Saltaire Arts Trail iOS and Android app - new for 2013

This year Saltaire Arts Trail has its own specially commissioned app. Funded by Arts Council England and created with the help of students at Leeds Met University it is an digital counterpart of the brochure.  Through the magic of GPS users are guided using their iOS or Android smartphones to every location ‘on the trail’, learn all about the artists or makers involved, preview their work, compile their own list of favourites and even drop into their virtual workshops!

Available for devices running Apple iOS or Google Android the app is a fun addition to what will be a fantastic weekend.

Click on the logos below to be taken to the relevant app store for your device. 

Q&A with printmaker Sarah Harris

Tell us about the work you do and the types of materials you use.

I create limited edition silk screen prints from my drawings of local places of interest.

Where do you produce your work? Does your working environment form part of the inspiration for your art?

I’m lucky enough to have a studio not too far away from Saltaire which I use for the drawing, preparing paper for prints and mounting work. For printing I go to Inc Workshop in Leeds.

My studio doesn't really act as inspiration, I take this from my day to day life and things I have seen and heard about, I then get to go on day trips with my camera.

Is your art your main job?

At the moment I am a full time artist after recently receiving financial support through the New Enterprise Allowance after a period of unemployment. This has allowed me to get started and support myself while I concentrate on my work.

How did you get started?

In 2011 I took an evening class at Leeds College of Art and design to learn about printmaking techniques. After becoming unemployed I gave prints to my family for Christmas presents and was encouraged by my brother to look at selling my work, but it was a while after this that I even considered that this was something I could do.

What work will you be exhibiting at the Saltaire Arts Trail?

I will be producing a few new pieces especially for Saltaire Arts Trail, but expect a mixture of local images with subjects ranging from natural beauty spots, ruins and mills.

Do you work in any other mediums besides the work you will be exhibiting at the Arts Trail?

Not currently, but I would like to produce some lino and etching work in the future.

Where else can we see and buy your work?

My work can currently be bought at Art Parade in Saltaire, Hand Made in Bradford, Studio Seven in Otley, The Weaverbird Workshop in Ilkley, The Juju Shop in Leeds, The Craft Centre and Design Gallery in Leeds, Chirpy in Chapel Allerton and also I have Shipley Glen Tramway work at their shop close to Saltaire.

Tell us about your most exciting or memorable commission?

It’s early days for me so I have only had one commission which was to do a set of two drawings of someone’s sports cars. I’d never drawn a car before so it was an experience but I am happy with the results and it’s nice that even with a different subject type they still reflect my style of drawing. I’ve been testing my male friends to see if they can guess the cars, luckily with a good success rate so they can’t be that bad!

What was it about the Saltaire Arts Trail that made you want to apply to exhibit?

Living near to Saltaire it’s an event I always look forward to, it really is a unique location to have such an event. Even from a fairly young age I’ve wanted to support young artists and makers but never dreamt I’d be participating one day.

Have you participated or visited the Saltaire Arts Trail before?

Visited lots of times but this will be the first one I will have exhibited my work at, which is all very exciting! I will definitely be having a look round too.

What is unique about it and how does it differ from other events?

The standard of work has is always really high and a vast array of mediums and styles are on display. It’s accessibility and relaxed nature allows the public, who may be daunted by going into a gallery environment, to experience and purchase artwork in a different way, and it’s a wonderful day out.

Could you leave us with one more interesting fact about yourself or your work?

I originally studied Fashion Design at university but found the industry just wasn’t for me, then I found myself working in marketing and printmaking was just something I’d wanted to try. Strange how things work out.

Q & A with Jane Bevan, first time Makers' Fair exhibitor

Tell us about the work you do and the types of materials you use.

I make vessels and small sculptures using found, natural materials which I collect in local woodlands each day. For example birch bark from fallen trees, twigs, thorns, seeds and feathers. I look for the humble, overlooked materials which would otherwise be trodden on or thrown away. I then stitch, bind, tie and twine the materials together to make my work which is painstaking and slow but very satisfying to make!

Where do you produce your work? Does your working environment form part of the inspiration for your art?

I work from my home in rural South Derbyshire and walk every day in the area searching for materials. When possible I also beachcomb and forage in other countryside areas for new ideas including the Yorkshire Dales where I am a frequent visitor.

Is your art your main job?

Yes although this year will also see the publication of my art book instructing users on making art with found, natural materials published by Bloomsbury. Previously I worked in museums and galleries as a curator ( including many years at Cartwright Hall in Bradford)

How did you get started?

