The poster for York River Art Market’s winter market at Spark:York this weekend
YORK River Art Market is to play host to two-day winter market at Spark:York, Piccadilly, York, on November 14 and 15 from 11am to 6pm featuring 30 stall holders each day.
Those stalls will be spread between the studio upstairs and working spaces on the ground floor, with further stalls at the entrance and a couple more elsewhere. Admission is free.
Selected from 180 applicants, pitch holders over the two days will be: Sue Langford Photography; Wags and Whiskers; Al Hawkin; Grita Gruzdaite; Abigail – A Big Fine Art; Nicola Glover; Ive Been Creative; Nicola Bloom; Katrina Mansfield; Andrea’s Attic; Inky Prints Design; Charley Hellier; Adele Karmazyn; Cushie Cush; Kirsty Painted Witch; Mature Furlane; Lucien Pope and Emily (EJ) Brookes.
So too will: Calling Stay Cool; Keith Hillsden; Lincoln Lightfoot; Tripe Art; KT Joy; Bejojo; Minister York; Lyndsey Evison; Happy Pot Mama; Little Wolf; Lotie Parker Collages; Silver and Gowd; Bibi; The Spoonery; Laura Joy; Tom Wrigglesworth; Clayspace; Jackie Maidment and Sheriff Scutton.
“The stall spaces will be smaller than at the summer market, so we expect the focus to be on cards and prints and smaller items ideal for Christmas presents, with hopefully some bigger items too,” says York River Art Market organiser Caroline Turner.
York River Art Market organiser Caroline Turner
In addition, a launch party will be held on Friday from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, featuring ceramics and a DJ set by Jonathan Cotton (Instagram: shot_to_the_art), with free fizz early on, a bar and music.
To complement the winter market, Caroline, who runs Clayspace Pottery Studio, in Melrose Yard, will be holding workshops at Spark:York on Thursday from 6pm to 9pm. There will be a small cost for these ticketed events; tickets can be booked in the Bio link on Clayspace’s Instagram site at https://www.instagram.com/clayspaceyork/.
Brenda Christison, from Felty & Fabulous, will host a felt workshop, where participants will make Christmas gonks; Caroline and Clayspace will run hour-long sessions at 6.30pm and 8pm on making pinch pots to be turned into trinket dishes or used as candle holders. “From a ball of clay, you can make what you want, using your imagination,” says Caroline.
York River Art Market will return to Dame Judi Dench Walk by the Ouse riverside next summer on July 31 & August 1, August 7 & 8 and August 14 & 15. “The call-out to take part will be going out to artists in January,” says Caroline, who will be running her second summer season of YRAM after taking over from the event founder, artist, jewellery designer and teacher Charlotte Dawson, last summer.
“We had more than 150 applicants for this summer’s market and we expect to exceed 200 applicants for 2027 after the artists traded so well this year.”