Oswestry’s Art Culture: Where to Get Creative this Summer - by Emelia Newton

With the arrival of summer, it is time to get out and about again.

The good news is, if you are creatively inclined and looking for a way to spend the summer months, you need not go further than Oswestry. We are lucky enough to have a thriving art culture, countless talented artists, workshops and creative spaces people can lose themselves in.

So, if you feel like trying something new or discovering some local artwork, here are some of the creative hotspots you can escape to this summer.

When it comes to galleries, Oswestry is spoilt for choice. The town’s art displays include: The Qube (an organisation positively impacting people’s ‘quality of life’ in Shropshire and the Borderlands’) and The British Ironwork Centre (the leading metal sculpture park in the UK, boasting seventy acres of grounds).

Down Willow Street, you can also find The Willow Gallery, a showroom which has been showcasing the talent of artists in Shropshire and Mid-Wales for the past fifteen years. Earlier in the Spring I spoke to director Anthony about The Willow’s mission and their upcoming exhibitions.

Walking into the gallery, I was met with an array of works from talented local artists. The Spring Opening Exhibition (on display at the time of my visit) featured the work of four artists from Anglesey, exploring the fine art aspects of photography. For example, photographer Sian Monument aims to create ‘an emotion of uncertainty’ in her work by exploring how ‘light and dark fall through recognisable shapes and spaces’ (see ‘Edifice’).

Also on show were a variety of pastels, oil paintings and a medium which will feature heavily in the summer exhibition: textiles (see Alison Holt’s incredible ‘Winter Forest’ created from free-motion machine embroidery on painted silk). Another particularly notable piece was June Mclaughlin’s ‘Petal the Lamb,’ made from needle felting sheep’s wool to create the final sculptural piece.

For Anthony, this diversity is key when it comes to drawing together an artistic community. He considers the gallery to be a blank canvas for people to fill and the art of students, amateurs and professionals all decorate the Willow’s walls. The gallery’s aim is to provide a nurturing environment for artists and Anthony has been proud to see a lot of those he first supported become well known in their own right. He knows galleries can be intimidating to approach and encourages anyone interested in exhibiting to get in touch!

A key part of the Willow’s mission is helping visitors to engage with the local artists and their work. Anthony does this by holding ‘meet the maker days’ where people can talk to the exhibitors and learn the story behind each work. The gallery’s café and giftshop are also a way visitors can immerse themselves in the local art: come and get a coffee with friends whilst surrounded by the latest exhibition or take home a piece of locally made jewellery! Anthony does not want the gallery to feel like a library but a place where people can talk about the work they see.

If you are interested in getting creative yourself, the gallery runs an extensive list of workshops led by the exhibitors. The workshops generally run on a Saturday ten till four and upcoming events include ‘Character and Mood Portraits with David Bannister (13 June) and ‘Logwood Natural Dye and Foliage’ with Jane Hunter (20 June) (full list on website). All the workshops are designed for beginners. ‘No experience is needed: just bring enthusiasm and give it a go!’ Anthony told me.

Over the next couple of months, there is also a craft fair and ‘Stitch Unbound Summer 2026’ to look forward to. The Willow Gallery is truly spoiling us over the summer months.

The Borderland Visual Arts Exhibition will also be opening at the Willow on the second of May from 16:30-18:30. This will be an opportunity to meet some of the forty BVA artist members, see their fantastic work on display and find out more about the Open Studios Art Trail (taking place in and around Oswestry on the weekends of the 13 and 20 June).

I was lucky enough to have a chat with one of these artists, sculptor Bob Knowles (based in the Cambrian Studios). We spoke about his work, workshops and the importance of connecting people with their environment through creative skills.

Before our interview, I found Bob clearing litter from the hedgerows outside his studio. A big part of his work is environmental: whether this is the recycled materials he uses for his artwork or the overgrown spaces he has been clearing in the town for people to enjoy. (Yes, it was probably him who you drove past clearing the abandoned patch outside Sainsbury’s over the winter months!)

For Bob, his environmental endeavours and artwork are not that different. Either way, ‘it is about using creative skills to get people to connect with where they are and care about it.’

Indeed, much of Bob’s recent artwork has been created using foliage from within five miles of Oswestry. The evidence of a recent string making course Bob went on was everywhere to be seen in his studio. The beautiful hues of foraged willow, grass, nettles, iris and dandelion leaves could be picked out in the strings and baskets Bob had woven. A particular basket I admired had been made from the fallen branches of a one hundred- and eighty-year-old tree just a few miles away. Bob described transforming natural resources into artwork as an ‘almost mythical process.’ The important message from Bob’s work was to appreciate the magic of the everyday and the natural beauty of the local area.

Bob runs workshops on Mondays and Wednesdays and if you are interested in meeting him, you can visit his studio on one of the Open Studio weekends in June.

Also based in the Cambrian Studios is The Claypit: pottery classes for all skill levels in a social, community space. I spoke to owner Rachel about why people should give it a try and was even inspired to go to one of the taster sessions myself!

Rachel explained to me that working with clay is a mindful practice, allowing you to escape somewhere else for a while and simply focus on the clay in your hands. There is also the bonus of chatting to like-minded people and taking home a new piece of art! It is mindful, focused and sociable.

Rachel’s students Bharti and Kate could not agree more. Bharti felt truly ‘welcomed into the ‘Claypit’ family; attending the classes ‘fills my soul with joy!’ For Kate, the Claypit is a ‘wonderful, mindful place;’ Rachel ‘encourages, guides and makes all your ideas happen irrespective of your skill or abilities.’

For those feeling a little apprehensive to try something new, Rachel says to come and have a chat during one of the open studio weekends. It is a chance to suss out the space and meet the friendly faces at the Claypit. The classes are tailored so students can make ‘the Claypit journey:’ complete beginner to full-fledged creator. Beginners can come to one of Rachel’s weekend taster sessions (which I can highly recommend after attending one this month!) or jump straight in with a six-week course. There are general pottery, hand building and throwing courses to choose from and family sessions once a month on a Saturday! There is something for everyone at the Claypit and it is definitely worth a visit this summer.

There you have it, just a few of the many creative spaces you can visit over the summer months. It has been a pleasure talking to some of the town’s creative minds and the upcoming Open Studios Art Trail is an excellent opportunity to meet them!

Alongside the artists, galleries, and workshops I have featured, there are many more spaces, workshops and events in Oswestry: ‘Under One Roof’ and ‘Girlies Get Creative’ just to name a couple.

So, what are you waiting for…? Time to dive in!