ArtCircle was founded in Sowerby Bridge at the end of 2014 by a group of local artists some of whom had worked together in previous festivals in the town. The original group of twelve had their first exhibition in The Blind Pig in December 2014 when Julie Hall became manager there. The community showed great interest in the exhibition and it was amazing how many artists came forward to join the group and exhibit in the following show. The Blind Pig has continued to provide excellent gallery space for the group's seasonal exhibitions and membership has grown to 300 and continues to increase.

ArtCircle's intention is to be an inclusive group encompassing artists of many disciplines including painting, collage, printmaking, digital art, photography, craft and sculpture. The group encourages new members to exhibit regardless of their experience.

Occasionally you can find our members selling their work on an ArtCircle stall at Sowerby Bridge market.

We hold workshops for members from time to time including figure drawing and seasonal crafts upstairs in the Blind Pig, and a sketching group which enjoys working within the local area and further afield. We have also organised workshops on behalf of local charities working with socially disadvantaged people in the community.

Visitors to The Blind Pig can enjoy exhibitions in the upstairs and downstairs gallery and a must-see is the colourful mural painted by several ArtCircle members which is situated in the corridor to the rear of the bar. Since 2022 we have also been exhibiting in the Turks Head pub.

Details of our exhibitions, workshops and other events past and present can be found on the Activities page on this site.

ArtCircle Sowerby Bridge flourishes with support and encouragement from Julie and her staff at the Blind Pig and welcomes new members to join us in activities, showcase their own work or just enjoy the art!