LOVERS of art and craft are in for a new year treat. MAKE Southwest in Bovey Tracey is hosting a special exhibition featuring works by some of the finest artists in the South West.

Flatpack rubber jewellery, outdoor installations made from salvaged geotextiles, giant lace furniture forged from 3D printed tools, mixed media sculptural baskets made from foraged materials, industrial metal and glass sculpture, and foam glass tactile art objects are some of the pieces that will be exhibiting in Making It, which will showcase a new generation of designers and makers.

The exhibition features 16 early career makers who are breathing new life into craft and making, combining traditional craft practices with modern innovation, and championing sustainability.

Making It is MAKE Southwest’s biennial exhibition for emerging makers, artists, and designers in the Southwest who are within five years of graduating or setting up a creative business.

This ambitious exhibition celebrates innovation, diversity, and collaboration in craft and making in the Jubilee Gallery.

This year’s selection panel was composed of representatives from Craft Festival and Find a Maker, Design-Nation, Low Carbon Devon, and The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, alongside the MAKE Southwest exhibitions team.

PRIZES

There will be prizes awarded to the exhibitors by leading organisations, including a free stand at Bovey Tracey’s Craft Festival 2023, with a paid listing on Find a Maker; a Green Maker Award from Design Nation and Low Carbon Devon; QEST Award for Innovation, with a prize of £250 towards tools and materials; and MAKE Southwest mentoring opportunities with established makers from within our membership.

For MAKE Southwest Exhibitions Manager Flora Pearson, Making It represents a fantastic opportunity for early career makers to turn their craft into their profession: ‘It’s an opportunity for us to bring the cutting edge of craft, making, and design to our audiences.

‘It’s exciting to see emerging makers embracing a multidisciplinary approach in their practice, focusing less on just one discipline and more on mixed media.’

The exhibition in the former Riverside Mill building, runs from January 21 to March 18, Wednesdays to Saturdays, 11am-5pm.