Over the course of this year’s Independents Biennial, artists from across Merseyside have been invited to hold tables for free, regardless of discipline. The first market takes place this Saturday (28th June), 10am-4pm at Birkenhead Market.
The markets are designed to allow artists to sell their wares, whether they fall into traditional craft boundaries, or present as performance. there is a value to all art forms, and these markets intend to prove that.
For audiences, the expectation of buying art is still there, and the festival hopes that the development of markets as events and exhibitions in their own right supports a more diverse understanding of the art world on the shores of the Mersey.
Independents Biennial is a contemporary visual art festival across all boroughs of the city region this summer, running until 14th September. The markets in Birkenhead take place on the last Saturday of every month, and thanks to a supportive partnership with Wirral Council, will remain cost-free to artists throughout, reducing the financial risk for them selling their wares.
The artists at the markets include those from other parts of this eyars’ Indpeendnet sbiennial programme like The RatShack, a newly commissioned gallery space on Catherine Street, Joao Coelho, currently exhibiting commissined work at The World of Glass, St Helens, the wonderful Siobhan Roberts from Zero Fashion, who has supported us with materials across the festival programme, and Credo Roberts, soon to move in to an as yet unannounced space as aprt of the programme’s offer to recent graduates.
Artists selling, performing and exhibiting at this weekend’s market are:
Painting & Sculpture
- Ami Koya @Amik_prints
- Paul Fitzpatrick @PaulFitzpatrick
Contemporary Art
- 8 Legs Collective @8.legs.col
- Lou Scott-Turner
- Jacqui Futers @nightshade_arte
- The Rat Shack @ratshackartspace
- Felicity Bithell @fliss.bithell
- Sinead McMullan @sinead.artwork
- James Hallinan @james_hallinan
- Dave Turner @daveturnerart
- Emily Edwards @emilysartkive
- S’cube Contemporary @scube.contemporary.art
Photography
- Nicole Aimee Oliver @nicoleaimeeoliver
- Ted Hemmings @tedh2000
Sculpture
- Joao Coelho @jcdioramaart
- Dylan Barr @dylbopart
Prints/illustrations
- Michelle Murray @michellemurray1980
- Julia Marszalek @artbyjuliapulia
- Holly Rowley @Video2nasty
- Keira Blundell @Wingdingdoesart
- Ekaterina Mendor @artworkkatia
Print artists
- Credo Roberts + Belle Kidd @commonalitygrrrl @imcredoo @isobelle._
Jewellery
- Helen Hutchinson @piepowder_crafts
- Roz Di Caprio @thread_47
 Textiles
- -Siobhan Kerr @zero.fashion.uk
- -Chieko Kayin @chiekokayintextile
- -Louisa Laveback @abrainymess
- -Ellee Kelly @motherhookeruk
Glass Art
- -Mersey Glass Works @mersey_glass_works
Mixted Media
- – Lilly Jankauskaite @lilk.lilzzz