Northampton’s artists invite visitors to ‘discover the unexpected’ this September

Northampton’s artists and creative spaces are preparing to welcome visitors this September as Northants & Rutland Open Studios returns for its 2026 festival.

This year’s theme, Go Further This September – Discover the Unexpected, encourages people to explore the creativity hidden within their own communities — from working studios and galleries to historic buildings, shared exhibitions and spaces they may never normally think to visit.

Northants & Rutland Open Studios brings together artists working across painting, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, printmaking, jewellery, photography, glass and mixed media, with some opening their working studios and others exhibiting together in shared venues.

Northampton itself has plenty to discover.

In Wootton, mixed-media artist Lucy Mathers will open her studio at 67 Berry Lane on selected dates during September. Her paintings are rich in pattern, texture and colour, and she will also be exhibiting at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery.

Nearby, Marika du Plessis will open her studio on Riverstone Way, Northampton. Inspired by quirky birds and soothing blue tones, her work spans ceramics and painting, with studio openings across several September dates.

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery also features within the 2026 festival programme, bringing a number of artists together and providing another opportunity for visitors to encounter work without having to travel far from the town centre.

NROS Director and Festival Organiser Katie Boyce said: “Open Studios is about discovering just how much creativity exists around us. You might know Northampton well and still have no idea that an artist is working from a studio just a few streets away.

“This year we really want people to go a little further — perhaps visit somewhere they have never been before, walk through a studio door they would normally pass, and talk directly to the person who made the work.

“You do not need to know anything about art and you certainly do not have to be looking to buy. It is about curiosity, conversation and enjoying the creative talent that exists on our doorstep.”

Visitors are encouraged to combine individual studio visits with the wider festival and make their own route through Northamptonshire.

The Central Exhibition at Lamport Hall is an ideal place to begin. Running from 5 September to 3 October, Wednesday to Sunday from 10am–4pm, it features more than 500 original artworks by 230 artists from across Northamptonshire and Rutland. Entry and parking are free.

The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to discover artists first and then use the NROS guide to plan visits to their studios and shared venues.

Katie added: “Whether somebody visits one artist or twenty, we want them to slow down, explore and enjoy the experience. You never quite know what you are going to find behind the next studio door.”

Full artist listings, individual opening dates and the festival guide are available through the NROS website www.nros.co.uk