Hertford Art Trail 2020

The annual Hertford Arts Festival 2020 will run from Saturday 11th April to Saturday 9th May. Local artists and businesses are being urged to sign up now to take part in the Hertford Art Trail, which forms part of the festival.

The comprehensive festival programme includes the Hertford Art Trail, local exhibitions, activities and performances including Hertford Theatre Week, Courtyard Arts 15th Courtyard Open Exhibition and the Hertford Arts Society Open Exhibition. The event takes place during Hertfordshire Year of Culture and for 2020 a new event to mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day will take place at Hertford Castle on Friday 8th May and will coincide with the Arts Festival and include photography exhibitions and performances to mark the end of WWII.

Last year, 44 talented artists showcased their work during the Hertford Art Trail. Each artist was allocated a prime town centre location to exhibit and sell artwork for a month-long period. The pop-up art exhibition venues will be located around the town centre, where venues consist of a multitude of retailers including bars and cafes, beauty salons, clothes retailers & gift shops.

Town Centre Businesses

Any town centre business is welcome to apply to become part of the Hertford Art Trail and will be required to allocate a designated area within the premises for the artist to exhibit. The business will be open to trade as normal and should expect an increase in footfall from spectating visitors.

There are a number of benefits for businesses that are interested in becoming an Art Trail venue. The venue will retain a 15% commission from every art piece sold and be listed in the festival programme.

It’s free of charge for businesses to sign up and become an Art Trail venue. Contact the Town Centre Officer, Ausra, by emailing ausra@hertford.gov.uk or telephone 01992 552885.

Artists

For 2020, Hertford Town Council have once again partnered with Courtyard Arts to help promote the festival and source artists to take part in the Hertford Art Trail.

Artists will be allocated a prime town centre location in which to display and sell their work for the period of the trail. This unique opportunity is low cost and charged at £30 per artist for the month long exhibition.

All artists are eligible to apply and must do so before the application closing date of 20th January 2020.

Artists can find further information and the application form online by visiting www.courtyardarts.org.uk