A fortnight of inspirational workshops, displays and talks that celebrate the arts in the county is set to return for the first time fully in six years.

Dorset Art Weeks returns between Saturday, May 25 to Sunday, June 9. It will see the return of a full programme of events- with the last time being 2018.

The cultural event is recognised as one of the largest and longest-established Art Weeks events in the country and will give visitors the chance to see what the county has to offer.

More than 260 venues will open their studio doors to welcome art lovers and those curious to discover more about Dorset’s creative community.

As well as individual studios, there are also pop-ups, group shows, curated exhibitions and projects to view.

Artists across the county will be unveiling new work and sharing their ideas and inspiration, often in surprising places.

Artforms on display will range from printmaking, painting, sculpture, drawings, ceramics, jewellery, wood, metalwork, glass and textiles.

For the refreshed event for 2024, 30,000 copies of the Dorset Arts Weeks Guide will appear in cultural outlets across Wessex from April. This will be accompanied by the Dorset Art Weeks App which can be used to navigate to venues and create a favourites list.

There’s also an interactive map and Art Weeks flipbook on the Dorset Art Weeks website.

Dorset Visual Arts (DVA), the producer of Art Weeks, is delighted to be working again with Hall & Woodhouse Pubs as the event’s lead sponsor. As part of the event, there will be a residency programme to support emerging artists at Hall & Woodhouse’s home at the Brewery Tap in Blandford Forum.

A new exhibition curated by DVA featuring Dorset artists celebrates the county’s unique biodiversity in a partnership with Durlston Country Park National Nature Reserve. The Instinct of Hope’ examines Dorset’s rich ecology, focusing on the locations and terrain that artists explore which make the county so distinctive. 

Another feature of the year’s event will be launched at The Sherborne, the county’s new venue for the visual arts which opens in spring following a restoration and transformation.

‘Housework’, curated by Amanda Wallwork explores the previous incarnation of Sherborne House as an arts venue through a variety of artwork which relate to the building, its rooms, and shared history. Selected works, interspersed in various rooms and locations, not only invite the visitor to explore the house but also suggest the many possibilities for the building's future and potential as an important arts destination.

The organisers are currently inviting local businesses to advertise in the guide.

For more information and updates, visit the Dorset Visual Arts and Dorset Art Weeks websites and social media.