After a 25 year career in the arts as a curator and event organiser I went back to Derby University as a mature student to fulfil my dream of being an artist. It was a perfect time to undertake the studies after seeing so much artwork over the years made by others. I am a passionate visitor of museums and galleries including the Yorkshire Museums, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Hepworth. I gain a great deal of inspiration from collections such as Pitt Rivers in Oxford and the British Museum where natural materials have been used in innovative and exciting ways.

What work will you be exhibiting at the Saltaire Arts Trail?

Pots and vessels made of bark, feathers, twigs and horse chestnut leaf stems! These range in size from 10 cms to 30 cms high. All are stitched by hand. Framed collaged work Some pebble/ beach debris jewellery

Do you work in any other mediums besides the work you will be exhibiting at the Arts Trail?

I am exploring making temporary artwork in the woodlands which I will be photographing

Where else can we see and buy your work?

My work can be seen on the Seek and Adore and Craftfinder website. I have showcase exhibitions currently in Lincolnshire( South Holland Arts Centre) and at the Djanogly Gallery in Nottingham. My work is stocked by Derby Art Gallery and Museum and the Dansel Wood Gallery in Abbotsbury, Dorset. I will be exhibiting at Lustre Craft Fair in Nottingham in November this year for the 3 rd time and also at the Melbourne Festival which I also help to organise. I have a showcase exhibition at the 20 21 Gallery in Scunthorpe in September called ‘Walking with Nature’.

Tell us about your most exciting or memorable commission?

From my degree show the University of Derby bought my work as a Purchase Prize and the Few and Far Gallery in London purchased work.

What was it about the Saltaire Arts Trail that made you want to apply to exhibit?

Having lived in Bradford for many years I have long been a supporter of the arts in the area and have a great nostalgia and love of Saltaire, in particular since seeing Opera North perform in the mill in the 1980s!

Have you participated or visited the Saltaire Arts Trail before?

Visited last year

What is unique about it and how does it differ from other events?

The friendly, intimate and warm atmosphere, the Yorkshire hospitality, the houses and architecture.

Could you leave us with one more interesting fact about yourself or your work?

I have recently overcome any squeamishness after a taxidermy course. I also like to pluck the feathers which I use from road kill or a friends bird stock.

Explore more of what Saltaire has to offer

Apart from Open Houses, The Makers’ Fair, exhibitions and family activities – what else is happening across Saltaire during the May bank holiday weekend?

Saltaire will be a-buzzing with local Yorkshire choirs singing about the village on Saturday 25 May from 2pm to 3.30pm. See them all at The United Reform Church from 3.45pm. There are more exhibitions too with Shipley College Pop Up exhibition showing new work by the BTEC students, and The Vicar at Vicars, paintings by The Reverend Robin Gamble at Vicars Café.

Kath Libbert jewellery, in the prestigious Salts Mill, will be exhibiting the work of thirteen contemporary metalsmiths and artist Hannah Lamb will be opening her studio to the public at The Butterfly Rooms on Bingley Road, a short walk from Victoria Hall.

Finally, once you have enjoyed and exhausted all our family art activities why not visit Shipley Glen Tramway? Only a short walk from Roberts Park, this is Britain’s oldest working cable tramway at 117 years old, taking passengers through the woodland at the bottom of Shipley Glen.

With so much going on inSaltaire from 25 – 27 May, why go anywhere else?

Discover the full detail of the extra activities happening in Saltaire over the weekend of the Saltaire Arts Trail by visiting our website and downloading a copy of the 2013 brochure.

Saltaire Arts Trail in Craft & Design Magazine

We've recently had a lovely article written about us in Craft & Design Magazine's May/ June issue.  We are so proud of this we thought we'd make a pdf of the spread available for you to download.  Happy reading!

Q&A with Open House owner and artist Paula Dunn

Tell us about the work you do and the types of materials you use.
My work tends to fall into three categories, landscapes, seascapes and urbanscapes and although I tend to  work on different scales it’s mainly my large pieces that people are familiar with. I work in oils, building layer upon layer, to afford an almost textural quality to the finished piece. I enjoy experimenting with techniques such as impasto, the use of palette knives and the application of glazes.

Where do you produce your work? Does your working environment form part of the inspiration for your art?
I’m lucky enough to have space at home to use as a studio but it is in the basement so I wouldn’t really say it was all that inspirational but it is practical and not too far away from the fridge, kettle or biscuit tin.

One year I needed to paint a canvas which was too big to get down into the basement so I hijacked our spare bedroom for the summer. Never again… spent far too much time gazing out of the window watching the birds, sunshine, the cat… anything but getting on with painting.

