THE Women’s Art Show, one of the biggest events of the local visual arts calendar, returns to Fairfields Arts Centre at the weekend.  

Fairfields started organising exhibitions to celebrate International Women’s Day in March, 1993 and has done so since then - including for a short time in partnership - making it the longest running exhibition of work by women artists in this part of the region.

The exhibition is again dedicated to the memory of the late Izita Kerr, a South African-born artist who lived in Oakridge and worked with many community groups in addition to her association with Fairfields. Izita died from cancer in 2006 at the age of 61.

This year’s selection includes artists from Syria, Israel, China, Japan, India, Poland and also many from Basingstoke. 

One, Ayat Alhaji, is a local artist based in town. Ayat has exhibited in various cities in the UK and abroad in addition to collaborating on several community artworks and events.

Her contribution to this year’s Fairfields show concerns the current Syrian crisis. It is mainly dedicated to Syrian children who have witnessed or were exposed to killing, torture, displacement, sexual abuse or imprisonment at the hands of the Regime’s intelligence and security force.

Work from previous Women’s Art Show exhibitions is available to view on Fairfields’ online gallery on their website.

*The Women’s Art Show runs from March 9 - 23. Admission is free. Find out more online at fairfields.org or from 01256 321621.