Artists Open Houses director Judy Stevens spoke to us in ROSA Issue 4 Spring 2023.

Artist, printmaker and illustrator Judy Stevens and her partner, graphic designer Chris Lord, ran their own Open House in Brighton for many years. In 2004 the pair were instrumental in setting up Artists Open Houses (AOH), to co-ordinate and promote the festival as artist-led and independent, separating it from the Brighton Festival and Fringe. In 2008 they initiated HOUSE, a curated visual arts programme, which they ran biennially until 2019.
How did the modern open house festivals come about?
In the 1980s Brighton artist Ned Hoskins went to California to work as an art tutor and was impressed by the market for contemporary art in the US. On his return he was disappointed to discover little support by British gallerists. So he suggested that a group of artists in Brighton exhibit in their own homes and invite the public in. The project was a huge success from the start, and 41 years later there are open house festivals across Sussex, the UK and the world – as far away as China and New Zealand.
How do you join in as a visitor to Open Houses?
Go to the website or pick up a printed brochure, select the houses that appeal to you – or choose a trail – and spend a day meeting artists and gaining insight into their work and inspiration from their interiors and gardens. In recent years, visitors are making a weekend of open house festivals, to really get to know the city and surrounding area and the makers who live there.
What type of art is for sale?
Paintings, printmaking, photography, ceramics, textiles, sculpture, jewellery, basketry – more or less everything.
The standard of art?
Most work to high professional standards, but AOH festivals are ‘open’ and not curated, inviting participation from artists at all career stages, so there is real variation.
The price range?
From £10 to £10,000 – and everything in between.
What are the benefits of buying art at an Open House rather than a gallery?
The three main ones are: you see the art in a domestic setting; you meet the artist to find out more about the work; you buy art directly, often without additional mark-up.
Any tips on what to choose?
Believe in your own instinct and taste, and buy works that you love and want to live with. It is always good to hold the work, and speak to the artists whenever possible to understand more about the piece.
What should we look out for this spring?
Look out for new and previously unseen works by the artists as there has been an astonishing creative output during the difficult pandemic and post-pandemic period.
AOH is now held twice a year in Brighton & Hove, in May and December. There are many other art trails across the region too.