Alan Chape
Josephine Hague
Marilyn Halligan
Paul Knight
Allison Bailey-Smith
Marie Mairs
Chris Millichamp
Ken Peacock
Lynda Roberts
Jeremy Watson
Nigel Mairs
Desdemona McCannon
Judith Brown
Daniel James
Oxton Art Fair - December 2004
Press release : Oxton Artists Go Indoors
The first annual Oxton Art Fair will be held at the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead over the weekend of 11 and 12 December 2004. The Fair builds on the street fair held as part of the Oxton Society's 'Secret Gardens' event held last May. It brings together fifteen local artists, both showing and selling their work. The event should prove both timely and popular, coming as it does in the run up to Christmas!
Between them the artists will be showing a wide range of works: paintings, prints and photographs, as well as items of textile, jewellery and turned wood. Subjects are wide-ranging and styles range from the traditional to the modern. Most of these original works will be for sale at a wide range of prices and commissions for new work will be taken.
Said Paul Rees, one of the organisers: "There are many artists in Oxton whose work deserves to be better known. We hope that this first Oxton Art Fair will become an annual event at the Williamson and will grow in scale and importance in years to come."
This year's artists are: Alison Bailey Smith, Judith Brown, Alan Chape, Josephine Hague, Sharilyn Halligan, Daniel James, Marilyn Jones, Paul Knight, Marie Mairs, Nigel Mairs, Desdemona McCannon, Chris Millichamp, Ken Peacock, Lynda Roberts and Jeremy Watson.
The Williamson Art Gallery is in Slatey Road, Birkenhead and open from 10hrs to 17hrs on both Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free and refreshments will be available during the Fair.
The artists, minus Alan Chape, plus a few extras, at the end of the show.
Setting up... on Thursday evening the artists began putting up their individual displays. THis continued into Friday to ensure that everything was completed in time for the arrival of the invited guests later that evening.
More pictures from the event can be found in the Oxton Art Fair 2004 gallery.
Many
of the artists who showed at the 2004 art fair had also contributed pieces
of work for the Oxton Society calendar for 2005. This calendar contains
twelve full colour images created by twelve different artists. The calendar
is available at a number of outlets in the village including Nelsons,
Quandary and the Drawing Room. The artwork was provided free of charge,
with all profits from the sale it going to the Oxton Society 
A
Private view of the exhibition took place on the Friday night which proved
a hugh success with a constant flow of visitors. With food and drinks
on offer to all who visited this ensured that the event also had a relaxed
informal feel to it.
Visitors at the Private show on Friday 10th December
During the Saturday and Sunday opening hours of the show the visitors continued to pour through the doors. On the Saturday the constant flow of people only noticeably thinned out in mid afternoon, just around the kick off of the Everton v Liverpool local derby. During this time many of the artists were on hand to explain their work and chat about the methods they used to create their particular form of artwork.
Refreshments were also on sale at the gallery provided by the staff from the community shop in Christchurch Road. By the time it came to Sunday afternoon all parties had agreed that the event was a great success and discussions were already taking place with regards to next years show.
Visit the gallery showing work exhibited at the 2004 exhibition (more pictures to follow)