From 14-16 October, over 17 venues and artists in Ilkley will open their doors to the public, demonstrating their work and hosting workshops for visitors.
The Creative Quarter trail starts at Ilkley Manor House, where the Dorothy Bradford 'Rhythms of Life' exhibition is being hosted upstairs in the Weston Gallery, and in the Solar Gallery, many local artists have produced work using a vast array of techniques on the theme of IDENTITY. The trail continues around the Manor House Courtyard (Castle Yard and Hill), following the road up to Church Street and around that area, and then along the A65, finishing at Community Cutlery.
This Open House event is free for all to attend and the venues will also have artwork available to purchase. The weekend is a perfect opportunity to purchase unique gifts for Christmas presents, discover new artists that are known on local, national, and international scales, be inspired by the creative workshops and demonstrations, and meet interesting people with similar passions.
The event is running from Friday 14th October to Sunday 16th October. 2 Castle Hill, home to Yorkshire Flower Essences and Ilkley Complementary Therapies, will have licensed therapists on site to discuss the many treatments they offer such as Reiki, Massage, Aromatherapy, Counselling, Chiropractic Treatments, and more.
There are particular workshops and events that are taking place on certain days:
On Saturday 15 October, Tom Bromley of Burnt Orchid will be using his blacksmith's forge in the Manor House courtyard to create small metal leaves (which can be used as key rings, charms etc). The event starts at 12pm and Tom will discuss his process as well as take questions from the audience.
On Sunday 16 October, Art School Ilkley will be hosting creative taster sessions in the Manor House courtyard - young artists are encouraged to attend but adults are welcome too! Mrs Dutton's Wondrous Workshops is also hosting a workshop on this day, where ten top textile artists will be demonstrating their skills in a free exhibition entitled INSPIRATION!
All the venues are within a few minutes' walk of each other. A downloadable map and list of all the artists and venues are available via this link: www.discoverilkleyart.co.uk/ilkleycreativequarter
Updates from every venue and artist, plus examples of their work will be posted on social media throughout this week. Head over to the Ilkley Manor House Facebook page or @ilkleymanorhouse on Instagram to see more.
