A seasonal sack full of artwork will soon be gracing the walls of the ArtHouse in Eastbank Street as part of Southport Contemporary Arts Members’ Christmas Exhibition.
This eagerly anticipated show has established itself as a key event in the region’s arts calendar and provides an opportunity for savvy shoppers to snap up unique gifts from an eclectic mix of local creatives keen to reveal their latest artworks.
Norrie Beswick Calvert, one of the Southport Contemporary Arts directors, enthusiastically points out that: “The ‘SCA Christmas Collection’ represents over 30 different artists and makers and is always an exciting mix of hand produced pieces that our members have been busy creating. Imbued with the love and passion they have for making unique items, each piece has real integrity.”
She adds: “Christmas is a lovely time to buy something that bit different, beautiful and useful and visitors are sure to find something just right for that special person. By shopping locally for locally made things, you are not only gifting someone something they can’t find elsewhere, but also, supporting our community economically, ethically and sustainably.”
Originally from Hull, local artist, Henrietta Ackah Joyce, will be showing a range of festive items from her current portfolio including some more examples of her ‘fluid art’ that proved such a success with visitors at her solo show at the ArtHouse earlier this year. She explains: “This technique involves the use of a pouring medium mixed with acrylic paint or mica pigments or inks. The acrylic paints react with each other when combined to make interesting and visually organic motifs.“
Henrietta will be featuring examples of her decorative ‘fluid’ art on glassware and the face of a wall clock.
Also on show will be the tactile work of Southport based artist, Serah Stringer Grech, who’s love of rhythm and pattern will be well to the fore in the artwork for sale: “I enjoy exploring the intersection of the natural with the manufactured. My work tends to vary immensely in the ways they are experienced and through which senses they are enjoyed. For this show I have used varied materials, from pressed flowers, gold leaf and shells to ceramics.”
With his own personal take on ceramic art, self-taught Southport potter, Mervyn Thomas, will also be presenting more of his own unique creations: “The dishes are pressed out of porcelain clay using old Indian wood blocks previously used for block printing textiles. I utilise the texture and a variety of glazes to produce the abstract decoration. The small bowls, decorated with stamped and extruded motifs, were made to encourage me to have smaller portions at breakfast!”
Also on show will be watercolours from Angela Birchall, who spent her formative years in Central Africa where she admits to playing more with big cats than she did domesticated felines and a personal selection of framed prints taken from professional Ainsdale artist, Neil Prior’s original oil paintings.
Guaranteed to provide more than a sprinkle of Christmas magic, this latest showing by members of SCA is certainly not one to be missed.
This year’s Members’ Christmas Exhibition will be on display at the ArtHouse, Eastbank Street, Southport from 19th November – 24th December 2024. The gallery is open Tuesday – Friday 10.00-15.00. Saturday 11.00-16.00.