Festival Special - 5 days to go!

In just 5 days time, Victoria Hall will be packed to its very high rafters with 45 talented artists and makers as part of the Saltaire Arts Trail Festival Special on 10th September. So to get you in the mood, here's a sneak preview of what's in store:

Doors open at 10am
Top tip: arrive early for the top picks - we're only here for one day this time around and as everything on sale is unique and handmade, when it's gone... it's gone!

Demonstrations
A number of our makers will be demonstrating throughout the day, including bookbinding, printing, weaving and painting. Feel free to stop for a chat to discover more about how they go from inspiration to finished product.

Children's Activities
The lovely people at Kirkgate Studios will be running a free childrens workshop, where junior crafters can get stuck in to making paper lanterns and learning origami. Just turn up and join in!


ARTISTS AND MAKERS:
There are no Open Houses in the Festival Special, but you'll see plenty of familiar names in the list of artists and makers taking part in the Makers Fair below. We're also welcoming lots of new faces too, so take a look for a full who's who...


Agnis Smallwood
Luxury handwoven and felted textiles

Alice Fox
Mixed media textiles and handmad cards

Anna McDade Jewellery NEW
Etched, recycled silver and copper jewellery

Barbara Cassell
Contemporary copper jewellery with a difference

Blueberry Park NEW
Screenprinted organic and vintage fabric

Button Boudoir
Vintage inspired jewellery and textiles

Catherine Green
Vibrant, tactile artwork and accessories

Catherine Woodall
Silver and semi-precious stone jewellery

Ce-Leather Goods
Bold, contemporary bags, satchels and leather goods

Clare Caulfield
Paintings, prints and handmade cards

Cross Barn Crafts
Fine silver jewellery - pendants and earrings

David Starley
Saltaire based artist working in oils

Dear Emma Designs
Quirky accessories and homeware

Debbie Greenaway Illustration
Illustrator and printmaker who draws everyday

Diane Taylor
Unique, co-ordinating handmade textile products

Ditsy Bird NEW
Freehand embroidered and beaded textile designs

Elaine Douthwaite
Silver jewellery with gemstones and more

Flossie Limejuice
Folk art dolls, bears and beasties

Gemma Scully Jewellery
Bespoke precious jewellery handmade in Manchester

Hugh Leishman
High quality, handmade wood-turning

Hunt and Gather Design NEW
Range of gorgeous handcrafted gifts

Inky Linky NEW
Etched copper and silver jewellery

James Green Printworks
Original linocut prints from Sheffield artist

Jaygo Touchy Feely Textiles
Quirky textile gifts and homewares

Karen Belarouci
Mixed media jewellery with vintage elements

Kate Bowles
Hand-bound recycled books and paper goods

Kate Thornton Design
Contemporary collage and design

Kitschen Sink
Colourful, kitschy, funky and fun jewellery

Leigh Shepherd Designs
Quirky, colourful, affordable, upcycled resin jewellery

Lindsay Thomas Ceramics
Handbuilt raku ceramic sculpture

Martin Priestley Photography
Landscape photography by Martin Priestley

McDonough & Davies NEW
A collaboration between graphics and textiles

Mercury Arts NEW
Contemporary ceramics and ceramic jewellery

Oldfield Press NEW
Original, affordable, traditional

Print for Love of Wood NEW
Eco-friendly letterpress printed goods and stationery

Rachel Lucie Designs
Unique handmade silver jewellery

Rachel Webb Printed Textiles
Printed textiles inspired by Saltaire village

Rogers Ink NEW
Strikingly different prints and greetings cards

Ruby Spirit Designs
Handmade jewellery utilising recycled vintage components

Steamstress
Eclectic mix of trendy recycled jewellery

Stitch Art
Textile and mixed media whimsy creations

Swirly Arts
Fun and quirky recycled products

The Old Brewery Pottery
Raku fired and wood fired ceramics

Treefall Designs
Textile based home accessories and clothing

Wychbury
Mixed media jewellery and accessories

Yeun Jewellery
Unique and contemporary precious jewellery

Zincwhite
Where discarded objects become desirable again

Interview with Clare Caulfield

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

I am an artist and printmaker producing work that documents my travels to some of the world’s greatest cities.  My collection included images of Paris, Venice, New York, Rome, Prague, Sydney and Istanbul.  I paint using a variety of media: watercolour, acrylic, pen and pencil mostly on paper but sometimes on canvas too.  I also produce handmade prints, limited edition prints and signed handmade cards all taken from my paintings.

