They came, they saw, they had a great time!

The dust has finally settled, the reports and evaluations are nearly complete and the time has come to now say that this years Cowal Open Studios was a roaring success - in excess of 2000 visitors over the weekend and a total visitor spend of around £18k. The feedback from visitors and participants has been overwhelmingly positive and I think I can safely say that COS 2009 was a fantastic event!

The additional events at the Hall on the Saturday went down really well-the singing workshop was such a hit that the singers have been meeting regularly to exercise their vocal cords-and workshops were well attended. The concert in the evening was a foot stompin' crowd pleaser and the highlight of the weekend!

So onward-the battle for funding starts here. Cowal Open Studios is key in promoting the work of artists in this most beautiful part of Scotland and is a vital and vibrant part of the Cultural Tourism Industry in Argyll and Bute-we just have to get this message over to the Council so that they can start to value the contribution that these businesses make to the local economy. This will be our challenge for 2010!

Watch this space!!