Every year, I pass the Urban Art Fair on my way to the Lambeth Country Show and marvel at scores of paintings hanging on the railings of Josephine Avenue gardens. The Urban Art Fair will have to go it alone this year, as the Lambeth Country Show – usually on the same weekend in July – will take place in September. But that has not put off the organisers, who are celebrating ten years of the open air contemporary art far.
Portrait artist Timothy Sutton launched Urban Art in 2002 on Josephine Avenue, where he lives. The art fair is run by volunteers and aims to provide an affordable exhibition space for both new and established artists, as well as specifically promoting local art.
“It’s been an amazing ten years and we are really looking forward to celebrating our birthday with the Cultural Olympiad”, he said.
With over 2,000 artworks on display by more than 160 artists the range of quality and prices is wide. You can get something for a tenner, or invest for up to a grand.  This year, a percentage of all sales will go to Holy Trinity School, Jubilee Primary School and the Southside Rehabilitation Centre.
For those missing the summer vibe in a rainy, Lambeth Country Show-less July, there will also be a sound stage on Saturday ‘showcasing an eclectic mix of cool summer sounds’, say the organisers. And Mexican, Caribbean and Indian food stalls.
The Urban Art Fair runs Saturday 14 and Sunday 15, 10am-6pm, at Josephine Avenue. Find out more about it here.
