Spring Fling

This year's Spring Fling will take place on 27-29th May 2023

One hundred studios across Dumfries and Galloway will be throwing open their doors for the 21^st Spring Fling. 

All have been specially selected, and include contemporary visual artists of every kind – including painters, illustrators and original printmakers. 

There are also jewellery-makers, potters, willow artists, glass-makers, woodworkers, textile artists and even two blacksmiths. 

Many of the participants will be familiar to regular Spring Fling visitors, but as ever the organisers, Upland CIC, are keen to introduce fresh participants. 

This year there will be 18 new artists and makers such as ceramicist Abbie La Rooy, who will exhibit at the Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries; visual artists Sally Jennings, in Kirkpatrick Durham, Erinclare Scutton from Port Patrick and Katy Quinn from Kirkcudbright. 

Among those returning for 2023 are jewellery-maker Lisa Rothwell-Young in Langholm; potter Sam Sparrow from Thornhill; furniture-maker Ian Cameron Smith in Kirkcudbright, photographer Kim Ayres at Castle Douglas and visual artists such as Lisa Hooper in Port William and Joanna Shennan in Dumfries.

You can visit the dedicated Spring Fling website for more information.

Read the full announcement Press release here.

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Spring Fling is a vibrant visual art and craft open studios event covering the length and breadth of Dumfries and Galloway in South West Scotland. It is highly regarded as one of the UK’s most successful contemporary visual art and craft events.  

Dumfries and Galloway - inspiring, vibrant and buzzing with creativity - is well-recognised as a haven for artists and makers, and Spring Fling has helped put the region on the national and international cultural map. 

Between 2003 and 2017 Spring Fling attracted over 140,000 visitors who made around 420,000 studio visits.

In 15 years over £2.6 million of art and craft was bought in studios and the event brought over £13 million to the local economy.  

Spring Fling 2019 from Upland on Vimeo.

Between 90 - 100 professional artists and makers throw open the doors to their studios over the late May bank holiday weekend, offering visitors the chance to get behind the scenes of artistic practice, experience artists and makers demonstrating and explaining their processes and inspirations and have the opportunity to buy a piece of art direct from the artist. Each studio experience is unique, every artist is different but each will offer a meaningful insight into the inner workings of an artist’s life.

In addition to the core event, over the Spring Fling weekend visitors can enjoy a number of extra events and happenings such as public art commissions (see WaterOrgan, Edge and SFRM), exhibitions, performances, workshops and events. And visitors can studio hop the green way on one of the Spring Fling Bus Tours.

Scroll down the page to read related articles and to see a selection of images from Spring Fling 2019.

For more information on Spring Fling Open Studios visit the dedicated SF website. 

Spring Fling 2017 from Upland on Vimeo.