Sworders are pleased to support two art events in East Anglia this summer, Holt Festival & Paint Out, both of which offer a platform for local artists to showcase their work.
29 June 2023
The charming Georgian market town of Holt in Norfolk, where galleries, cafés, restaurants and independent shops thrive, is proud to once again be resuming its role as host of East Anglia’s celebration of creativity this summer. Festival Director, Anwen Hurt, has created another jam packed programme of outstanding entertainment for this year’s event that will run from Thursday 20 July - Saturday 29 July.
Among the guest attendees are renowned comedians Rich Wilson and Julian Clary, poetry from James Mcdermott and Luke Wright plus a diverse line up of musical artists from county favourites Peter Donohoe, Harriet Mackenzie and Toyah to free family friendly fun with Mad Dog Mcrea.
For another year running, we are delighted to show our support through the highly regarded annual Sir John Hurt & Sworders Art Prizes which will be offered along side the new Charlotte Fraser Ceramics & Glass Prize.
Sworders are proud to sponsor this year's Paint Out™ who's objective is to encourage engagement in art, not only among those who attend art exhibitions and sales, but by inspiring everyone to watch art being made against the clock, the weather and the pressure of an audience. It’s like a Great British Bake Off for painting, but in this case people can see it all live and engage with the competitors directly.
Paint Out™ is an art event that aims to refresh and redefine 21st-century en plein air art practice. Founded in 2014, it has become the UK's premier and only fully juried en plein air art competition. The event celebrates the talents of national and international artists in the presence of a broad audience, located in the heart of medieval and iconic Norwich, as well as in the picturesque towns, countryside, broads, and coast of beautiful Norfolk. Paint Out™ has also made appearances in Suffolk and Cambridge.
A major highlight of our forthcoming Dreams – A Unique Private Collection sale on 9 July is a remarkable archive of letters and manuscripts by John Ruskin (1819–1900), the celebrated Victorian polymath. This unparalleled group – numbering in the hundreds – is believed to be the largest collection of Ruskin correspondence in private hands and spans a vast range of topics from art and architecture to politics, religion, and personal reflection.
2 July 2025
'The Scented Garden of Abdullah the Satirist of Shiraz' - also known as 'The Bagh-i-Muattar' - quickly caught the attention of our book specialists, when a copy bound in full vellum was brought in by a local client to our weekly valuation day.
2 July 2025
We are thrilled to launch The Glass Sale - a brand-new addition to our auction calendar! The inaugural sale will take place on Tuesday 28 October and will become a biannual fixture in our calendar going forward.
20 June 2025