Call for proposals from visual artists to exhibit work as part of Saltaire Arts Trail Open Houses 28-30 May 2016 The annual Arts Trail opens up the UNESCO World Heritage Site to visitors by presenting great contemporary art within its public and private spaces, and the Open Houses make use of Grade II listed mill cottages at the invitation of the owners and give artists a unique exhibiting opportunity.

Who are we?

Largely volunteer-led, Saltaire Inspired creates exhibitions and projects in unique spaces. We promote and develop artists and their practice, showcase and sell high-quality contemporary craft and design, engage and inspire the local community and aim to make visual arts accessible and engaging through the use of private and public buildings in the UNESCO World Heritage Site as venues. Visit the Saltaire Inspired website to find out more.

Our premier event, Saltaire Arts Trail, takes place annually, across the late May bank holiday weekend. Over three days, Saltaire becomes a magnet for visitors, with an estimated 6000-8000 attending each year since 2007. There are commissioned exhibitions and installations, a high-end designer/makers fair, free creative family workshops, and of course the famous Open Houses - a village wide gallery of contemporary art in the Grade II listed homes of Saltaire residents. 

The Open Houses

Kindly offered by the local residents of Saltaire, the Open Houses encourage visitors to explore the parts of the village not traditionally on the tourist map.  The Open Houses are hugely popular, with many visitors taking the opportunity to see inside the small industrial cottages (average floor space 12ft x 12ft) as much as to see the wide variety of art on offer. They do come prepared to take an interest in the art though. And to buy. The houses are without doubt one of the unique selling points of the Saltaire Arts Trail, providing a village-wide gallery space, a truly unique venue in which visitors can appreciate contemporary art in an informal domestic setting. 

What we are looking for

As in all strands of the Arts Trail, we are looking for work that is of gallery standard, contemporary and interesting, and that will make our events stand out as exceptional in quality and interest. 

• Within the Open Houses we aim to present a diverse exhibition of contemporary visual art across the village. The domestic setting of the mill cottages is particularly suitable for showing work in the fields of painting, photography, printmaking, digital art, drawing & sculpture, but we are very open to proposals to show work in other media such as film, installation and performance, especially when it references the location.
• We are keen to welcome submissions from both recent graduates/artists in the early stage of their careers as well as from established artists.Returning exhibitors will be expected to exhibit new work. If you have exhibited with us before, please make sure you include details of proposed new work in your application.
• Space in the houses is limited and we do not have sufficient volunteers to invigilate them all throughout the event. You'll need to be prepared for - excited about - showing your work in a domestic setting, alongside other artists, and being present to welcome visitors. 

Read our FAQs for more information about the event, and how to apply. 

The application deadline is Friday 13 January 2017

There's an application fee of £5.00 Make your payment here