Latest News

Grab the balloons – set off the fireworks!  The 2024 brochures have been delivered, and mighty smart they look, too!

Over the next few days, a team will get to work sorting quantities for the distribution agencies and then for the 200 or so artists, along with all their other promotional materials – a mammoth task!

The artists who have volunteered to be distribution hubs will be fetching these next week and will contact individual artists on their lists, to arrange collection of their ‘goody bags’, shortly after that.

Huge shout-out to the brochure sorters! Thank you!

Exciting news - your committee volunteers are gathering to proof read the 2024 Derbyshire Open Arts brochure, this Friday!  Every section and every entry will be read and re-read by at least 4 different people in a process that takes most of the day.  This means that we are nearing the moment of printing and we will keep you posted here, as to when the brochures will be available.  Watch this space!

Applications for the 2024 event closed on 15th January. If you have had problems with your application and haven't yet finalised it, please email us at [email protected] for assistance. 

The wait is over and the 2024 Derbyshire Open Arts website is open!  Now is the time to plan your application - where to exhibit, what photos to use and what you will write about your art.

Participation is inclusive, so there is no selection process.  You just need to ensure that your practice is suitable for family viewing.  You can apply any time between now and January 15th.  All artists taking part will become viewable on the website shortly after this date.

We're very sorry but there is a slight delay to the opening of applications for Derbyshire Open Arts 2024. We hoped to open at the end of October, but updates to the website are taking longer than we expected. 



As soon as we are ready to open we will send out a newsletter to alert you. Don't worry, there's plenty of time for you to do your application as the closing date is the middle of January 2024. 

If you do not subscribe to the newsletter, you can sign up using the button at the bottom of the home page. 

The Derbyshire Open Arts 2023 committee would like to say a huge thank you to all the fantastic artists that took part this year, and to every one of the visitors that came in to any venue. We hope you all enjoyed the event as much as we did and we look forward to welcoming everyone next year. The website remains open, and any artist can be contacted through their page if you regret not buying something that took your eye! 

We apologise to people who are finding brochures with pages missing, and some printed twice. Other than trying to get hold of another brochure from a different place, you can download a brochure on our website from the third big button on the home page. Also, in the artists pages you can filter by location and by genre which may be useful. Hopefully when you get to your first venue they will still have some brochures that you can use from then on while you're out and about. 

• Venue 28 Caudwell's Mill in Rowsley is partially closed but our artists are still exhibiting. Free parking is still available.
• Venue 39 John Sutcliffe regrets he will no longer be able to exhibit. Please contact him if you are interested in his work.
• Venue 60 has moved round the corner from Mellor Road to 43 Whitle Road, New Mills SK22 4EH only about 400m away.
• Venue 66 in Hayfield is actually 2 venues on Swallow House Lane - 76 Swallow House Lane and Bank Vale Paper Mill also on Swallow House Lane.

Keep in with the in crowd: follow Derbyshire Open Arts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news on artists and art venues throughout our beautiful county.  Access exclusive artists’ videos, live updates and more for the Derbyshire-wide event of the year, next weekend, 27th-29th May. Click on the icons top right of every webpage.

Derbyshire Open Arts brochures are now being distributed around the county and beyond.  If you want to pick one up, try your local library, tourist information, cafe, college or school. You can also download a brochure from the home page of the website onto your device as a PDF.

“After all the feverish activity surrounding the application closing date, things might seem to have gone a little quiet.  Behind the scenes, however, this is one of the busiest periods for our team.  All the applications must be carefully gathered into an attractive looking and easily to use guide, both for our website and the popular brochure.  Once these are both ready, the website can be published and brochure distribution plans roll into action.  If you would like to be a part of our lovely team; why not drop us a line at [email protected]?  We would love to hear from you.”

The closing date for applications for our Open Studio Event is 16th January 2023. If you need any help please contact us on [email protected].