We are Artists in Business
and it is our aim to provide opportunities for artists and designer/makers to showcase their work and sell direct to the public. We accept hand made only – we do not accept fair trade, bought in or mass produced goods. We are based in West Yorkshire and we host our Contemporary Arts Markets in Ilkley, Haworth and Keighley.

To apply for a table at our Arts Markets please email
jo.artsbiz@gmail.com

Thursday 29 July 2010

Meet Our Makers!

As you will see from the links on the left we have a selection of fabulous artists and hand made artisans who also sell their work on-line.  We have many more designer/makers who showcase at our arts markets and here are some images of them in action. 
Where would we be without Megan and Ian? There would be no scones fresh from the oven, endless cups of tea, spicy home made soup or cake.

Quirky sock toys, painted picture frames, knitted kawaii and irresistable monkeys.

Debbie Alstead Photography
Framed photographs and gretting cards, bookmarks and keyrings. check out her brilliant images of Cuba.

Farnhill Pottery
Practical pots in both  stoneware and earthenware, hand thrown by John Richardson. Look out for his "sang de boeuf" glazed dishes and bowls.


Eberth creates and designs on-trend jewellery, using natural stones, gemstones, shell and murano glass.  He accept commissions for that special one-off piece.

Gary is a fine art photographer who specialises in black and white photography. His landscape images are extremely atmospheric because of his inspired use of lighting.



Sally Storr
Sally's ceramics and glass make the ideal gift for the discerning buyer and we just love her jointed cows and sheep.

Quernus Crafts
Polymer clay artists Kirsten makes cute and clever creatures that will bring a smile to your face. she can even make a model of your pet. 


My Furoshiki
The ultimate in recyclable gift wrapping - Mich sells Japanese wrapping cloths and recyclable gift tags.


Ruby Spirit Designs
Individually created jewellery with a vintage twist. Affordable and adorable. 


Dig The Earth
Exciting giclee prints and original greeting cards.



David Starley
Fine art painter David Starley works in oils to create local landscapes. David also demonstrates his skills at our Arts Markets. 


Local photographer, Tony has a wide range of reasonably priced images that will make an excellent gift for that "hard to buy for" person. 

Emma's cute children's pinafores are made with luscious designer fabric and she has a range of fun sewing kits too. 


We update this post regularly and you can also see more of our arts market images here on Flickr. 

Wednesday 28 July 2010

Information for Traders

We receive enquiries every day from potential traders including gift and home ware sellers, franchise businesses, regular market traders and fair trade sellers.  We accept hand made and original artists only who represent themselves.

Here is some information about our markets.


We hold regular arts markets at Riddings Hall, Christchurch, The Grove, Ilkley which is a large and light church hall with a kitchen and a stage. We have up to twenty tables measuring 70” x 30” and we supply two chairs and electricity, if required. We charge £25 per table.


We accept hand made only – we do not accept fair trade, bought in or mass produced goods. We do not accept people representing other artists and we discourage table-sharing unless you are both selling similar work (not mixed items).


We expect each trader to have an up to date public liability insurance certificate and we will insist on receiving a copy of this document. We recommend PLI through Artist Newsletter.

 We publicise our markets extensively, both locally and via social media. We spend a lot of money on our printed publicity materials and we constantly assess our marketing strategy.


To apply for our arts markets is simple – please send us some jpegs of your work and a short statement. We will get back to you as soon as we can to tell you if we are the right venue for your work.


The dates for the Ilkley Arts Markets are:
Saturdays
25 September, 23 October and 11 December 2010
19 March, 28 May, 16 July, 22 October and 3 December 2011

Monday 26 July 2010

Ilkley Arts Market

The Arts Factory will be hosting an Arts Market in Ilkley on the following dates: 
September 25 2010

October 23 2010
December 11 2010
at Riddings Hall on The Grove.What makes this market so different? It's not a craft fair but a Selling Exhibition showcasing the work of local artists and artisans. There will be painters, photographers, silver smiths, textile artists, ceramic artists and jewellers displaying their art. There will also be a tea room at the venue serving home made cakes and scones.The Arts Factory has been managing exhibitions and promoting local artists since 1999 and has recently ventured into arts markets to support the local arts economy. Entrance to all our events is FREE and everyone is welcome. The market will be from 10am to 4pm. For more details please contact Jo Whitehead on 01535 685060