Art lovers in Gloucestershire are in for a treat, as the 2018 Select Festival gets underway.

The festival, which runs from 21st April through to the 28th May, takes place in venues across the glorious Stroud Valleys, with exhibitions, masterclasses, workshops, talks and artist led events organised.

Festival director Lizzi Walton has been involved since the very first exhibition over a decade ago and says this year’s festival promises to be the best yet. “We’re incredibly excited for what promises to be another fantastic arts festival,” said Lizzi. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy. We’ve got some of the best artists from all over the country exhibiting their amazing work. It’s a real treat to welcome so many artists who have achieved so much in their careers. Over the years we’ve built up a reputation as one of the leading visual arts festivals, it’s great for the people of Gloucestershire to have a festival of this stature on their doorstep. It’s a privilege to welcome visitors from all over the country who come to view the inspiring artwork,” she added.

One event definitely worth attending is the Select Trail Open Studios and exhibitions curated by Emma Neuberg which takes place on 5/6 and the 12/13 May. Over 60 locally based artists will welcome visiting guest artists to their studios in two weekends where visitors can explore the valleys surrounding Stroud and meet the artists. There will also be artists selling their work.

The ever popular Select Trail looks set to be a must-see event this year. The trail showcases the work of 100 talented artists working in ceramics, wood, glass, silver, painting, paper, acrylic, found objects, stone, metal, printmaking and textiles. Continued Lizzi: “Trail artists today are so focussed on creating and selling through their established networks that they do not generally promote their work to new parties. This makes the trail a very special opportunity to make personal contact with the artists, buy their work direct for your pleasure or sell it on to your own clients through retail, exhibitions and galleries.”

Renowned tapestry artist Hannah Waldron will be exhibiting her work at this year’s Select Festival. “I’ll be exhibiting both my new work and some of my older pieces,” said Hannah. “My pieces document places I’ve travelled to, like Japan and New York. I was inspired to get into weaving after visiting the Bauhaus Archive Museum of Design in Berlin. I’ve always had a love of art and it’s a dream to turn my passion into a career,” she added.

Hannah studied illustration at the University of Brighton then followed that with a master’s degree in textiles at Stockholm University in Sweden. “I feel really lucky to have worked with some incredibly talented artists. I can’t wait to exhibit my work at the Select Festival, it’s one of the leading visual arts festivals anywhere in the UK. The space will be a meeting place for discussion on the work, its themes and the larger role of contemporary textile practises within both art and craft production and exhibition ecologies,” she added.