York Open Studios returns next week – what you need to know

Around 150 artists across York will open their doors to the public across the weekends of April 18-19 and April 25-26.

The annual not-for-profit event offers a chance to meet the artists, learn about their creative processes and purchase artwork. It involves artists living within a 10-mile radius of York.

Maps for the artists taking part in Open Studios can be found in libraries, shops and galleries across York in the weeks before the event.

Twenty-seven artists will be taking part in the event for the first time, including photographer Marcus Chapman, upcycle jewellers The Spoonery and painter Prachi Bhatnagar.

Marcus Chapman who will take part in this year’s York Open Studios (Image: York Open Studios)

Michelle Hughes who will take part in this year’s York Open Studios (Image: Tom Jackson)

Other artists have regularly appeared at past Open Studios events, such as wire and paper sculptor Joanna Coupland, linocut printmaker Michelle Hughes and textile artist Jacqueline James.

Charmian Ottaway, York Open Studios’ committee member and a contemporary designer jeweller, said the event is a “unique chance to see the city with pops of creativity along the way”.

“As an artist myself, I just love to show visitors how I work and also hear what they might be looking for,” Charmian said.

“As artists, we are all very proud of what we produce and hearing visitors’ responses and find potential buyers can be really uplifting especially if you often work alone and don’t directly meet your buyers.”

As The Press reported, this year’s Open Studios will not feature one of York’s best-known living artists, Mark Hearld, was said he was not selected for the 2026 event.

Mark Hearld who will not be taking part in this year’s York Open Studios (Image: Newsquest)

Mark, whose home in The Mount has been a popular venue at previous Open Studios, said he understood he was not selected because the description of his work, “Collages inspired by nature”, was too brief.

But Mark said the description perfectly described his work.

He added that in the past other leading York artists had faced an identical situation and it was time for the selection process to change.

Mark also said artists not selected for Open Studios risked being banned from future events if they showed work in their homes during the same weekends, which he felt was too punitive.

“I am pro Open Studios; I like the spirit of it, but I am very, very frustrated,” he said.

Christine Storrs, chairperson of York Open Studios, said the organisation was open to feedback and suggestions. However, she confirmed there was a risk to non-selected artists staging their own event during the York Open Studios weekends.

She added that the event had taken the “difficult decision this year to cap the number of artists taking part to 150”, which followed “feedback in recent years from visitors and participating artists that the event was becoming too big”.

“More than 650 artists have taken part over the years, and it would not be practical for our volunteer committee to administer an event on such a scale – nor would this be enjoyable for our visitors to navigate,” Christine said.

For more information about York Open Studios, visit yorkopenstudios.co.uk