**DEADLINE EXTENDED to Friday 24th January 2020** Call for proposals from visual artists to exhibit work as part of Saltaire Arts Trail Open Houses 23-25 May 2020. 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, turning them into mini-galleries and giving artists a unique exhibiting opportunity. PLEASE NOTE - We have made some improvements on how we run our Open Houses opportunities for 2020, and would encourage previous exhibiting artists to read the 'Opportunity FAQs' section for full details - artists will no longer pay commission on sales, instead a one-off participation fee will be applicable for all artists selected to take part in the Open Houses.

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, in 2020 this will be the late May bank holiday weekend, 23-25 May. 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 contemporary craft 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 visitors taking the opportunity to view the wide variety of visual art on show inside the unique settings of the small historic cottages (average floor space 12ft x 12ft, which will be shared between a small number of artists) of this Victorian industrial village. Visitors do come prepared to engage with the art on show in the houses and with the artists - and many coming with the intention to buy original art. 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 settings of the mill cottages are particularly suitable for showing wall-hung contemporary Fine Art work in a wide variety of media, and small scale sculptural works to be displayed on shelves, small tables and floor standing.
• Art forms accepted include painting, photography, printmaking, digital art, drawing, collage, illustration, & small scale sculpture or contemporary objects, but this is not an exhaustive list and we are very interested to see original works in other mediums. 
• 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 this should be considered when submitting your application. We also do not have sufficient volunteers to invigilate each house throughout the event, therfore you'll need to be prepared for, and excited about, showing your work in a domestic setting, alongside other artists, and being present to welcome visitors. Artists must be available to install and take down their own work, as well as helping to invigilate and welcome visitors during the weekend.

• 2020 SHOWCASE - A new opportunity is being offered this year, for artists wishing to submit proposals for projects or artworks not intended for sale - this could include performance art, live art, small scale installations, film/video, sound art, interactive audience engagement, curated projects, etc. If you are interested in this opportunity, please do not apply for the OPEN HOUSES strand, please apply through the SHOWCASE strand (separate Curatorspace opportunity).

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read our 'Opportunity FAQs' for more information about the event before applying. Artists who have exhibited with us previously should note the change in participation fees.

How to apply

Make your submission via Curatorspace, uploading between 4 - 10 good quality images. Please ensure that you upload and attach each image individually.

A non-refundable administration fee of £6 will be required for all submissions. As a volunteer-led charitable organisation, this helps us to cover the administrational costs of carrying out a fair and unbiased selection process with an independent panel of industry professional judges.

The administration fee should be paid no later than the closing date of Friday 24th January 2020, in order for your application to be considered. The £6 administration fee does not guarentee you a place within the Open Houses, all applications are subject to a selection process.

Before you submit your application, you will be directed to Curatorspace's secure payment portal in order to make payment of the application fee and to complete your submission.