Prince Albert Open Studios: reimagined and roaring to life
Prince Albert Open Studios goes big with Zapiro and more from 10 to 16 June 2025
Imagine stepping into a sunlit studio, the rich aroma of ink and Karoo earth filling the air, while learning from a master artisan. Or indulging in a Karoo-inspired dish, crafted by a talented chef. This is the Prince Albert Open Studios. It’s more than an event—it’s a collaboration.
Now in its eighth year Open Studios will see Zapiro, South Africa’s most prolific cartoonist, bring his fearless wit to the edge of the Swartberg mountains. Zapiro will show his film “The Showerhead” at the Showroom, to be followed by a conversation with Zapiro, Andy Mason and Tim Cohen.
Locally, artists will open their studio doors, spilling out paintings, jewellery, sculptures, ceramics, and more. Di Smith, Sue Hoppe, Di van der Riet, Karin Terblanche, Andy Mazin, Mary Anne Botha, Di Johnson, Erika van Zyl, Kevin de Klerk, Sonja Fourie, PACT, the Gallery, Sue Savage, Anna Stone, Turid Bergstadt, Paula Beezhold, Tiaan van Deventer, Ethan Maans, Collette Hurt, and Christelle Smit are all our locals who will be exhibiting their work. With a lineup of guest artists specially showing for this event: Lisl Barry, Zapiro, Beljonn Dean, and Alex Hamilton.
Grab the program and look out for the blue A-frame signs and wild bunting that will lead you through Prince Albert’s historic streets, past stoeps and succulents, into spaces where creativity hums.
Accomplished artists will host workshops and demos, offering hands-on opportunities for people to carve, paint, and create alongside them. Join Karin TerBlanche’s ‘out of the box’ creative clay bust workshop; paint a landscape with Erica van Zyl En Plein Air while enjoying a glass of wine; meet up with Helene de Haas at Die Letterhuis for a coffee and a walk through; Di van der Riet will guide you through making jewellery in the Karoo; and be introduced to drawing with mindfulness by Rebecca Hayson. Sue Savage’s hand-built pottery workshop will challenge you to build your own large coil vessel in one day.
Enjoy a coffee at the Karoo Souk while painting using the very same coffee as a medium, which will then be exhibited and sold, with some of the sales being put towards Karoo Kreatif, an initiative to foster arts and crafts talent in Prince Albert.
The Hope Street Studio and Art Garage of Andy Mason (N.D. Mazin) and Mary Anne Botha are offering three exciting hands-on, vertical learning curve art workshops: Mixing Colour (painting mediums, paper, canvas, board etc); Drawing Stories (professional secrets of visual narrative); and Practical Art (based on the legacy of Outa Lappies), which also includes a street parade and a visit to the Outa Lappies exhibition at the Prince Albert Museum. And then..Nostalgia is something to look forward to! The Kompleat PreZanian Komix, to be launched during Open Studios, is Andy Mazin’s 96 page collection of comic strips produced between 1976 and 1994.
Then, there’s food: local chefs step into the spotlight with cooking demos, turning Karoo bounty into dishes. Yellow House’s ‘Oranges, Almonds, and Honey!’- food demo explores the endless possibilities of cooking with these superfoods, their health benefits, and the traditions surrounding them. Mo and Steve will host a Sourdough Workshop by The Accidental Baker to get your baked goods fix. Enjoy some delicious Karoo cooking with African Relish Cooking School in a workshop by Michelle Lottering.
Get a real sense of the Karoo with a walk with Sue Dean at Wolvekraal. Visit the workshop of Karoo Handgemaak and see their process of creating beautiful stuffed animals and other items.
Art isn’t just what you see — it’s what you touch, taste, hear, and smell. Meet the makers, hear their stories, and maybe claim a piece of their magic.