Lewisham Arthouse Open Weekend

Last weekend I popped round the corner to the Lewisham Arthouse Exhibition having discovered it was taking place during the London Open House.

While in Sydney I went to the annual exhibition at the Lennox St Studios which I really enjoyed. The artists there put real effort into their show with lots of work on display and they were always on hand to talk about their art. I was hoping for more of the same.

Sadly the Lewisham event didn't have the same vibe. This might be a little harsh, but it felt like the artists hadn't put their best foot forward. The majority of the studio spaces were open, but there were quite a few which were shut. Of the studios that were open, several had art work that wasn't very current and others just didn't have much at all.

There were some highlights. I liked a couple of mosaics by Janine Nelson (I think she could make a mean house sign if I ever find anywhere to buy!) and admired the works of a couple of other artists.

Stumbling round the Arthouse website I noticed that the studios are £5.20 per sq foot per year to rent, inclusive of all bills. That really is cheap! I knew a couple of the artists at Lennox St in Sydney and they were all struggling to pay their rent and earn a living from art, hence why they put such energy into the show. It was a great way to make some money. I'm probably drawing all the wrong conclusions, but with rent so cheap, I'm wondering if the Lewisham artists are under the same pressure.