This weekend, 10th and 11th December, is your last chance to visit the Christmas Artist Open Houses Festival.

Brochures are available around the city including at: Brighton and Hove stations, libraries, museums, visitor information centres and the Dome box office. Brochures are also available at all 65 Open House venues – see: www.aoh.org.uk for details.

Now in its ninth year, the Artists Open Houses Christmas festival marks the start of the Christmas season, offering an array of work from contemporary and original local artists and makers. Visit the Open Houses Christmas trail to discover unique and unusual Christmas gifts for friends, family or for yourself. Choose from the host of beautiful handcrafted objects: jewellery, furniture, ceramics, textiles, clothing as well as some out of the ordinary artworks and objects, to suit everyone’s taste and budget.

The Artist Open Houses Christmas festival offers visitors the opportunity to buy original and exceptional arts and crafts from the best local and national artists and makers, to chat to the artists in the warmth and comfort of their homes and to browse the work whilst sampling home made mince pies and glasses of hot of mulled wine. As well as Christmas cards, wreaths, decorations and stockings, and alongside home-made preserves, bunting, cake-stands, calendars, illustrated tins, otherworldly teapots, zines and comics, see Cold Comfort Farm milk bottles, quails egg cups, perspex pavilions, life sized kinetic African cranes and a traditional Victorian Christmas grotto.

At the Artists Open Houses at Christmas, there really is something to be found for everyone. Visit: www.aoh.org.uk/for-visitors/xmas-2011 where you can find out more about the Artists Open Houses.  You will also find links to many of the artists’ and makers’ own websites.

Venue Opening Times
Be sure to check opening times of venues. The most popular opening times are between 11am and 6pm Saturdays and Sundays but a few venues open week days as well.

Paying for Purchases
Please remember that most houses are unable to accept plastic, so bring cheque books or cash when you visit the Open Houses.

Access
The majority of Open Houses are ordinary homes and may not have disabled access. Please check with the individual brochure listings, or plan your route by taking a look at the list of venues with disabled access by going to:
www.aoh.org.uk/for-visitors/disabled-access