Some of the events will be free to enter at any time; others will be by ticket only. The suggested starting point for your Discover Creative Campden Weekend is the exhibition of works by members in the Upper Town Hall. Here you will get a glimpse of the creativity which exists in Chipping Campden. But this is just a taster; to really appreciate both the weekend and the creativity visit the open studios and other events and to be announced in a creative trail around Chipping Campden. On Saturday you can enjoy teas, coffees and light lunches, together with some crafts in action by Chipping Campden’s Country Markets, in the Lower Town Hall.

Events include Abstract Art is Rubbish, Creative Cows, Chocolate Workshop, Made in Campden, Throw Your Own Pot, Painting in Action, and many more.

The silent auction will run for the duration of the exhibition, which will be showing for the last time at the Parabola Arts Centre, Cheltenham, during this year’s music festival.

Opportunities to view the work before bidding will be on Parabola performance days (30 minutes before and after each concert starts and ends). Private views can be arranged on concert days, if you are unable to attend during these times and have a serious intent in one or more of the instruments.

Bidding forms will be available at the Parabola Arts Centre or online. For further information and regular, highest-bidder updates, go to: cheltenhamfestivals.com/paintedquartets .

Broadway Arts Festival

Broadway is a gem of a Cotswold village, very well known to US visitors and this Festival will do more to strengthen the link.  The American painter John Singer Sargent created his masterpiece ’Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose’ whilst staying in Broadway - having fled Paris where his painting of ’Madame X’, had scandalised the art world.

2010’s Festival will be between the 11-20th of June and the organisers have already secured loan from the Tate of important studies for the picture.

Saturday 8 August
Anne Rogers – feltmaker
Sarah Pearson Cooke – Shibori textiles

Saturday 15 August
Richard Bossons and Rita Dawe – stonecarvers

Saturday 29 August
Susan Early – basketmaker – “Willow World”
Val Michael – leatherworker

The Open Studios Art Trail is a unique opportunity to talk with a wide variety of individual artists and makers and has been happening for the last 20 years.  Come and discover the wonderful wealth of talent abounding in the Forest of Dean during July, as artists open their studios for you to visit, talk about and perhaps buy.  All have been busy creating works for you to enjoy.  Taster sessions at Taurus Crafts take place from 4th – 26th July. See www.tauruscrafts.co.uk for more details.

Of course nothing quite beats meeting the artists and the Forest and Wye is a great place to be. You can plan your own individual arts tour by using the online guide or requesting a free copy of the Forest and Wye BigArtGuide. All the artists and craftspeople may be contacted direct and you can arrange to visit them all year round, for a chat, a browse or maybe advice regarding a commission.

To see and buy individual and unique arts and crafts, a permanent display of members’ work – “Made in the Dean – Proud to be seen” – can be found at the Tourist Information Centre in Coleford.

Visitors to the Cotswolds this year have a one-off opportunity to win a hand-made silver charm bracelet, an extremely special prize.  Caroline Richardson, based at Chipping Campden’s historic Guild of Handicraft, is seen here working on a snowdrop flower for the completed bracelet.  The prize is open to visitors to four Cotswold gardens until late Summer.  See Abbey House Garden, Batsford Arboretum, Mill Dene Garden or Painswick Rococo Garden for details.

Slimbridge Wetland Centre

The recently added visitor centre includes a gallery and is a under-

appreciated space for art exhibitions. Between May 3rd and June 30th, the theme will be  ‘At Home with Nature’ with Emma Ball, Libby Edmonson, Martin Cheek and Lisa Katzenstein bringing a mix of mosaic, ceramics, acrylics and watercolours, with work inspired by wildlife and landscapes.

Showborough House at Twyning will be hosting its second Affordable Garden Art Exhibition this Spring. Around thirty sculptors will be exhibiting works in a range of media, including stone, bronze, metal, wood, glass and ceramic. Styles will include abstract and representational, grand and intimate, serious and whimsical.

The theme of Affordable Garden Art attracts sculptors at the beginning of their careers and offers a rare opportunity to acquire original garden art from British sculptors at affordable prices.

Pieces are priced from tens of pounds to no more than £2500.Thursday 9th April until Sunday 7th June 2009. Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 10.30am to 4.00pm.