Since its founding in 2001, the biennial Wylye Valley Art Trail has established itself as the largest visual arts event in Wiltshire.
This year, in May, is the 10th Wylye Valley Art Trail. The largest and most exciting yet, with 87 venues, scattered across southwest Wiltshire, set in some of the most beautiful countryside this county has to offer, covering Westbury, Warminster, Wylye, Maiden Bradley, Mere, Hindon, Tisbury and villages in between.
The Wylye Valley Art Trail is a wide and eclectic patchwork of art and craft by over 390 exhibitors, ranging from award-winning artists with international reputations, to those just starting out on their creative journeys.
Visit open studios and workplaces, galleries, exhibitions by art groups, student groups and other fascinating events including ‘hands on’ activities, demonstrations, workshops and talks. This is a unique opportunity to see the high standard of visual arts and crafts currently being carried out in this area, across a wide range of skills, from painting to print-making, furniture-making to photography and sculpture to ceramics, as well as contemporary art forms such as digital art, installation, video and art using recycled materials.
Nick Andrew, the founder of the Wylye Valley Art Trail said, “To celebrate the 10th trail, this year we’ve extended the event to 10 days of early summer from Saturday 18th May until Bank Holiday Monday 27th May.
“I’d long recognised the need for a framework for visual artists and makers living and working in this area to bring their work to a local and wider audience. So, following much research, funding applications, endless meetings and planning, our small organising team brought the first Wylye Valley Art Trail into being in May 2001.
“The first event included the work of 80 creative people in 34 venues under the Wylye Valley Art Trail banner and we were overwhelmed by the fantastic response from visitors. From the start, we were strong in our desire for an event which was all-inclusive, non-selective and artist-run. I’m so pleased that in this, the 10th Wylye Valley Art Trail, that original ethos still holds firm.”
A local event in the town includes an exhibition of work from students, local artists and the resident knitting group at Fairfield Farm College. Take a look at the work of students in the Student Enterprise group, the work of knitting group Woolley Wednesdays and local artist Fragmented Art who specialises in mosaic and craft workshops. The college is open Monday to Friday from 9am-4pm, Saturdays 9.30am-4pm; closed Sundays and Bank Holidays.
If you would like to take part in a mosaic workshop, call Ria-Jane on 07812 904193 to book.
Colourful and eye catching Wylye Valley Art Trail brochures are available from at Tourist Information Centres, arts centres, Libraries and many other places. Website address: www.wvat.co.uk. For more information contact info@ wvat.co.uk
