’s exhibiting artists at number40 were: Stuart Low, Jen Orme, Hannah Hickman, Sarah Duncan, Hannah Broadway, Ruth Broadway and me.