h.Art week, which this year runs from September 6 to 14, was launched in 2002 with the aim of promoting the large number and wide variety of professional and semi-professional artists and craftmakers working in the region. All of this year's venues are, as always, free to visitors and the majority are open for the full nine days of the event, from 11am to 5pm, though some may open earlier and/or close later.

Visitors can meet individual artists at work in their studios or homes, or catch an array of artwork at group exhibitions in locations that include churches, barns, manor houses and village halls, with some of the best rural and urban galleries across the region also taking part.

In addition to the spectacular exhibitions, many venues will also be hosting special events - ranging from talks to workshops, live demonstrations, children's events and live entertainment.

In the first year of h.Art, just 55 artists and venues took part, including ceramicist Bridget Drakeford, artists Peter Horrocks, Valerie McLean and Vanessa Pomeroy, and rag-rug maker Jenni Stuart-Anderson, all of whom continue to participate today.

Last year, a record 118 venues opened during the week, with more than 30,000 visits registered. This year, more than 200 individual memberships have been taken up, with 54 artists new this year.

As in previous years, h.Art has awarded two young artist bursaries, with one recipient keeping it in the family, the second generation to join h.Art. Nineteen-year-old Luis de la Torre, a blacksmith, is following in the footsteps of his parents Clare and Mark de La Torre, who were also among the original 55 and will be taking part again this year.

The second bursary winner is Megan Evans, who creates beautiful artwork using the 'ingredients' she collects through her removal of litter from the natural environment, an activity prompted by her discovery of the extent of littering on beaches when she took up surfing. She began to collect a bag after every surfing session and has been 'printmaking with litter' ever since.

New for this year will be a 'performance artwork' from William Hopkins (artist of the moving image), who will be attempting to visit all the participating artists in the nine days. Travelling on a multi-camera equipped video bike, he intends to visit each venue, grabbing a literal snapshot of the event, after which he will create an interactive video piece to be presented at next year's h.Art.

"This is one of the best annual events in Herefordshire," said one visitor last year. "The organisation is impeccable and each year we find wonderful new locations and fascinating new artists and craftmakers."

h.Art runs from Saturday, September 6 to Sunday, September 14. For full details of participating artists and venues, go to brightstripe.co.uk/services/herefordshire-art-week.