8 – 16 October 2011 will see the lovely Yorkshire town of Ilkley having its first Art Trail with Open Studios and other venues, including exhibitions in unusual spaces.
Some venues will cover most of those dates with participation swelling over both weekends as Artists open up their studios, homes, garages and invite you in to see their work.
Fans of the well-established North Yorkshire Open Studios and of Saltaire Arts Trail will be familiar with the buzz of the concept. We currently have 23 venues, most within walking distance and the work included consists of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, glass, fabric and silver work… All work will be curated by me after a submissions process, with the support of my team of capable and driven volunteers.
We have timed the Trail to coincide with Ilkley’s famous Literature Festival, and so cultural stimulation is at the heart of our endeavour here.
We hope to put Ilkley firmly on the map of cultural happenings where visual arts are concerned and our mission is to support visual artists in the area to raise their profile, to exhibit and sell their work in line with contemporary best practice, across many more venues than are currently available to them locally. We aim to bring more art to public spaces and to the public, and in so doing encourage a synergy in the arts locally that enriches the experience of the community and visitors alike.
Support is welcome. We need both sponsorship and volunteers to launch the first trail with a bang. Would you care to be a part of something great at the start? Please contact me at:
lorna.bird@btopenworld.com
07789681862
