O xfordshire will be awash with visual arts this month as the annual Artweeks festival rolls around the county from May 13 to June 4. This annual open studio' festival has been going for 24 years and, in 2006, around 700 artists will be opening up their studios or exhibiting in galleries and public spaces around the county.

With the numbers taking part it is no surprise that the variety is outstanding, and there are works in virtually every type of medium imaginable, including bookmaking, digital art and even a maker of ceramic shoes (Kate Hopkins-Searle in Chipping Norton).

There really is something for everyone and it is all beautifully catalogued with clear maps to plan your trek in the Artweeks Guide, an 88-page full colour booklet available in libraries, information centres and hotels.

Andrew Smith, MP for Oxford East and long-standing supporter of the county's arts scene said: "Artweeks brings vibrancy to the city and Oxfordshire and is an excellent way for everyone in the community to experience the wide diversity of visual arts there is in this county."

Mr Smith will be officially opening 1982' at the OVADA art gallery in Oxford's Gloucester Green, an exhibition which brings together recent work by the artists behind the formation of Artweeks, many of whom are now well-known (see page 18).

They include Piers Benn, John Goto, Malgorzata-Biakoloz Smith, Helen Ganly, Roger Perkins, Sylvia Hayes, Kathleen Hindman, Diana Bell, John Trigg, Andy Walton, Hugh Dunford-Wood, Peter Fink and Jane Hanson. 1982' runs from May 13 to June 10.

Elsewhere in the city, the newly-opened Oxford Castle site is housing an exhibition of 50 artists participating in Artweeks across the county. This is a true cross-section of the huge amount of work on show and should be one of the most diverse displays ever seen in the city, so expect some real gems.This runs from May 12 until June 4.

The late Robert Medley was once described by the director of Whitechapel Art Gallery as someone who stood alongside Henry Moore, Francis Bacon and Edward Burra, and one of the most gifted and independent artists of an older generation.' This retrospective of his work runs from May 10 to June 25 in the very apt setting of the magnificent Christchurch Picture Gallery.

Finland is home to renowned photographer Jari Silomki, but he recently spent time capturing images of Oxford which are included in his work on display at the Said Business School in an exhibition entitled My Unopened Letters; UK Weather Diary,' which runs from May 17 until June 1.

Every year, Artweeks is celebrated with events, workshops and children's activities up and down the county.

One of the biggest parties is the Summertown Street Festival, held between 10am and 1pm on Saturday, May 20. Summertown has around 40 artists within a square mile and the festival features live music and performing arts, hands-on activities for children, street painting and much more. Elsewhere in Oxford there are organised walking tours throughout Artweeks exploring Oxford's gothic and pre-Raphaelite treasures, plus workshops and discussion forums on art topics and techniques.

Children also get a lot out of Artweeks, whether they are budding artists or interested in the way visual arts are created.

The world-famous children's illustrator Korky Paul is helping youngsters to draw snails with legs on June 1, 3 and 4 at the University Museum in Oxford, and running cartoon workshops at Banbury Museum on May 20.

More children's activities are taking place at the Museum of Oxford, the Ashmolean Museum, Henley's River and Rowing Museum and Cogges Museum in Witney.

Details of these and all Artweeks-related events are in the Artweeks Guide.

Whatever your interest, Artweeks is the best opportunity of the year to experience visual arts in Oxfordshire. It is one not to be missed.

On the following pages we profile just a few of the artists taking part in this year's vibrant and exciting festival.

For more information about Oxfordshire Artweeks, call 01865 861574 (Mon,Weds and Fri, 9.30am-2.30pm), e-mail oxford_artweeks@hotmail.com or visit the website: www.artweeks.org