150 artists welcome visitors during York Open Studios 2026

Today was the second of four days when artists working in a huge range of disciplines in the city invite the public into their studios.

They will open their doors again on Saturday and Sunday.

Printmaker Susan Bradley at the 2026 York Open Studios (Image: Newsquest)

Susan Bradley was a furniture designer, designing products that were sold across the world until she had children and decided they were more important than attending the international fairs and exhibitions that were an integral part of her work.

So she changed careers, trained as a yoga teacher and turned herself into a print maker, using lino cut and intaglio techniques.

“I no longer do 3D,” she said. “I am now a print maker, in 2D”.

She said she enjoyed being able to do all of a project herself, from conception through the final artwork. Previously, she only designed a product which others then made.

As well as printing onto pristine paper, she particularly likes printing onto paper that has already been printed on, such as an unwanted music score.

“I like doing something unique,” she said of her work on pre-printed paper. “It cannot be duplicated.”

Metalworker Laura Duval at the 2026 York Open Studios (Image: Newsquest)

Another artist who works at South Bank Studios at Southlands Road Methodist Church, is metalworker Laura Duval.

She was a painter, but when doing an art degree at York St John University, realised it wasn’t what she wanted to do.

So she moved to a course at York College where one of the projects was making a spoon.

As she tackled it, she knew she had found her form of art – working with metal.

“I love the hammering,” she said. “It’s therapeutic.  I’m not a jeweller, I’m not a metalsmith, I’m something inbetween, a metalworker.”

Her preferred metal is copper because it’s “warm”, malleable and she can relate to it.

Her art includes jewellery and larger ornaments.

Painter Carolyn Coles at the 2026 York Open Studios (Image: Newsquest)

Both are among more than 150 artists at more than 100 venues across York taking part in this year’s Open Studios, including Carolyn Coles, painter, of South Bank Studios.

They will receive visitors again from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.  Full details are on the event’s website: https://yorkopenstudios.co.uk/.