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

Working from my studio I produce my paintings, limited edition prints & cards.  I am a member of West Yorkshire Print Workshop in Mirfield.  Here I use their excellent printmaking facilities to make two different types of handmade prints – Screen prints and Drypoints.  Every print produced here is entirely made by hand therefore no two are exactly the same. I also teach the weekend screenprint courses.

Is your art your main job? How did you get started?

Yes, I am a full time artist.  To start with I concentrated on painting alone, the printmaking, limited edition prints and cards came later once I had become more established having my work stocked in a number of galleries and craft shops.

What will you be exhibiting at the Saltaire Arts Trail?

My limited edition prints and handmade cards depicting a range of images including:

• Skating in Central Park     
• View from Academia Bridge Venice
• Notre dame & Parisian Rooftops, and
• Throwing Coins in Trevi Fountain Rome

And closer to home, I will also be showing work based on the historic Shambles in York, the beautiful architecture to be found here in Saltaire and County Arcade Victoria Quarter in Leeds.  I will also have prints available of my recent work of Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay and Staithes.

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

I will be showing all the types of work I do at the ‘Open House’ event.

Where else can we see and buy your work?

Art Parade, Saltaire; Heart Gallery, Hebden Bridge; The Craft Centre & Design Gallery, Leeds; Royal Exchange Theatre Craft Shop, Manchester; Cambridge Contemporary Art; Opus Gallery, Ashbourne in Derbyshire which will be showing my solo exhibition of new paintings in JULY 2011

Tell us about your most exciting or memorable commission?

My most recent commission was to produce a painting of County Arcade in Leeds for a man who had just been given a new job in Oxford.  He met his wife whilst studying at Leeds University many years ago and they had lived here ever since so he wanted a special piece of work of Leeds to give to his wife as a memento.  They had seen my drypoint & chine-colle print entitled  ‘Shopping in County Arcade’ and so asked me to produce them a version of this image as a painting using watercolour and pencil. 

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

I moved to Saltaire just over a year ago and so it seemed like a great opportunity to once again be part of the Arts Trail again but this time not only as an exhibiting artist but also as a homeowner opening up my house as part of the trail!

Have you participated or visited the Saltaire Arts Trail before? What is unique about it and how does it differ from other events?

I have exhibited in the Saltaire Arts Trail since the beginning 5 years ago now each time showing my work in a different house within the village.  It’s a great opportunity for people to experience the wealth of creativity from many local artists and designers whilst also visiting this wonderful World Heritage Site and having a look inside a Titus Salt house at the same time!

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

After graduating from Staffordshire University my first job was as an in-house designer for a children's fashion print studio in Shoreditch London.  I worked here for a couple of years producing designs for clients including Baby Gap, Monsoon, M&S and Donna Karan.  Whilst this was a great opportunity I decided I wanted to move back up to Yorkshire to set up by myself to enable me to develop my own paintings.  The first city I chose to visit for inspiration was Florence.  Opposite my hotel was a lovely boutique selling children’s clothes.  It was in that very shop that I found a little pair of red pyjamas with my design on them that I’d produced in the textile studio in London.  They were in my suitcase back home with me!

14 houses and over 100 artists and makers

Although the event this year has moved from autumn to spring the ingredients remain the same; 14 of the historic Saltaire village homes and the majestic Victoria Hall open their doors to the public, whilst playing host to exhibitions by more than 100 Yorkshire-based artists, some with established names at a national level, others who remain, for the minute, local treasures, displaying a range of art works.

Over the next few months leading up to the arts trail we will publish more information about our planned events and profiles on featured artists.  In the meantime make sure you have the dates in your diary -  28-30 May 2011 - this is one event you don't want to miss!

Saltaire Arts Trail Co-ordinator needed!

We're currently on the lookout for a new member of the Arts Trail team, to co-ordinate the project leads and help deliver another memorable event in 2011.

This is a paid position on a fixed term contract, and will involve working part time, including evenings and weekends.

For more details, including a full job spec and how to apply, simply click here.

If you have any questions about the role, send an email to hello@saltaireartstrail.co.uk and we'll be in touch.

Good luck!