The second Oxford International Art Fair takes place at the Oxford Town Hall from February 6-8 2015
Artistic talent from around the world as well as from closer to home is converging on Oxford next month as the city gets ready to hold the second Oxford International Art Fair from February 6-8.
Around 150 outstanding artists and distinguished galleries from as far as Mexico, Africa, the USA and Australia and many prestigious exhibitors from the city itself will be out in force at the free weekend-long art festival. Among these are Kieran Stiles, a contemporary British landscape painter from Oxford, local artist Gena Johns, who specialises in photo montages, and soldier-turned-artist Gareth Lloyd.
Gareth Lloyd, who discovered his artistic talent while on military tour in Iraq, creates wildlife art in pencil, paint and charcoal. He exhibited at the fair last year, as well as helping to judge the inaugural Oxford International Art Fair Awards, and is full of praise for what the event brings to the city both for exhibitors and visitors alike.
Gareth said: “The event is an amazing showcase for the Oxford art scene and something we should all be shouting about. Last year, its first, it was a great success, with six sales for me consisting of an original painting, an original drawing and four limited edition prints. I’m really excited about coming back again this year for what’s set to be a bigger and even more successful fair.”
Oxford artist Kieran Stiles said: “The 2014 Oxford International Art Fair was a melting pot of diversity, with all its exhibitors fizzing with the excitement of being part of the inaugural event.
“It was also a great declaration of how popular contemporary visual art is in Oxfordshire, with hundreds of visitors queuing down the street with anticipation, and reassuringly buying art work, almost all the stock, in my case. This overall success is down to many different things, the venue, the exhibitors’ enthusiasm and quality of work, and crucially, the very personal yet highly professional organisational skills of curator Joelle Dinnage.”
As well as fostering local artistic talent, for whom the fair is an important and affordable shop window, the Oxford International Art Fair also brings high profile artists from across the country and the globe to the city.
Among the art on show this year will be sculptures created by Peter Hibbard, the former assistant to the late Henry Moore. Much of his work is in collections worldwide, but some of it will be in Oxford next month along with paintings from two renowned painters - Jenny Graham, who paints stylised landscapes, and Janet Lawrence, famous for textured depictions of trees.
There will also be award-winning art from the recent Barcelona International Art Fair in Gaudi’s Casa Batllo, including the subtly comic work of painter and illustrator Jordi Soler and the striking photo art of Belgian artist Glenn Bracke.
Every artist taking part will have the chance to enter the Oxford International Art Fair Awards to win the title of Best Oxford International Art Fair Artist 2015 and an exhibition at another forthcoming international art fair. The line-up of judges, including Tom Lewis, who appeared on BBC TV’s Junior Apprentice, artist Kieran Stiles and Esther Lafferty - Festival Director of Oxfordshire Artweeks, will take the public vote into account before deciding who carries off the title.
The Oxford International Art Fair takes place from Friday February 6 to Sunday February 8 2015 at Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate’s, Oxford, OX1 1BX.
There is also a private viewing from 6pm to 9pm on Friday February 6, with tickets costing £10 to include a glass of bubbly, live music and the chance to meet some of the high profile artists and galleries taking part.
To find out more about the festival or to book your free tickets for the Oxford International Art Fair, go to www.oxfordinternationalartfair.com/Visitors
