New “Chesterfield Makers” exhibition celebrates creative talent
Ten artists and makers with strong links to Chesterfield will be showcased in a striking new photographic exhibition celebrating our town’s thriving creative community.
Chesterfield Makers will be on display at The Pavements Shopping Centre from 16 March to 17 May 2026, featuring a series of large-scale A0 portraits captured by Derbyshire photographer Emma Croman and commissioned by Junction Arts.
The exhibition highlights the diversity of creative talent in the town, featuring portraits of ten local artists and makers, including community artists Lucie Maycock and Dave Elsom, comic artist and designer Kelly Bond, creative technologist and Board Member of Destination Chesterfield, Ann Fomukong Boden, illustrators Jessica Woodhouse and Tom J Newell, theatre practitioner Carole Copeland, luthier Chris Sheldon, textile designer Andie Cooper, and ceramicist Clare Gage.
Part of the wider Derbyshire Makes Chesterfield programme, the exhibition aims to celebrate our town’s creative industries and inspire the next generation of artists by showing that creative careers can flourish locally.
Rachel Pedley, Event & Project Coordinator at Junction Arts, said:
“Chesterfield Makers is a celebration of the creative sector that we have in the town. We want to show people through this exhibition that creative careers exist locally. Although there is a strong heritage of making in Chesterfield, there’s also an exciting future.
This exhibition highlights just a selection of the amazing makers and artists who live and work here. Emma has captured them beautifully in their place of making. During Derbyshire Makes Chesterfield, we’ll be showcasing even more talented creatives, and everyone is invited to come along and get involved.”
The project has been organised by Junction Arts and funded through Derbyshire Makes, a new programme of cultural events taking place across the county. The initiative celebrates making in all its forms, shining a spotlight on Derbyshire’s extraordinary heritage alongside its vibrant contemporary creative industries.
As part of the programme, Derbyshire Makes Chesterfield will take over our town centre on Saturday 18 April with a free festival celebrating creativity.
The day will be headlined by The Great Chesterfield Make Off, where 40 local artists will create brand-new work live in Chesterfield Market. The market will become a bustling creative hub, giving visitors the chance to watch artists at work, discover new talent and experience the imagination and skill that defines Chesterfield’s arts scene.
Visitors can also take part in hands-on creative workshops and enjoy live street performances from internationally renowned street performer Matt Pang in our town centre.
The exhibition display stands used for Chesterfield Makers have been funded through Animate Chesterfield, a programme of public art linked to regeneration projects across the area. Animate Chesterfield is led by Chesterfield Borough Council and delivered by Beam.
For more information about Derbyshire Makes Chesterfield: https://www.derbyshiremakes.co.uk/chesterfield
