Kimpton Art Show, an exhibition and sale of artwork, forms a major feature of the Kimpton May Festival weekend.
Kimpton Art Show takes place in the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, a Grade I listed building situated on a hill overlooking the village with spectacular views across the Mimram Valley to the east of the village. Kimpton Art Show was set up by Kimpton Parish Church Restoration Trust for the purpose of raising funds for the church and the village and has contributed its proceeds, every year since its inception in 1982.
Kimpton Art Show supports two charities, and in 2025 donated:
A TOTAL SUM of £9,600 to:
Kimpton Parish Church Restoration Trust, (a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. CIO:1216579)
Kimpton May Festival Trust, (a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. CIO: 1161032)
We would like to thank all our artists, volunteers, sponsors and guests for making this possible.
We would like to thank all our artists, volunteers, sponsors and guests for making this possible.
Kimpton Art Show 2026 Raffle
Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket for the Kimpton Art Show raffle and a huge thank you to all our generous donors for the wonderful prizes.
The raffle raised £1,375 for the Kimpton Parish Church Restoration Trust (CIO:1216579) and the Kimpton May Festival Good Causes (CIO:1161032).
The raffle was drawn by the Rector of Kimpton and Ayot St Lawrence, the Reverend Liz Chilton Guest.
The results are shown below. All the winners have been contacted.
|
Draw No. |
Ticket Drawn |
Prize Drawn |
|
1 |
Blue 137 |
Tate – two tickets for Whistler (Tate Britain) or Khalo (Tate Modern) |
|
2 |
Green 313 |
Kimpton Art Show admission for two for Friday night 2027 |
|
3 |
Blue 30 |
Apsley House – two tickets for the House and Wellington Collection |
|
4 |
Green 194 |
National Art Pass – annual pass for two |
|
5 |
Green 58 |
Charles Rennie Mackintosh House – two entry/guided tour tickets |
|
6 |
Yellow 161 |
Cartoon Museum – two general entry tickets |
|
7 |
Yellow 146 |
The Design Museum – five tickets for Wes Anderson The Archives |
|
8 |
Yellow 349 |
Frameless Immersive Art Experience – two general entry tickets |
|
9 |
Pink 56 |
Apollo Magazine – one year print and digital subscription |
|
10 |
Yellow 386 |
Sandra Berti painting |
|
11 |
Pink 92 |
Kimpton Art Show £20 gift voucher for the 2027 Show |
|
12 |
Blue 345 |
Royal Academy of Arts – two tickets for Summer Exhibition 2026 |
|
13 |
Yellow 345 |
John Glass painting |
|
14 |
Yellow 321 |
Mary Hyde Art Class voucher |
|
15 |
Yellow 31 |
Henry Moore Studios & Gardens annual family ticket |
|
16 |
Green 253 |
Shaw’s Corner – two general entry tickets with hot drinks |
|
17 |
Yellow 202 |
The Affordable Art Fair – two VIP tickets for Battersea Autumn Fair |
|
18 |
Green 97 |
Art Monthly Magazine – one year print subscription |
|
19 |
Green 17 |
Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art – two entry tickets |
|
20 |
Pink 100 |
Artscape £25 gift voucher |
|
21 |
Green 274 |
Art Nouveau book – Posters, Illustration & Fine Art |
|
22 |
Green 47 |
Tim Edwards print |
2026 TESTIMONIALS from our Artists, Guests, Stewards and Trustees:
-
- Kimpton is one of the best and highly efficient Art Shows in the country. It gives so much enjoyment to its fans and I would say I have never met such a helpful team in the years I have exhibited.
- Another wonderful opening KAS evening and a fabulous achievement for Sue and her fantastic committee. Thank you all for such another memorable event and for all your hard work.
- It was a production to be proud of.
- The whole vibe in the church was magical as was the art.
- It was a beautiful show. The art was stunning. There were so many styles and mediums for every one of every taste in art to enjoy.
- The music was fantastic; the art was amazing and as usual Kimpton rose to the occasion. The Church was the place to be over the weekend without a doubt!
