Ist Ilkley Art Trail Artists Networking Get-Together

Such a good time was had at this important do, that no pictures were taken! Artists and the team will have to rely upon their memory and readers upon their imagination!

A cryptic feature as reminder of the space however, since I feel an image is necessary:

Thanks go to FABRIC (Creative Bradford) who provided help with food and drink. We decided to save on the costs of a venue and bar prices, and  hold it at the home of Ilkley Art Trail organiser, Lorna Bird. House parties are funkier anyway. And it was indeed a funky and exciting do. (We came in bang on budget with extras materialising from within, to make an ambitiously good time and a cosy, cool meeting. More could not have been wished for).

For the first time in ... ages... ever?... the visually creative community of Wharfedale began the forming of a hub by meeting under one roof. Some were out of the country but are determined to hook in on another occasion as soon as possible. It was an important time for creatives in Ilkley and the creative souls, without whom creatives might struggle for context, to get to know each other, each other's work and ideas. Names were put to faces and a team was born. Present were...

Trail Artists:
Linda Dewart
Jason Howgate
Lucia Smith
Chris Rymer
Christine Robinson
Kerry Stoker
Ian Robinson
Joy Godfrey
Chris Bailey
Anne Honeyman
Denise Ledgerwood
Flick
Lesley Anne Greene
Ken Jaquiery
Emma Fotherby
Lisa Hinds
Jackie Knight
Volunteers:
Carole Barnes
Gillian Gilmour
Supporters:
Jane Winn
Mairead O'Donnell
Designer:
Hayley Smith
IAT Supporters offering their homes as exhibition space:
Didi Metcalf
Jane and John Thorne
Trail and Artistic Community Mentor:
Brian Berrett

Apologies Trail Artists:
Emily Harvey
Tamara Lawson
Lucie Burrows
Hilary James
Tara Binns
Philippa Horne
Geraldine Thompson
Christine Vandenhaute
Liz Sutcliffe
Angela Barrow
Judith Levin
Graeme Willson
Emma Straw
Steve Moore
Mike Moor
Vicki Nolan
Kitty North
Marie Wood
Apologies volunteers:
Anna Nolan
Cheryl Woods

Wine flowed (fruit punch available but less popular). Gorgeous nibbles were provided gratis by the lovely Jane Winn. Thus a synergy became tangible between the whole gathering. Artists, being the tip of the iceberg, along with the motivated body of  volunteers and supporters giving their all to make this good.

I have been moved, once to discover the wealth of creative work being made in isolation in this town by visual artists, and again to discover the hunger to see it, from an audience as unaware that it existed as myself , and again to witness the easy subsequent evolution of the communal goodwill to bring the two together. Our aim could be to make something in Ilkley's first Art Trail that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Thanks go to all.