The Heather Jansch Studio Award is in memory of Heather Jansch (1948 – 2021), a renowned artist who specialised in sculpting horses from driftwood and bronze. From the early days, Heather was an enthusiastic participant and supporter of Devon Open Studios. Her life-size sculptures are now held in collections around the world.
Each year, the winner receives a small bronze horse head – modelled on Heather’s own horse, RaRa – to display for one year. This special sculpture, kindly donated by Heather’s family, comes with publicity recognising your studio’s contribution to the arts.
Heather is a genius with an eye for nature that in another generation would have seen her burnt as a witch; now she is rightly considered one of our country’s finest artists. If you were to ask the visitors to Eden, ‘What is your favourite work here?’ it would be the horse, and we gave the entrance to our kingdom to this horse. Richard III, see it and weep.
Tim Smit, KBE.,
(Founder of the Eden Project, UK)
Based in Crediton, The White Room Creative Space featured the work of 14 artists and makers—including award-winning and established Devon-based creatives who exhibit and sell across the South West, the UK, and internationally.
The exhibition was open every day from Saturday 6th to Sunday 21st September, and as with previous years, the space was filled with a wide and varied display of work, including painting, mixed media,
printmaking, pottery, paper mache, textiles, silver jewellery, wood and basketry.
As well as presenting a varied and well curated exhibition, the event was an opportunity for visitors to meet the artists and makers. Having a group exhibition, and in a venue like The White Room Creative Space, draws in visitors and this year there were over 1000. The youngest was six weeks old, and the eldest was 93 year old Anne who visits every year with her daughter. Refreshments were available in the seating area which meant that many people stayed and chatted surrounded by the artwork.
Bindy, who set up and runs The White Room Creative Space commented:
“I’d like to thank everyone who visited us this year, and to thank Steve Huxtable, Crediton Town Mayor, and Devon County Councillor Jim Cairney for coming to the Private View evening. It was a busy and
sociable event and wonderful to have them both there. I have to say a big thank you to Dave Pyke, and in particular the warehouse staff of Graffix Plc, and also to Dave Pollard and staff at Dave Pollard Transport, our neighbours on Commonmarsh Lane for working with us to help ensure business as usual.“
Now that Devon Open Studios is over, the space has reverted back to meeting rooms and workshops and being used by artists and makers as well as local businesses, organisations and groups. For more information contact 07422712894, or to sign up to the newsletter, visit www.whiteroomdevon.co.uk
Ceramicist Georgia Buck won the Heather Jansch Award for the most welcoming Devon Open Studios venue in 2024.
Georgia is based in Plymouth where she designs and makes stylish functional tableware. Her current designs feature colourful brush strokes, and she’s been experimenting with processes and finishes to create the exact effect she wants. Georgia intentionally leaves marks from her throwing and some evidence of the tools she’s used in making so that her pots show traces of the person who made them.