A vibrant new piece of public art has been unveiled at Darley Street Market in Bradford — a colourful installation of over 120 ceramic tiles created by visitors during the market’s opening weekend in July.
Commissioned by Bradford Markets, the artwork now welcomes shoppers at the Courtyard entrance. Each tile captures something special about the Bradford district — from iconic buildings and landmarks such as Bingley Five Rise Locks to the fingerprints of local traders and even a tribute to Bradford-born artist David Hockney.
The project was delivered in partnership with Salt Pots, a ceramic studio based in Saltaire. During the opening celebrations, Salt Pots ran creative workshops for visitors to design their own tiles, which were later glazed and fired by studio owners Laura Sagar and Sue Rhodes. The finished pieces were then mounted and installed by Bradford-based production artist Mick Bedford, with framing support from Nicola Murray of arts organisation Kynd.
Laura from Salt Pots said:
“We feel truly honoured to have been part of such a meaningful community artwork. Meeting the people of Bradford and hearing their stories was inspiring, and we hope this project becomes a lasting part of the city’s history.”
Nicola Murray from Kynd added:
“This artwork celebrates Bradford — handmade by Bradfordians. We hope everyone who took part will come back and see their contribution proudly displayed for years to come.”
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, praised the initiative, saying:
“It was wonderful to see so many people engage in the tile painting activity during our hugely successful opening weekend. The creativity shown really complements the other artistic pieces in the market, including Marcus Levine’s nail art tribute to David Hockney in Darley Street Kitchen.”
Visitors can now see the finished installation at the lower Darley Street entrance to the market.
For updates on future creative workshops and events at Darley Street Market, visit bradfordmarkets.com or follow Bradford Markets on social media.