Vernon MillArt Studios

Vernon Mill Art Studios occupies the third and fourth floors of Vernon Mill on Mersey Street in Portwood, a Grade II listed former cotton mill whose foundation stone was laid in 1881, the first limited-liability mill to open in Stockport. The artist-led collective has worked from the building since 2000 and now numbers more than 40 practitioners covering painting, printmaking, textiles, ceramics and mixed media. Studios open to the public at weekends, when artists show current work in the building's gallery spaces and visitors can see pieces in progress rather than only finished work. The mill has lift access to both floors for wheelchair users. Run as a single site by its member artists rather than a commercial gallery chain, Vernon Mill also hosts themed exhibitions and open-studio events throughout the year.