- Thank you so much for yet another well organised and inspiring exhibition.
- Very many thanks to you and to your wonderful committee for all the hard work that you put in, to make this enormous fundraising event go without a hitch. I am very grateful and the Church is exceptionally grateful – where would we be without you and your Art Show?
- It was a pleasure to be part of such a wonderful event.
- Congratulations on a great show and thank you for highlighting my work so beautifully.
- A huge thanks to you and the team for a fantastic show, I cannot imagine the organisation that is needed to run the event!
- Welcoming people at the door was my pleasure once again!
- Thank you to all the helpers and also for your prompt payment.
- As usual, the exhibition was visually stunning. Thanks for all the hard work that you put into this thoroughly enjoyable event.
- Thank you for all your hard work – it always comes together beautifully over the Bank Holiday weekend.
- Thanks so much for the update and for a fantastic event at Kimpton this year. The show was brilliant and this year especially I thought that everybody’s artwork was displayed in the best way possible to showcase it well. It was really great to see.
- So glad that I have contributed to the two charities.
- I would like to thank you very much for your invitation. It was such a pleasure to take a part in such a beautiful event! Congratulations to you for the organization, which was impeccable! The atmosphere was wonderful, lots of happy people together sharing their love for art.
DATES & TIMES 2026:
Friday 1st May to Monday 4th May
- OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY 1st May: 6 – 9pm ENTRY £8: Music, Wine and Canapés
- SATURDAY 2nd May: 10 – 5pm Weekend Entry £2, children free.
- SUNDAY 3rd May: 11 – 5pm
- MONDAY 4th May: 10 – 3pm
To see a copy of the Kimpton Art Show 2026 Catalogue, click here or scan the blue QR code:
Kimpton Art Show brings together over 100 artists. Work ranges from the traditional to the modern. The Show offers an opportunity for new artists to demonstrate their talent as well as for those who already have a well-established reputation to make a very valued return.
- oil, watercolour, pastel and mixed media paintings
- sculptures, ceramics, woodwork, willow
- photography
- textiles
LIVE MUSIC 2026: We are very fortunate to be supported by our very talented and generous KIMPTON MUSICIANS performing in the church throughout the weekend, adding atmosphere and a very living experience to the show:
- Nigel Hyams – ACCORDION & VOCAL – Friday 6pm & Sunday 4pm
- Ellie Smith & Tim Randall – VOCAL & GUITAR – Friday 7.15pm & Sunday 2pm
- Steve Warner & Julie Simpson – GUITAR & VOCAL – Friday 6.30; Saturday 10am, Saturday 4pm
- Phil Turner – VOCAL – 12pm Saturday
- Brian King & Jenny Birkett – GUITAR & VOCAL – Monday 12pm
- Paul Dowsett – JAZZ VOCALIST – Saturday 2pm & Sunday 1pm
- Veronika Brazdova – HARP – Saturday 3pm & Monday 10am
- Andy Wright & Keith White – ORGAN & BARITONE – Sunday 11am
- THE KIMPTON STRING QUARTET – Sunday 12pm
- Malcolm Parry – GUITAR/VOCAL – Saturday 1pm
- Bill Redway – GUITAR/VOCAL – Sunday 3pm
- Tim Watkin-Rees – GUITAR & VOCAL – Monday 11am
- Helen McPhun & Mandy Britton – FLUTE and VIOLIN – Monday 1pm
Kimpton Art Show GRAND PRIZE RAFFLE: – £1 Tickets on sale in the church and in the village over the weekend.
In collaboration with a host of landmark art and cultural venues who have generously donated entry tickets, we are delighted to announce over 20 prizes, worth over £1,000, including:
Henry Moore Studios and Gardens, Apsley House, The Cartoon Museum, Shaw’s Corner, Royal Academy, Tate, Affordable Art Fair, The Design Museum, The Charles Rennie Mackintosh House; The Estorick Collection; Frameless Immersive Art Experience – Ranked No.1 Art Gallery in London by Tripadvisor.
