SALTAIRE will once again open the doors of its homes, shops and buildings to art lovers for its three day annual Arts Trail.

The weekend of events will include the Open Houses trail, special exhibitions in Salts Mill and a Makers’ fair, showing off work produced by local artists.

Over 50 artists will have their work shown in 20 makeshift art galleries that will pop up in homes, cafes and shops throughout the historic village as part of the Open Houses trail.

Artists who will be displaying their work include Rod Koot, who has produced album artwork for bands like The Exploited, sculptor Salma Patel and landscape painter Paula Dunn.

In Salts Mill a major site specific arts installation inspired by the mill’s industrial past will be on display in the third floor gallery. It is a triptych measuring almost three metres and showing Sir Titus, trails of the alpacas whose yarn

helped make his fortune, the Burmantofts Pottery displayed in the mill today and the frontage of the building.

It was painted by artist Alke Schmidt as part of her Wonder and Dread project that looks at Bradford’s industrial past and is on display in Bradford Industrial Museum.

And once again Shipley College students are working with Saltaire Inspired to organise one of the weekend’s exhibitions.

Shahzaman Qureshi and Amaan Pervaiz, studying Business Level 3, have volunteered to catalogue, organise and promote the exhibition of unique home-made postcards that have been produced and sent in by members of the public, as part of their work experience. The postcards will be displayed at Saltaire United Reformed Church over the weekend.

Designs have been created in a variety of media and subjects and a wide range of techniques have been used including watercolours, print, hand drawn and stitched. All of the postcards exhibited will be available for sale for £5 each. The money raised will be given to The Cellar Trust, a Shipley based social enterprise set up to help people recovering from mental health problems.

The college’s ‘Knit & Natter’ group and members of the public have also been busy creating the knitted red ‘creatures’ which will be hiding out around the village over the Arts Trail weekend. Anyone who finds one can take it home.

The Maker’s Fair will see over 70 local producers setting up stalls in Victoria Hall. The fair runs from 11am to 5pm on Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sunday and Monday.

For more information about all of the Arts Trail events, visit saltaireinspired.org.uk/saltaire-arts-trail/