Is your art your main job?
Not yet, but it is my main aspiration.

How did you get started?
Some paints, a canvas and a beautiful photograph taken by my partner…

What work will you be exhibiting at the Saltaire Arts Trail?
I will be launching a whole new collection of work just for the arts trail and unlike previous years where we’ve hosted up to 9 artists in our house, this year I will be able to concentrate on exhibiting a substantial body of my own work.

Do you work in any other mediums besides the work you will be exhibiting at the Arts Trail?
Rarely - occasionally some pen & ink sketches.

Where else can we see and buy your work?
Maiden Bridge Art Centre, near Lancaster; The Old Grammar School, Otley; Biscuit Factory, Newcastle; also the Butterfly Rooms, Saltaire stock my prints and greetings cards.

Tell us about your most exciting or memorable commission?
When I first started painting in oils about 8 years ago I was invited to have a solo exhibition at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Headquarters in Bainbridge. The work I was asked to produce for this exhibition included large landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales with a central piece being a triptych of Malham Cove. This triptych was shown in the first year of the Saltaire Arts Trail and will be returning 6 Harold Place this year as this will be the last year we open up our house for the foreseeable future.

What was it about the Saltaire Arts Trail that made you want to apply to exhibit?
We are part of the furniture... our house, 6 Harold Place, has been an open house ever since the arts trail started seven years ago.

Have you participated or visited the Saltaire Arts Trail before?
Every time; we’ve been here longer than anyone, except Titus of course.

What is unique about it and how does it differ from other events?
The open houses are quite a unique part of Saltaire Arts Trail and as an artist and home owner it provides me with a great opportunity to talk to people about my work as well as to be able to promote the wonderful village which is Saltaire. It has also given me the opportunity to curate several exhibitions; to turn our house into an art gallery, changing a domestic space into a public space, even if only for a weekend.

Could you leave us with one more interesting fact about yourself or your work?
One of my earliest exhibitions was the “Vamos exhibition” at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle. This was a celebration of art inspired by Latin America and featured several artists originally from that continent. I was able to draw upon our trip to Cuba a few months prior to the exhibition to produce 6 pieces that were so well received at “Vamos” that I was asked to give a talk on them on the opening night.

Paula Dunn will be exhibiting at 6 Harold Place

Q & A with Makers' Fair exhibitor Anne Brooke of H-anne-made

Tell us about the work you do and the types of materials you use.
I create, mainly, Stitched Collages based on the things I collect on the walks I go on. I am obsessed with seed pods and ‘weeds’ and represent them through collaged paper and fabric that I then draw into with a sewing machine. All the things in my work relate to journeys, from the things I collect, materials I up cycle to the maps of the places I have been.

Where do you produce your work? Does your working environment form part of the inspiration for your art?
I produce my work in my studio at home. Here I have all the things I have collected, images that inspire me and it is the place I love to be.

Is your art your main job?
Yes but creating my own work isn’t my primary ‘job’. I am the Head of Art at Brighouse High School. I love teaching Art and sharing my passion with others.

How did you get started?
I have been teaching for 17 years now and over time developed an interest in textiles. After completing a distance learning City and Guilds level 3 I was not sure what to do next. It was 2 years ago that I decided to focus some of my time creating my own work. Initially I intended just to spend an evening a week playing in my studio, but after being talked into entering the Calderdale open exhibition in 2011, winning a prize and selling some work, I began to spend more time on my own work and slowly developing my stitched collages. I exhibited at Art in the Pen last year and since then I have been continuing my love of teaching through teaching my own workshops, giving talks and demonstrations at various groups and exhibiting at a number of galleries both in the north and the south.

What work will you be exhibiting at the Saltaire Arts Trail?
There will be a range of my stitched collages, handmade and printed cards and felt pods

Do you work in any other mediums besides the work you will be exhibiting at the Arts Trail?
I also have a love of photography especially when recording inspirational items.

Where else can we see and buy your work?

I have a Folksy shop (H-anne-made) and current work on sale at NeST in Barnard Castle and at 2 galleries in Leigh-on Sea (till the end of the month)

Tell us about your most exciting or memorable commission?
My most exciting moment was selling my first large piece of work at Art in the Pen last year. The family that bought it had seen me at the Trawden show the week before and had wanted to see my other work. It was one of my first large collages that feature a number of seed heads, machine and hand embroidery.

