Derbyshire Open Arts is a not for profit open arts event that takes place in various venues across Derbyshire. The event takes place annually in the Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May. Each year over 100 Artists and Craftspeople display their work in separate venues and invite the public to view and purchase work as well as take the opportunity to meet to the visual arts professionals and find out more about what they do.

The inaugural Derbyshire open arts event was held in 2006 and marked the beginning of a popular county event. The event runs entirely on Artists subscriptions and voluntary manpower from the Committee members. The organisation is formally constituted and exists by and for its members, who are artists and craftspeople and interested parties in the arts countywide across Derbyshire. For more information about the Committee members who keep the event running, please see Meet Those Involved.

Our Main Aims:

• To encourage artists to show their products to the public in their working environment, or other showplaces in non-threatening environments
  
• Provide opportunities for artists to network with others, sell artwork and gain in professional development
  
• Include all contemporary artists aspiring to or who have achieved professional status
  
• Ensure entries are of a nature and quality deemed suitable for the event
  
• Ensure no restrictions to participation on grounds of qualifications, grass roots levels particularly being encouraged
  
• Help raise the economic and artistic profile of the region
  
• Ensure equal opportunities to all artists and the viewing public
  

Looking ahead
Each year over 14,000 members of the public visit the Open Arts event and make a day of it over the Spring Bank Holiday. The event is free and family friendly! If you want to be on the mailing list to receive a brochure, please click on the relevant button on the left and leave your details. You will automatically be put on our database to receive brochures.

Comments
We welcome all feedback, both positive and negative, from all sources. If you have any comments about this website, our brochure or other media, or any other matter, do please let us know so that we can improve things for next year!