CHESTER ART BEAT IS BACK!

Four years since its 2018 successful pilot, and two COVID-19 cancellations, the Chester Art Beat is back!

Chester Art Beat is a free walking trail through Chester city centre with 30 artists in 18 venues open to the public 1-3 July 2022. Come and see many local artists, craft makers and designers exhibiting and making, and buy their fabulous work.

“The Chester Art Beat is an exciting new addition to the arts scene in Chester. I am delighted that the Council has been able to support Julie Mitchell and Canon Jane Brooke to achieve their vision and to contribute towards the Chester Heritage and Visual Arts Strategy.” Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council

The Chester Art Beat was first inspired by the Arundel Gallery Trail and was the brainchild of Canon Jane Brooke, Vice-Dean of Chester Cathedral. She was joined by local artist teacher (and the other town crier of Chester) Julie Mitchell to project manage and develop the event. After the successful pilot in October 2018, with 8 venues and 16 artists, we are returning post-lockdown to host a biennial event where people are invited to view our historic and cultural city from within numerous venues of interest, meet the artists, see the creative process, be inspired and have the chance to purchase or commission artworks. This time we have 30 artists and 18 venues – so make the most of it and come for a long weekend!

The trail features artists in multiple disciplines including Painting, Fine Art, Print Making, Etching, Textile Art, Illustration, Photography, Digital Media, Mixed Media, Jewellery Making, Silk Painting, Murals, Glass Art, Sculpting, Mosaic Art, and Mandala Rock Painting. Also, caricaturist Michael Carlon (Mickey Toones) can create your personal caricature on the day.

A fantastic long weekend, the Chester Art Beat walking trail gives the opportunity to experience fabulous art and architecture within the city en route to each venue if you take the time to look up and around. Not only that, with some incredible internal period architecture offered by venues such as the Cathedral, Bishop Lloyd’s Palace and Storyhouse, walking to each artist is quite the experience. Also, notably two of our venues are outdoor locations with art installations and murals (Super Trees Subway and Brook Street Mural).

Chester Art Beat is raising money for Claire House Children’s Hospice. All donations will go towards art materials for their art room. Returning artist Aleta Doran has been commissioned to make a beautiful mosaic for Claire House which will be installed in their butterfly garden (the public are invited to give some assistance with this).

To help support students in their studies, visual arts ‘A’ level students from all the high schools in Chester are invited to meet the artists and watch them at work.

We have placed two of our artists in the University of Chester’s CASC Gallery during its 2022 visual arts degree show exhibiting the work of 120 students.

People hoping to increase their creativity and improve their emotional wellbeing are being invited to walk the trail too. We want them to be encouraged to see how art, craft and design can be a fabulous means of self-expression, self-discovery, therapeutic healing, and a fabulously fulfilling career – bringing hope in dark times.

Local families with their children are invited to walk the Chester Art Beat. And anyone can enter a competition prize draw to win art and craft materials to help them with their own creative making. Children love following the map and searching for the competition clues!

We aim to have some fabulous community volunteers who will be drawing attention to the trail and venues and artists. We are very grateful to those who get involved. They will be wearing purple Chester Art Beat bibs.

Our financial supporters are: CWaC, Tyrer Trust, Government COVID funding, Cheshire Community Foundation, Earl of Chester Fund, Springboard and private donators.