What was it about the Saltaire Arts Trail that made you want to apply to exhibit?
I first heard about the Arts Trail through a link on facebook. After looking at the website and seeing the fantastic work that was on exhibition last year I thought I would love to be part of the next one, but thought I wouldn’t be selected. On hearing I have been selected was amazing especially after I read about the number of entries there had been. I am really looking forward to participating, but also seeing the trail for the first time.

What is unique about it and how does it differ from other events?
I don’t have a lot of things to compare it to that I have taken part in, just things I have visited. I love the mix of artists that will be there and the variety of places you will be able to see the work. Sometimes seeing work in galleries can make everything formal and you can feel from the work. Being able to meet the artists and make a personal connection with them is unique as is seeing the work. I am looking forward to my 2 children coming too as all the family activities sound fantastic and I love anything that engages young people with art and in the current climate makes being creative important.

H-anne-MADE are appearing at the Makers' Fair in the Victoria Hall

Exhibitions at SAT2013

Performance, Film and Print are just some of the challenging and inspiring exhibitions that will be part of The Saltaire Arts Trail. During this year’s event we will be showcasing unusual and interesting art at different venues throughout the village.

Textile artist Alice Fox presents “Gifts from the Pavement”, a collection of prints that record the textures, marks and shapes found on the streets of Saltaire. Set up in a pop up shop on Victoria Road, Alice’s work invites you to discover the unnoticed and discarded that is under our feet.

We also have two performance artists at this year’s event. Christopher Mollon will be at 13 Caroline Street on 25th May presenting: The Arc of Orange, interpreting specific geological block diagram and relating this to the objects he has found walking specific coastlines. The remaining objects and images recorded during the performance will be displayed for the remainder of The Saltaire Arts Trail. Also, on Saturday 25 May, Yvonne Carmichael presents “Chore-eography” at 44 Whitlam Street, Saltaire. Her performance invites you to take a fresh look at domesticity and women’s work through a series of domestic chores.

Entrance to all our exhibitions, performance and events are free because Saltaire Arts Trail is committed to supporting the visual arts and we believe that art should be available to all.

Our Biggest Ever Set of Family Activities

The Bank holiday weekend is a time for families to venture out in search of entertainment and activity.  Saltaire Arts Trail is the ideal destination for families seeking something more creative and we have it by the bucket-load with art and craft workshops aimed at bringing fun for all.

This year Saltaire Arts Trail has a space–age theme to our family friendly activities including astronomy, space travel, aliens and time capsules.  We work in partnership with local arts organisations to deliver quality activities such as felt making, den building and crafting. We are welcoming two new partners to our family activities – The West Yorkshire Print Workshop and The Print Project – both specialists in print making.  They are offering families a chance to get busy with two exciting printing techniques, screen printing and letterpress.

We are also welcoming a real-life astronomer, not from outer space but from Keighley Astronomical Society, who will be teaching you to build rockets that are ready to launch for blast off.  There’s more family fun with our “Alien Invasion” of Saltaire, so come and search the village for creatures from outer space. 

Remember that our activities are one small step for man, one giant leap for craft-kind.

Click here for the full list of Family Activities

Q&A with Danny Cameron from Cardinky

Tell us about the work you do and the types of materials you use.

I work as an illustrator & designer, my work often has a strong printmaking emphasis, as

I am somewhat of an addict! I was fortunate enough to be involved in a rescue mission to

preserve an antique Albion Printmaking Press we discovered in a skip! I have now restored

the press using a variety of found materials including a seatbelt! The majority of my hand

printed items are printed using this machine.

Recently I have been focusing on character design, particularly animals, trying to emphasise

their humorous qualities. I tend to prefer the medium of linocut as I enjoy the therapeutic

aspect of carving and the host of different marks you can achieve.

Where do you produce your work? Does your working environment form part of the

inspiration for your art?

I work from a small studio at home in a lovely little village perched on the edge of the Peak

District where I often go walking and cycling which gives me chance to unwind and think

about crazy design ideas!

Is your art your main job?

Yes, and I also run printmaking workshops as well as working for an Art’s agency delivering

children’s workshops.

What was it about the Saltaire Arts Trail that made you want to apply to exhibit?

I have visited many times and love the unique atmosphere in and around the village, it

feels like time travel. A friend had visited the Arts Trail last year and was raving about it so I

couldn’t resist applying.

Could you leave us with one more interesting fact about yourself or your work?

Many of the facial expressions seen in my characters are achieved by drawing from my own

face pulling various ridiculous expressions in a mirror. My Bear character was originally

inspired by the Bob Dylan video for ‘Sub-terranean Homesick Blues’ in which Bob can be

seen holding up a collection of hand written signs.

Cardinky will be exhibiting as part of the Makers' Fair