East Kent Artists’ Open House @ Radford House
East Kent Artists’ Open House at Radford House.
A landmark building, Radford House, Ramsgate’s old fire station as it is today. Image from RadfordHouseRTC FB page.
EVENT DETAILS:
11-5pm
18-20 Effingham Road
Ramsgate Kent
CT11 9AT
East Kent Artists’ open houses 2023 or EKOH for short, is now in its 23rd year.
With over 250 artists spread over 80 houses and studios. The artists’ trail gives the public a personal insight into how an artist works within their specialist field.
As part of EKOH Emerald Faerie has been invited to showcase her work at Radford House in Ramsgate, alongside three other local artists for the first weekend 14 & 15th of October.
What will I be doing?
I am super excited to set up studio at Radford House, a building full of history and character. Our current studio workshop is out of town and hard to get to without a means of transportation. It is my first ‘open studio’ event since moving to Ramsgate nearly 5 years ago.
Emerald Faerie studio @ Cordy house, London, 2008. Photographer: Giles Angel.
For this years East Kent artists’ open house I am recreating a small corner of my workshop, with selected pieces from my jewellery and lighting collections, where you can find me creating wire and glass flowers from my Flora & Fauna lighting collection. Ever wondered how I make them? now you can find out!
Atmospheric detail from the FLORA & FAUNA lighting collection
Did you know….
The Effingham Street property was originally a private house belonging to Rear Admiral William Fox. In 1905 Ramsgate Corporation bought the property and converted it into a fire station and the town library and Clarendon House girl’s school were built in the grounds. The station was opened in October 1905 by the Mayor. The Effingham Street station was designed for horse-drawn fire engines, and as firefighting and kit developed, a new space was needed.
Ramsgate Town Council bought the property in 2019 following a bequeathed estate from resident Mr Radford. The building was renamed Radford House and is now set to be a building for the use of the community and EKOH is just one of the many interesting events that are taking place here.
It is Grade II listed, due to it representing a well-preserved fire station of 1905, retaining a range of distinct features from the early 18th and 20th Centuries.
It’s amazing to think it was once a residential dwelling, you can still see glimpses of the old house, some of the plaster has also come away from the wall to reveal where one of 4 fireplaces used to be and it has a small yet elegant staircase at the back of the main room on the ground floor. I think that is what drew me in. I don’t know about you but I love old buildings especially when you see the layers of history revealing themselves.