Preview: November’s two big art trails

Whatever else it may mean – evenings drawing in, fireworks lighting up the night sky, a headlong rush down the table after a bright start by one of our local teams – November is a busy month when it comes to Bristol’s brilliant neighbourhood art trails. Two of our finest come this month: Totterdown’s Front Room, Bristol’s first art trail and arguably its biggest, returns for its 16th year a week ahead of its traditional November neighbour, the similarly big and brilliant North Bristol Artists.

The North Bristol trail is one of Bristol’s biggest and most established, this year featuring 109 artists in 57 venues around Montpelier, St Andrews, Ashley Down, Bishopston, Henleaze and Redland. Like Front Room, North Bristol numbers plenty of established and well-known artists, many of whom launched their careers on the trail. Examples include Huw Richards Evans, who began showing his atmospheric seascapes on the NBA trail over a decade ago while teaching art at Bristol City College.

Elsewhere, Maita Robinson always pulls a crowd with music, singing and poetry in her home alongside her highly imaginative collages. Toni Burrows’ house is always one of the most popular venues as almost every wall and surface of her three-storey house is covered with mosaics created from found objects, ranging from old crockery to snail shells. And artist Sarah Thorp, owner of Gloucester Road’s thriving community artspace Room 212, is opening up her newly built Eco House where jewellery maker Katie Johnston will show her work.

This year’s Front Room is celebrating the talents of its many creative residents with a circus theme. You can expect much of what has characterised the previous 15 trails – everything from drawing, photography and pottery to glass-making, textile art and sculpture, in homes and venues around BS4. This year, though, will be bolstered a Rag and Bone Circus – a mismatched group of performers and clowns specialising in the darker circus skills.

Younger visitors should head for Hillcrest Primary School for creative activities with artist Laura (www.colourfulminds.co.uk) and others, while at Arnos Vale’s Anglican Chapel theatre/poetry/storytelling/music troupe Sharp Teeth will be bringing together theatre, storytelling, poetry and music. Malka the magician will be popping up on Higham Green near a Circus of Food tent; The Oxford pub will welcome live bands all weekend. Sunset will see fire-eaters lighting the streets and the irresistible fragrance of sizzling sausages filling the chilly night air.

Artist Jane Vellender has exhibited on the trail for several years. “Front Room provides a unique opportunity to tell my wider creative story in a more detailed and complete way as I get to stage the display in my own space,” she says. “It is great to find out how my work impacts on others. From a visitors’ perspective, seeing art in the artists’ own homes and buying items that are different and well made, from an individual maker that you can talk to, is so different from curated, mass-market mainstream shopping.”

What does Jane feel makes Totterdown such a fertile part of town for the arts? “Totterdown has always had a strong identity, always a little outside of the mainstream. This history and sense of working together has continued to influence the area as the mix of residents has changed. The arts continue to be appreciated and supported by local people and community groups such as Totterdown Residents Environmental and Social Action (TRESA), while local cafes and pubs support emerging artists and musicians.”

And how has she seen the trail change in its 16 years? “It is much bigger, busier and more professional. It is less inward-looking than at the beginning, where it was much more about the immediate local community. It is still a much-valued community event, but has grown up and come of age.”

Front Room Nov 19-20 www.frontroom.org.uk
North Bristol Artists Nov 26-27 www.northbristolartists.org.uk

Top pic: John Murkin