Artists embrace Studio Voltaire’s big birthday (whisper it—30)

It’s a big birthday this year for the plucky non-profit Studio Voltaire which has developed into a key art hub in South London over the past three decades. The not-for-profit art space housed in a former Victorian Methodist chapel in Clapham is a small organisation with big impact, giving pivotal shows to artists such as Phyllida Barlow, Anthea Hamilton and Charlotte Prodger. A host of big names—including Nairy Baghramian, Cecily Brown, Pedro Reyes, Paulina Olowska and Cathy Wilkes—are giving the space a helping hand by donating works to be sold via private sales and at the 30th anniversary gala dinner (some of the works will also pop up in Christie’s June sales in London). Also, look out for a series of anniversary editions which will be launched via Studio Voltaire’s fundraising platform. These initiatives will all feed into the new Studio Voltaire Future Fund, a vital new source of revenue. “Despite the significant expansion in Studio Voltaire’s studio provision and programming completed in 2021, their level of public funding via Arts Council England has remained static for over 15 years,” says a project statement. Meanwhile pop in and see an exhibition first—Beryl Cook and Tom of Finland who are brought together for the first time in a very daring pairing (until 25 August).