This September Undegun will be showcasing work from a large group of artists taking part in Wales’ biggest Open Studios art trail, Helfa Gelf 2015. Now in its 10th year, this free annual event is spread right across North Wales with studios taking part in Gwynedd, Conwy, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham. It presents a unique chance for visitors to peek behind the scenes, experience this normally hidden world and get to chat to the artists and crafts people about their creative process and their studio spaces. Helfa Gelf mentions:
“We think North Wales is an overlooked gem for the visual arts and crafts in Wales, with loads of artists and makers beavering away up mountain tracks and sea-side cul-de-sacs.”

Like THIS Project who run the gallery, Helfa Gelf aims to encourage engagement & collaboration and break down barriers between artists and the public. This is the third consecutive year the two organisations have collaborated on an exhibition at Undegun.
‘Open Doors’ brings together over 30 artists and begins with a public launch on Saturday the 5th September at 7pm. The Exhibition will be on display until the 26th September. During their time at Undegun the exhibiting artists will be using the art space to create new work live in front of the public, with opportunities for everyone to get involved in workshop activities and learn new skills.

During its time at Undegun the exhibition will feature a number of free workshops and talks, which are open to all abilities.
On the 25th September artist Graham Mitchell and Ros Hornbuckle will be demonstrating their skills of tapestry weaving and jewellery making out of wood at Undegun from 11 to 4pm. All are welcome to come down to the venue and discuss with the artists more about their disciplines and how they find the creative scene within the North of Wales
You will receive a warm welcome from the artists wherever they are, and will join the ever-growing number of art enthusiasts who enjoy this yearly event – and remember, it’s all free.

Helfa Gelf /Art Trail runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in September in Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. Studios are open from 11am-5pm daily.

For the ‘Open Doors’ exhibition Undegun is open to the public from 12 – 4 on Wednesdays and 11 – 4 on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays.

If you have any interest in become a part of Helfa Gelf please feel free to visit http://www.helfagelf.co.uk/en/contact/ or any questions about Undegun please feel free to send an email to contact@thisproject.co.uk

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Friday the 5th September also sees the launch of Undegun’s newest exhibition featuring a diverse mix of painting, photography, print, sculpture and applied artwork from some of the 300 artists involved in this years event. We will also play host to performances from some of the areas finest acoustic performers. This diverse show conveys a sense of the range of work participating artists offer visitors to the event. The exhibitions runs from the 5th September to the 27 September, with a preview on the evening of the 5th from 7-9pm, that all are welcome to attend. The Glyndwr Collective are taking part again this year, based at the North Wales School of Art & Design further up Regent Street and will be launching thier show on the same night from 5 – 7 pm too. The Regional Print Centre is taking part too, opening its doors on Saturday 6th and 20th September 2014 between 11am and 5pm

There is a link to the facebook event page HERE

Sarah-Jane Harper

There are 12 Helfa Gelf Art Trail days on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during September. Studios and galleries are open from 11am–5pm and it’s FREE to visit. Studio spaces take every conceivable form: from disused shops to garden sheds and barns, from spaces in cafes to artists’ front rooms. This event offers an insight into this normally hidden world and allows the public to meet the artists and talk about how they create their work.

With more and more galleries and craft shop springing up across North Wales, this event offers the public the chance to meet the artists creating work in studios and workshops across the region. It is a way for the artists to step out of the shadows and take centre stage.

Sabine Cockrill, project co-ordinator for the Helfa Gelf Art Trail, says: “This is our ninth year and it is the biggest event we have ever held. There are over 300 artists in 184 locations taking part, representing a diverse range of artforms, from the traditional to the very contemporary. Helfa Gelf Art Trail is a fantastic opportunity for people to gain a real understanding of what goes into creating something. We hope this year will be our biggest and best yet and that lots of visitors support our local artists and makers. We think it is fantastic that the public are becoming more discerning and buying unique things that are produced in North Wales. It is such a boost to the local economy. ”

Tara Dean

“All our artists, with examples of their work, are listed online at www.helfagelf.co.uk/en/artists/. You can find artists on your door step or plan a trip to a different county. Just use the ‘Art Trail Map’ online at www.helfagelf.co.uk/en/map/,” says Sabine.” There is an artist working within a few miles of most people visiting or living in North Wales. There is such a thriving arts scene here.”

