Harrogate artist Claire Baxter announced as official artist for historic Great Knaresborough Bed Race 2024

Claire Baxter, who is Knaresborough born-and-bred, and was a pupil at St John Fisher Catholic High School in Harrogate, is a local artist who paints Yorkshire-inspired paintings.

She has grown up loving the Great Knaresborough Bed Race, the town’s iconic sporting spectacle which has been held every year since 1966, excluding 2020 and 2021.

She owns two galleries across the Harrogate district, one on Castlegate in Knaresborough and on High Street in Pateley Bridge.

Claire has produced two stunning paintings to commemorate the historic race that are titled ‘Time and Tide’ and ‘Bed Time’.

They retail at £1,295 and £595 respectively, with medium, small and postcards also available.

On being chosen as the official artist for the Great Knaresborough Bed Race 2024, Claire said: “Bed Race is such a special event and having experienced it live for so many years, I have been inspired to capture its quirkiness on canvas.

“For many, the river crossing is the highlight of the day and I have rendered that and the ‘Time and Tide’ painting incorporates the famous Knaresborough Viaduct.

“We have so much that is famous – bridges, the river, the hills, the Gorge, cobbled streets, parkland – and it all comes together on Bed Race Day.”

This year’s Great Knaresborough Bed Race will take place on Saturday, June 8 and is a mighty pageant of decorated beds, passengers and runners, combined with a gruelling contest around a 2.4 mile course.

Organised by volunteers from the Knaresborough Lions, the event helps to raise much-needed funds for local charities and community causes.

Martin Brock, Committee Chairman of the Knaresborough Lions, is delighted to have the support of such a talent artist as Claire Baxter.

He said: “We have never before had an official artist but in Claire we have a fantastic talent who reflects well the glorious spirit of the event.

"The paintings capture not only the race, but also the unmistakable ‘Yorkshireness’ of the people who take part.

“As a local lass, she embodies the rich vein of talent that we have in the town.”

For more information about the Great Knaresborough Bed Race, visit https://www.bedrace.co.uk/

To find out more about Claire Baxter, visit https://clairebaxterfineart.co.uk/