Open studios 1999 saw an increase in the number of artists to over 60 showing at 23 venues. Over these two years participating artists had benefited from the sale of work, and commissions received. Several have made valuable contact with art dealers, leading to sales and exhibitions outside Cornwall.

A new development occurred in 1999 when one of the exhibitors moved to Plymouth with a desire to set up an open studios event for artists in that area. Plymouth Open Studios 1999 was organised by Nicola Donovan and Nick Irwin, both artists from the Plymouth area. The success of the event precipitated enquiries from all over the South West with the requests to set up more open studios.

It was then decided to combine the existing ones and expand to take in any areas where there were artists keen to take part. Recognizing its growing regional significance, the event was rebranded as Open Studios (sw) to reflect its broader geographical reach, and funding from South West Arts. Prior to this The Market Street Mews had picked up the shortfall. Open Studios (sw) 2000 had over 160 artists exhibiting in over 90 venues, and by 2003 had grown beyond all expectations to cover Cornwall and Devon with over 200 artists, and 13 Galleries with significant support from sponsors.

Having presided over this success Pat and Julie moved to South Africa, and Ashley stepped back from the project.

Ashley later relocated to Spain, where he established a new open studios event in Zarzalejo, a small village near Madrid. This initiative has sparked a cultural renaissance in the region, bringing a familiar spirit of creativity and community to a new audience.

In 2007 there were just 124 participants. Under the Charity’s stewardship the number of artist and makers increased to well over 300.

In 2024 Creative Kernow announced their decision to discontinue funding Open Studios Cornwall after 20 years. Creative Kernow CEO Fiona Wotton said: “The ending of the Open Studios event highlights the challenges of the current economic climate. For many years, Open Studios was made possible by a series of grants in addition to the income from participation fees. This included funding and in-kind support from Creative Kernow's Creatives Skills and Cultivator EU funded programmes. As funding for artist development has been reduced in recent years, it has become increasingly challenging for Open Studios to remain sustainable, despite our efforts.” Creative Kernow did not consult with participating artists about the decision, nor was a successor organisation identified. Instead, the charity anticipated that an entity would emerge to fill the gap.

Jeremy Sanders was the first to react publicly to the closure by launching his Instagram page @cornwallopenstudios on 6th September, the day after the announcement.

The new brushstroke ‘C’ logo, painted by Founder Jeremy Sanders, reflects the new name of the event and signals a fresh start and an ambitious new platform for artists and makers.

Whereas for the past 27 years the promotion has focused on the nine days of open studios, the new website enables year-round support for artists. They can update their work and information on their individual web pages 24/7, rather than just having a fixed representation for the annual event. Early in January Jeremy Sanders announced the beginning of a period of consultation on the proposed Cornwall Open Studios Mentoring Programme. If there’s sufficient support this could go live in 2026.