Helfa Gelf also promotes artists through exhibitions. We’re hosting this one at Undegun throughout September but there are also the following:

Oriel Pendeitsh

5 Sep – 3 Nov 2014
Castle Ditch
Caernarfon
Gwynedd LL55 2AY
Private view: 5 September
6.30 – 8.30pm

Denbigh Library Gallery

15 Nov 2014 –10 Jan 2015
Hall Square
Denbigh LL16 3NU
Private view: 14 November
6 – 8pm

Oriel Clwyd Theatr Cymru

6 Dec 2014 – 17 Jan 2015
Mold
Flintshire CH7 1YA
Private view: 6 December
5.30 – 7pm
And taking place all year:
MOSTYN Caffi Celf

Helfa Gelf in partnership with MOSTYN present a series of three month showcase exhibitions of artists’ work. All works are for sale and available through Collectorplan.
12 Vaughan Street
Llandudno LL30 1AB

Art in Hospitals

in partnership with
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
This is a great opportunity for artists to enhance the hospital setting for staff, visitors and patients. Look out for our exhibitions this year at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Ysbyty Gwynedd and Ysbyty Maelor.

Funding has made the residencies, exhibition programme, publication of the Helfa Gelf Art Trail guide, the website www.helfagelf.co.uk and the wider promotion of the event possible. The Helfa Gelf Art Trail project has received funding through the Arts Council Wales and through the local Authorities across North Wales.

Sara-Jane Harper, an artist who also helps organise Helfa Gelf and worked with us on this exhibition says : “It is a fantastic event. Helfa Gelf has done a huge amount to support and promote artists in North Wales. We’ve got some really interesting artists taking part here in Wrexham and the open studios are a great way to showcase them.”

All studios are free to visit and if you want to start a collection of interesting art or craft, you can buy direct from the makers on the trail and chat to the artists and craftspeople about their creative process and materials.

For more information please contact :.
English: Sabine Cockrill 07715755567 /sabine@helfagelf.co.uk
Cymraeg: Gwenno Jones 01352 702 471 / Gwenno_E_Jones@flintshire.gov.uk

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This weekend is a big one for art in Wrexham.

Starting off at Oriel Sycharth on Friday there is a private view from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. for the new exhibition, “in-between-ness: using art to capture a sense of self”, an exhibition of paintings, film stills and moving image by contemporary artists Karen Heald and Susan Liggett

in-between-ness is an innovative exploration of the effect that art has on the way that people express themselves and respond to their environment whilst undergoing treatment for mental health problems.

The works displayed are the result of a collaborative study between professional artists, clinical researchers and people suffering from depression to explore the experiential effects of antidepressant treatment.

The exhibition also brings together the artists’ individual and collaborative artworks, exploring their relationship to being in-between, and aims to capture a sense of self brought about by a prolonged engagement in the creative process.
More information here

Then, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. the Glyndwr Collective launch their open studio as part of this years Helfa Gelf, which provides a great opportunity to see and buy terrific work from a diverse mix of artists.

And, with pleasure, we would like to invite you to Un Deg Un for the launch party of two new exhibitions.

“An exhibition of Helfa Gelf artists” features work from some of this years Art Trail studio holders and Paint the Town is a collaborative exhibition of portraits and urban landscapes by two local artists, Mikey Jones and Erica Taylor.

Helfa Gelf is now North Wales biggest Open Studio Event, with 300 artists taking part. Artists in Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham will be opening their studios to the public during the four weekends in September, providing an opportunity to experience firsthand how arts and crafts in the region are created and purchase artwork directly from the artist.
We’ll be acting as a town centre information point for Helfa Gelf during September and encouraging visitors to seek out some fantastic artists and makers across North Wales.

We’ll be opening the shutters at 7 p.m. and we’ll have DJ sets from Buddha Fist, Hood/Flare & Victorian Hardware before his show with Waltz at the Commercial. See you at the front!

So if you’re super keen that’s a pretty busy Friday night. For a more relaxed Saturday afternoon get to Oriel Wrecsam. From 2 p.m. until 4p.m. there is an opening event for this years Wrexham Open and we’re very exited to see what’s been selected!


If you know of something we’ve missed, shout at us on facebook or twitter. Whatever you do, enjoy your weekend.

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