Why it matters: The Ipswich Town Art Trail offers residents and visitors a chance to engage directly with local artists and experience art in unconventional spaces, from heritage buildings to a working garage.
The details: The Ipswich Visual Arts Community will host the trail on 13-14 September from 10am-4pm across ten venues, featuring exhibitions, art demonstrations, drop-in mini workshops and working artists. Entrance to all venues and art experiences will be free with no booking required.
Some venues are also part of Heritage Open Days weekend, allowing visitors to see artwork displayed against the backdrop of three beautiful heritage buildings: the Unitarian Meeting House, St Clements Arts Centre, and Ipswich Minster.
The venues: The trail includes established galleries, Greenhouse Gallery in St Nicholas Street and MF Gallery in St Helen's Street, alongside quirky spaces such as Le Garagiste, a working Citroën-specialist garage workshop in Bond Street, and The Foto Ginnel, part of a narrow passageway off Clarkson Street. Other locations include the Stained Glass Studio near Stoke Bridge and Ipswich's two community hubs - CHIp (Community Hub Ipswich) in Princes Street and The Hive on Norwich Road.
What they're saying: Debs Burrow, one of five coordinators from the Ipswich Visual Arts Community, said: "We're excited to welcome the public to ten venues and encourage them to engage with artists from Ipswich, through demonstrations and conversations about the artwork, our processes, and creative practices. Ultimately, our goal is to inspire people of all kinds to create art and embrace their creativity."
"By hosting the artists in such beautiful and sometimes unconventional venues during the Ipswich Heritage Open Weekend, we hope to provide an added incentive for the public to explore Ipswich's fantastic architecture as well."
Getting started: The trail's hub will be the Unitarian Meeting House in Friar's Street, which serves as the recommended starting point for visitors. An art trail souvenir map and leaflet, designed by Kelly Will, is available at each venue and online, featuring details of each location plus symbols for disabled access, public toilets, and parking.
The bigger picture: The event has taken the group of organisers from the Ipswich art community eight months to plan. The Ipswich Visual Arts Community describes itself as "a visual arts community dedicated to supporting our local artists, with the goal to provide a platform where artists can showcase their talents and connect with art enthusiasts from all levels of society."
What's next: The latest information about artists involved can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ipswichtownarttrail.
The bottom line: The 13-14 September event offers a unique opportunity to discover Ipswich's creative community for free, with hands-on experiences that go beyond traditional gallery visits to inspire visitors of all ages to embrace their own creativity.