Other prizes include: National Art Pass, 1 year subscriptions to both Art Monthly Magazine and Apollo Magazine, Artscape Gift Voucher, Mary Hyde Art Class Voucher, Art Nouveau Book, KAS Gift Voucher, KAS 2027 Admission, and paintings generously donated by Sandra Berti and John Glass.
PAYMENT may be made via BACS, Credit and Debit Cards, Cash and Cheque
GIFT VOUCHERS: Kimpton Art Show Gift Vouchers are available to purchase. Perfect as a gift for family and friends. Priced from £10 with an upper limit of £250.
PURCHASES may be taken at time of purchase or collected on Monday 4th between 3pm and 3.30.
GDPR – we retain no personal details from purchase payments.
PARKING: Held over the first weekend in May as part of the Kimpton May Festival, parking in Kimpton requires consideration. Car parking is available at the Parkfield Sports Ground off the Hitchin Road and it is only a short walk to the church. See MAP.
This year we are fortunate to be able to provide parking in a field at the east end of the village at the bottom of Ballslough Hill. SG4 8RH. What3Words: amount.arts.index
Please note that the High Street will be closed for the Procession on Saturday 2nd from 12 – 1.30pm.
Please avoid driving into Church Lane as this is a cul-de-sac with limited turning space.
St Peter and St Paul’s Church is an Historic Property which has a variety of flooring types, and a variety of levels. This means that pedestrian routes through the church could be of a challenging nature.
DOGS: Apart from assistance dogs, we are unable to grant access to dogs to the Art Show.
DISABILITY ACCESS:
- Church Lane is a cul-de-sac with limited turning space for cars. It is an inclined road.
- Please do not drive up the tree-lined walkway to the Church as it is a dead end.
- The tree-lined walkway to the Church from Church Lane is inclined. However, it is a route that provides the easiest access for wheelchairs.
- Once at the Church we have wheelchair ramps and our Stewards will be trained to assist. We also have a wheelchair which can be borrowed. A ramp is also available to enable access to the toilets at Church House.
- Should you require parking as a Blue Badge holder we have some limited space at Church House which stands in the Church grounds. Please feel free to contact us ahead of your visit and we will aim to fulfil your requirements. However, please note that we are unable to guarantee you a parking place at Church House.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE AN ARTIST TOO?
SECRET POSTCARD – 4″ x 6″ – Art Card or Mini Canvas
Kimpton Art Show is delighted to invite you to contribute to our Secret Postcard sale. All artworks, to be exhibited anonymously, will be on sale at the price of £10. All funds raised will directly benefit our Church Restoration Trust.
Although restricted to being postcard size, the subject matter and approaches can vary widely, from drawing and painting, to photography and collage, and embroidery.
- Please sign all artworks on verso and to arrange delivery/collection, please contact Sue Burns at contact@kimptonartshow.co.uk or 07765 097500
KIMPTON MAY FESTIVAL, a great destination for the 1st weekend in May, was originally set up to provide funds for the restoration of the Church following the collapse of the Dacre Chapel roof. The roof has long since been re-built and although much restoration has taken place, an ongoing programme of work is necessary in order to preserve the most historic building in the village for future generations.
The Art Show Committee includes local artists as well as individuals who contribute their varied skill sets. The Show also depends heavily on the support of the exhibiting artists, our sponsors and other volunteers who join in to help prepare, set up and run the show with ever growing success.
Contact Sue Burns, Chair. 07765 097500. contact@kimptonartshow.co.uk
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and SPONSORS
We are indebted to a large number of individuals and particularly acknowledge:
- The Church Wardens
- Spectrum IT Support
- Kimpton Bench Working Party for setting up and taking down the screens
- The many extra helpers who man the desk, act as stewards, run the bar, perform the music and numerous other task to generally make it all happen
- Sandra Berti for her Gift Voucher designs
- The Director of Bryn Mawr College Library, Pennsylvania, for permission to use the Claud Lovat Fraser maypole image free of charge for our charitable event. The College owns the original image, as well as the copyright to all of Lovat Fraser’s writings and art work.