MORE than 100 artists will take to 56 venues, including studios, homes and galleries, for the 21st edition of Bridport & West Dorset Open Studios.

This year, esteemed painter Fred Cuming RA is the event patron. He is a widely-admired artist, having won the Grand Prix de l'Art Contemporaries in 1998. He is showing at Sladers Yard gallery, alongside artists Alex Lowery, Vanessa Gardiner, Luke Elwes, Frances Hatch, Janette Kerr, Marzia Colonna, Fiamma Colonna Montagu and Petter Southall.

Across the road you’ll find ceramics by Richard Wilson on George Street. Then there’s a new venue at the Durbeyfield, West Bay, with four artists including batik works by Sue Barnes, subtle landscape paintings by Nicola Moeran, free-hand embroidery by Debbie Tiltman and gestural abstracts by Ruta Skrinskiene.

Directions are presented in seven maps in a free 56-page guide with distinctive portraits of participating artists by photographer Pete Millson.

Guide cover artist Ella Squirrell is a popular emerging talent, having recently graduated from Falmouth College of Art before being selected by FBA Futures to exhibit in London. Other young artists to keep an eye on include Ellie Preston. Tilia Holmes specialises in pyrography (burning illustration) and oil painting on unusual pieces of wood at the Dansel Gallery in Abbotsbury. In Bridport, Phill Moon will explore the healing and transformational power of art, while illustrator Pippa Evans favours pen and Indian inks and botanical subjects. Poppy Moores will show multimedia and video works in Symondsbury.

It’s now more than a year since the fire that destroyed business units and studios at St Michael’s and many of the artists have been adjusting to new surroundings.

Event director, Kit Glaisyer, recently set up a new studio and gallery in central Bridport, while Caroline Ireland and David Brooke have found studios in the village of Morecomblake. Illustrators Paul Blow, Suzanna Hubbard and Russ Snedker have all relocated to other studios on the St Michael’s Trading Estate, while painter Marion Taylor works in Loders and will be exhibiting at Eype Church with her popular Colmer’s Hill paintings. Nearby, painter Veronica Hudson will be showing her experimental drawings and paintings in Higher Eype.

Isla Chaney and Rob Morgan are still based at the trading estate.

In Symondsbury, painter Peter Hitchin will be showing his unique figurative works and, nearby, the Lyme Bay artists have moved from the old Town Mill Gallery to their new gallery on the Symondsbury Estate. Another artist to move to Bridport from Lyme Regis is painter, printmaker and designer Hugh Dunford Wood, best known for his bespoke hand-printed wallpapers.

Open Studios takes place from September 7-15.

Pick up a Free 56-Page Guide to the event from the TIC and visit the artists in their studios starting this Saturday.