A gothic Victorian school, an old milking parlour, and a wildlife-filled garden studio are just some of the spaces visitors can explore as part of North Yorkshire’s Summer Open Studios.
Organised by artist-run collective North Yorkshire Open Studios, the public are invited to discover working spaces across 3,000 sq miles of this beautiful region across two weekends in June.
The Summer Open Studios will take place on Saturday 6, Sunday 7, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2026.
The artists’ work spans a wide variety of styles, media and subjects, as well as locations – which range from the remote hills of the Upper Dales to the suburban streets of Harrogate, across the Vale of York to the rural North York Moors and coast.
Summer Open Studios will offer the public an exciting opportunity to discover work by talented emerging and established artists in the region.
Several York artists are taking part in the 2026 event.
Ali Hunter, from York, creates mixed media art that celebrates the little moments of joy found in her daily nature surroundings.
“I currently work from my little home studio, which is the spare room in my house in Fulford, York,” said Ali. “It’s cosy and vibrant, with not a bare wall in sight. In the future I dream of having a more spacious studio, but for now, it suits me fine.
“I’m naturally a nocturnal person, also I work a 9-5 job, so working late evenings in my studio suits me best. When the world is asleep and it’s quiet, I get inspired and work on a painting or do some sketching. I feel free to create and nothing gets in my way.”
Freya Horsley, from Tollerton, uses atmospheric land and seascape as the starting point for her work, embracing a sense of flux and change in the way we view the world.
“I have quite a large ground floor studio in my house which is an old house in the heart of the village and apparently used to be the shop,” she said. “The floor is painted concrete and as I always start the paintings on the floor with poured veils of paint, the floor tells its own colourful story.
“In the studio it’s just me and my dog Nell! After the rest of the family have left for work and school, we always start the day with a walk so even though my studio is in my house it feels like a walk to work.”
Graham Jones, from Huby, is a landscape painter who looks for movement and energy in land, sky and water.
“When my wife and I moved to our present home in Huby, we acquired a tumbledown stable and pigsty at the back,” said Graham. “These have now been knocked into one and renovated in a way that retains some of the gnarly old Victorian timbers, making it a lovely space to work in.
“There’s never a typical day in my studio, I work just a few hours at a time. Music is a great help – typically Country, ’60s or Dixie jazz.”
To find out more about North Yorkshire Open Studios and to see the full list of participating artists, visit their website here.
