Art and more

An art show with a twist opens at York Racecourse today offering the chance to see and buy the work of both established and emerging Yorkshire artists.
ARTWORKS: Work byYorkshire artists will be on display at the art& show.ARTWORKS: Work byYorkshire artists will be on display at the art& show.
ARTWORKS: Work byYorkshire artists will be on display at the art& show.

An art show with a difference comes to York Racecourse this weekend. The three day art show, art&York 2017 is run by a team of three creatives with the aim of making art accessible and affordable.

Formerly known as The Art Market, the show offers the chance to see and buy the work of both established and up and coming artists. There will also be daily demonstrations and talks, interactive areas and the chance to get have a go at making some art yourself.

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Behind the event and the art& organisation are professional artists, ceramicist Emily Stubbs and sculptor Brendan Hesmondhalgh along with artist Victoria Robinson. Their vision for the show has seen it grow over the past decade from a small event hosted in Holmfirth to its move three years ago to York Racecourse. Visitor numbers have increased year on year, doubling at last year’s event.

“Our vision when we first started was to create the kind of show we wanted to be part of,” says Stubbs. “We wanted to make buying and selling original art as easy, fun and accessible as possible, with potential new collectors able to own an original piece at an affordable price ranging from £10 to £10,000. And as we are Yorkshire artists, we are passionate about the county having a strong platform for artists, buyers, collectors and art enthusiasts to meet as well as creating a place where buying art is accessible to everyone.”

This year’s event, which opens today, will see more than 120 artists working in every kind of medium exhibiting their work, ten installations promise to give visitors food for thought and three daily workshops will be open for anyone wanting to try something new. “It is a great opportunity for visitors to the show to come along and have a go at something completely different,” says Stubbs. “There is no need to book or bring anything, just turn up.”

Also exhibiting at the show will be art&’s Raw Talent Award winners. Knowing the difficulties emerging artists face, part of art& is its mentoring scheme. Twelve developing artists are given the Raw Talent award which includes guidance and business advice from the three organisers and space at the three day show.

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“Over the years we have been putting on art events, emerging artists have been asking for advice on the same key areas such as presentation, pricing, trade, and marketing,” explains Robinson. “Creating the award grew out of not only our own experiences but the real need of artists and culminates in an opportunity to exhibit their work at the show.”

The development of the Raw Talent Award was part of the reason for the name change from The Art Market to art&. “We have become more than an art show,” says Robinson. “And our name now reflects that, we are also art&Mentoring and art&Courses.”

As part of their growing portfolio, the art& team has been busy developing their new courses which are designed to reflect their ethos of helping artists develop their talents. “The wonderful thing about art& is it is constantly evolving,” says Robinson. “The online courses mean we can offer that help in a really accessible way no matter where an artist is based.”

The art& show, York Racecourse, October 27-29. Tickets £6.50 and £5.50 concessions, children under 14 free. www.artand.co.uk