The Art House announces a change in opening hours, starting from Tuesday 11 April.
We will be making some changes to our opening hours. This decision has not come easily, but as we have a responsibility to respond to the current economic climate and to secure the future of The Art House, we felt it important to act now.
Like many arts organisations, we have been affected by the economic struggles facing the arts sector, as well as the wider cost of living crisis and still dealing with the impact of the pandemic. Arts funding is always the first to get cut in these circumstances. The team have been working tirelessly over the last few months to devise a solution and responsibly balance our financial commitments. This has not been an easy process, but as a family of artists and creative thinkers, we’ve come up with something that meets the needs of these challenging times and enables us to expand our commitment to accessibility and inclusivity in the arts.
Public Open Days
From Tuesday 11 April, The Art House’s Public Opening Days will be Tuesday–Saturday, 09:30–16:00. Visitors can still enjoy our year-round programme of free exhibitions alongside our fantastic range of workshops and courses, designed for a variety of ages and skill levels. Our Coffee House, which also serves delicious fresh food, and our shop selling products from independent makers will remain open during this time.
Accessible and Bespoke Opportunities
We’re thrilled to open on Tuesdays on an appointment-only basis, allowing us to have a dedicated day for visitors who would benefit from exhibitions by appointment; a service which can be tailored to accommodate a variety of access needs for anyone unable to visit during standard opening hours. Schools and other educational visits can be facilitated on Tuesdays as well. The services will allow visitors to benefit from a much safer, quieter atmosphere and a more personal service from us.
These changes offer an exciting opportunity for us to better support the ongoing need for breaking barriers in the art world, particularly for vulnerable and under-represented groups.
Private Bookings
Private bookings at The Art House offer the unique experience of enjoying a creative and inspirational environment to host your meeting, training day, workshop, or even one of our creative away days, all at affordable prices. You can still book our spaces, and any of the above-mentioned services, on Tuesdays–Saturdays as well.
These changes will have no impact on our Studio Holders or our community projects. Our Arts & Health programme, Talk and Draw sessions, and our Studio of Sanctuary will all continue to run as normal. In fact, we are thrilled to have recently been awarded a three year grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, which will allow us to further deepen our work to support Wakefield’s refugee and asylum-seeking community, as well as implementing a ‘Sanctuary Network’.
Our thoughts are with all arts organisations that have been affected over the last year, who are also having to re-think their operations in order to cope. We are in a particularly challenging time for the arts sector, and for the world. One thing that we firmly believe is that community is at the heart of creativity, and that together, we can get through this and come back stronger and better than ever.
We thank you for your support while we make this transition. You can continue to support our work in many ways, from as little buying a coffee to becoming a member at our print, photography, or ceramics studio.
Remember, our house is your house, and it always will be.
– Sydney and all of The Art House Team
