Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When are the Studios open?
A. Studios are open to the public at the weekends during June, from 11am until 5pm. Not all studios are open every weekend so remember to check the app or artists pages for details. Some artists are willing to open their studios at other times of the year by appointment, you can see which members offer this in their listing.
Q. Who can join Suffolk Open Studios?
A. Any Suffolk based artist or craftsperson who is able and willing to open their studio or workroom to the public in June, as well as those who do not have a studio but wish to be part of the community.
We also welcome galleries in Suffolk who can benefit from a presence on our website, a link with artists in the area and gain the publicity of appearing in the directory.
In addition, Art Groups are welcome to join.
There is no selection process for membership as we are an inclusive organisation.
Q. Do members have to live in Suffolk?
A. A studio that is opening needs to be in Suffolk. Associate members need to live in Suffolk. So you can only join as a member if you live outside Suffolk but open your studio within Suffolk.
Q. When can I join Suffolk Open Studios?
A. Membership applications are open at the beginning of November.
Q. When does membership close?
A. The committee decides each year the cut off for applications, which is usually late January or early February. We try to get the directories produced for Easter so it can depend on how early Easter is each year.
Q. How do I apply?
A. Application is made using our online form. This means we can collate all of the information needed to go to the printed directory. The form constitutes your online listing for the public to view. You can also add up to 10 images to your listing.
Q. How much does membership cost?
A. Membership fees are confirmed at the AGM in September each year. You can check this year’s fees on the membership page.
Q. Why do membership applications close so early?
A. The reason for this is so that we can get the directory ready for printing. We need at least 2 weeks after membership closes to chase members for missing information before collating and modifying the data so that it is in a format to go in the directory. Then there need to be several iterations and checks of the graphic design of the directory before it is finally signed off for printing. Once it has been printed (usually early April) we allow time to distribute the directories to the artists and for them to distribute to places where they will be picked up by the public in the weeks leading up to the event in June.
Q. I am a member – how do I find out more information about opening my studio or about the directory?
A. Our Golden Rules for a Successful Open Studios will be sent to all participating members shortly before the event. You can also get advice from existing members – check out the area map for artists who are near you and make contact with them through the website or the App.
You can also join our facebook page to chat with other Open Studios members. We will be sending out lots of information to members by email after the closing date so look out for those!
Q. Do I have to open between 11am and 5pm?
A. We ask members to be open between these hours so that visitors get a consistent message about when they can visit. If visitors are trying to fit in many studios in one day, they don’t want to be confronted by a closed studio at 4.30pm that they have been looking forward to visiting. Of course you can be open for longer – quite a few members do open at 10am.
Q. What is an Artist Hub?
A. Artist Hubs have historically been run during June as part of the Open Studio Event. Hubs involve member artists getting together at one location, either at the studio of one participant or a hired venue. Sometimes the group of artists will share common interests, such as a group of textile artists. Sometimes the artist’s own studios are in remote locations and it reduces visitor travel time if they collaborate in this way. Artist Hubs are included in the SOS Directory and are listed on the Artist Hubs page. All participants in a Hub must be full SOS members as they benefit from the marketing effort paid for by the membership.
Q. What is an Artist Trail?
A. Artist Trails also run during June as part of the Open Studio Event. Member artists in a particular locality co-ordinate themselves to open their studios on the same weekend and must produce a map or leaflet to hand out to visitors. We have found this a very useful way to increase the number of visitors to studios. It is logical that the Trail members should all be open on the same day and during the same times, as to not do so is likely to cause confusion and create a negative impression of SOS as a whole.
If you are not all opening on the same weekends then you can create separate trails, perhaps with slightly different names but making it obvious which weekends the trails are operating on. Participants will often have their studios open on other weekends as well as part of the Trail. Artist Trails are included in the SOS Directory and are listed on the Artist Trails page. All participants in a Trail must be full SOS members as they benefit from the marketing effort paid for by the membership.
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