The Henley Arts Trail turns 20
- Joanna McGinn
- 23 hours ago
- 3 min read
We preview this extra-special weekend of local creativity, where artists from in and around Henley share their work with visitors over the bank holiday, running May 2-4.
Always one of our local creative highlights, the Henley Arts Trail is marking its 20th year with a packed bank holiday weekend of over 300 artists across 36 locations - from home studios to vineyards.
In a world where we all live online, the trail feels like a much-needed opportunity to be immersed in an artist’s story, see the process behind a piece, and be part of a thriving creative community in Henley.
We chatted to jewellery maker and H.A.T organiser Wendy Penrose about her trail highlights and how the event has gone from strength to strength.
How has the Arts Trail evolved over the last two decades?
We have gone from being a small trail with just a few venues to an established cultural event for Henley and the surrounding area. Because the marketing of the trail has ramped up over the past few years, we are getting more than 25,000 visitors!
It’s not only about browsing art, it’s about meeting the makers and finding out about their inspirations and techniques. Our aim is to make art accessible to everyone. We encourage people of all ages to visit and linger - there’s often refreshments and demonstrations that give the event a festival atmosphere.
How do you keep things accessible for artists, from the established to the up-and-coming?
With galleries taking 50% commission and big shows costing thousands, our aim is to make it more affordable to get work in front of customers. The cost to take part is kept really low to keep it accessible for creatives at every stage of their career. Not only giving artists and makers a chance to sell, but also to build relationships directly with customers. That’s been the key to the development of my jewellery design business, which I launched in 2008 at the Henley Arts Trail.
We also have some really established big names, including artist Esté MacLeod and sculptor Jenny Pickford; award-winning artists such as Camilla Dowse, Scarlet Paige, Robin Dodd and Rachel Wallace; and those who have featured on TV, such as The Great Pottery Throwdown winner Rosa Wiland Holmes.
What’s new this year on the trail?
Our newest addition to the trail this year is Greenlands at Henley Business School. It's an impressive stately home right on the banks of the Thames - while most people are aware of it, very few have ever been inside. They have offered us the River House for an exhibition by 38 very talented creatives. To mark our 20th Anniversary, Hobbs will run a ferry service between central Henley and the jetty at Greenlands. Visitors can also book for afternoon tea in the waterside restaurant there.
What is it that makes the arts trail special?
The fact that visitors get to see a huge variety of amazing art and craft, meet the creatives and visit some incredible venues, many of which are not usually open to the public. From having a peek into the working home studios of 15 artists to visiting vineyards, a distillery, seeing the oak-panelled Great Hall overlooking the Thames at Shiplake College, to the beautiful river room at Leander.
Tell us a bit about how you are showcasing your work.
Venue 23 in Shiplake is where you will find me. Every year, I open my jewellery studio & workshop for visitors to see my latest collections and where they are made. Outside, the garden gallery will showcase glass art by Wendy Newhofer and the work of four sculptors: James Ort’s charismatic ceramic animals, Rachel Higgins’ refined recycled-metal animals, Lucy Smith’s nature-inspired garden sculptures & water features, and Sara Holmes’ willow sculptures.
My husband is a very talented gardener and has the place looking spectacular. He loves doing garden tours and runs a plant sale to raise money for charity. We also have a garden cafe serving homemade cakes, and we encourage people to linger and soak it all in. Then, when they are ready to move on, they can walk two minutes down the path to venue 24 - Shiplake College’s impressive oak-panelled Great Hall overlooking the Thames.
Where can we find out more?
The trail is completely free, and you can dip in and out as you wish - download a map and find out more about the artists here.
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