THE co-operative behind Made in Ross celebrated 10 years of creativity in the heart of town at the weekend.

This year marks a major milestone for Made in Ross as the artists of all different types of mediums have showcased their creativity, community spirit, and artistic collaboration with each other while being housed in the iconic Market House in the centre of Ross-on-Wye.

Last Saturday the artists held a reception to mark Made in Ross’ 10th anniversary while the follow day the public were invited to a free day of hands-on art and craft under the arches of the Market House.

The activities included pompom making, beaded jewellery, colourful masks, ceramic tile decorating, felting, and a live pewter casting demonstration.

Formed in 2015, Made in Ross began with just seven artists and a shared vision: to breathe new life into the Market House and create a space for local art to thrive.

With support from Ross Town Council and The Courtyard Arts Centre, the gallery has grown into a vibrant co-operative of 13 members, representing disciplines from glass and ceramics to woodwork, textiles, digital art and printmaking.

It is more than just a gallery, Made in Ross has become a creative anchor for the town by hosted exhibitions, and run popular community projects like The Great Art Giveaway.

Jackie Poulter, chairman of the co-operative said that as we celebrate our tenth anniversary, we remain committed to supporting local artists, nurturing creativity, and keeping the spirit of the Market House alive for future generations.

She added: “Made in Ross had to move out of this historic building, the Market House, while it was being refurbished. But since our return from our temporary home at the Corn Exchange we have seen an increase in visitor numbers.

“We have also seen a change within the co-operative with many founding and early members choosing at this time of change to move on, allowing new artists to come on board. “We have a new potter, a glass artist, a woodworker, and a textile handbag maker. Our aim is to have a range of artists whose skills are different to each other.

“We’ve benefitted from the amount of tourists who come to look over the refurbished building and are surprised that we are here and take time to look around all the exhibits.

“Yes, we have an eclectic range of artists here at Made in Ross, but we feel that this appeals to a large number of people who are likely to come and visit us.

Jackie explained that as a retired early years schoolteacher, she took up silversmithing as a hobby, but soon found out that this needed serious financing, and found herself making jewellery and other items to sell.

“What’s not to like about fire and using hammers,” she concluded as she explained how silversmithing works.

The latest artist to join the collaborative is Joanne Callaghan, who is a painter and mixed media artist.

But despite being both physically and visually impaired, she creates vibrant artwork from her imagination.