Event type: Exhibition

Cultivate: Sensory Drawing and Printma...

Illustrator, printmaker and workshop artist Laura-Kate Draws has been working with members of Buzz Hub St Helens CDP to explore environmental activism and sustainability through sensory drawing and printmaking workshops.

See what the Buzz Hub members have created, through guided observational drawing and painting, inspired by the nature and green spaces surrounding St Helens.

Laura-Kate has been commissioned by Heart of Glass as part of Prototype Projects 2023.

Part of A Sense of Green.

We aim to create safe, welcoming and accessible spaces for all.

Wednesday 20th September, 10am – 4.30pm, Buzz Hub, Nuttall House, Clifton Street, St Helens, WA10 1EX, Drop-in

If you’d like to discuss your access needs, please get in touch by contacting Heart of Glass via info@heartofglass.org.uk or call Anna on 07529224271.

Access information for Buzz Hub:

Accessible toilets

Flat access

Access information for Derbyshire Hill Family Centre

Accessible toilets (Changing Places and family room available)

Flat access

Lift to all levels

Accessible by bus (31)

45 minute walk from St Helens Central station

A Portrait of the High Street @ Presco...

Since 2021, Tony Mallon has been working as a photographer-in-residence with local Prescot residents, to reimagine the high street and create a contemporary portrait of the area.

Tony initially ran a series of photography and memory fairs inviting people connected to Prescot to share their own personal photographs and local social history about the area. He then went on to establish a Prescot Photography Club. Every Saturday, the new photography club has been exploring what makes up the high street using street photography and portraiture. The group have not only been co-producing all of the work but have been their own curators, editing and sequencing the images and stories. An exhibition of work will also be displayed later this autumn, from 28 September 2023, at Open Eye Gallery, who have co-commissioned the project.

This exhibition is part of the Picturing High Streets, a three-year project led by Photoworks which includes six photographer-in-residence programmes at six high street locations across England, as well as artist mentoring, a digital nationwide mass participation project and a national touring outdoor exhibition.

Over the past few years Knowsley Council has put a lot of hard work and investment into developing Prescot. Prescot was selected as one of the 68 high streets to benefit from the High Streets Heritage Action Zone project in 2020. The high streets cultural programme is the widest-reaching, community-led arts and heritage programme in the public realm that has ever been organised, led by Historic England in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The £3.1 million heritage-led regeneration programme see’s major investment from Knowsley Council and Historic England into a number of key projects in Prescot town centre. In addition, Prescot have benefited from a series of cultural events as part of the HSHAZ Cultural Programme Local Grants, as delivered by the Prescot Cultural Consortium, led by The Shakespeare North Playhouse.

Image: Barber in Prescot. Stephen Jackson, 2023.

In a City of Flowers

From artist Lou Chapelle: in a city of flowers!

‘In a City of Flowers’ is a holographic and interactive video installation that invites viewers to gently place their hand within small wooden shelters to hold a butterfly in their palm. The work consists of 12 of these houses, each hosting a different British breed: some thriving, some vulnerable or extinct, some migrating.

These houses resemble those for birds or insects found in the garden whose aim is to offer shelter and care for local species. In the installation, these houses are removed from this context to question what home is for these creatures. Most of our British butterflies are in decline due to pollution, change in climate, and light pollution affecting their local habitat.

Each house in the installation hosts a holographic video of a butterfly reflected in the centre like a ghostly and ungraspable apparition, only visible through a narrow peep hole. Through a larger hole, people can place their hands within to cup the butterflies, a tangible yet absent image, giving them a sense of intimacy and fragility and reminding us of our care and responsibility for the natural world.

Some of the butterfly species presented are extinct in the UK, such as Large Copper, Black Veined White; some are still thriving such as the Cabbage Butterfly; some are migrating species that come and go with the fluctuations of the Earth’s climate such as the Painted Lady. Each one is closely linked to the plant species in their habitat which provide food and shelter with some only feeding on particular plants.

This work is a reminder of how important it is that we keep our urban and rural spaces packed with local plants and wildflowers.

The work will tour to various public locations from Autumn 2023, and with it the aim to make people more aware of our beautiful and fragile wildlife.

Collaboratively produced with the Rule of Threes team. Consultations about butterflies took place with Widnes Greenhouse and Butterfly House and the national charity Butterfly Conservation.

You can find out more about Lou and her previous work on her website: http://www.louchapelle.com/

The exhibition will launch with a preview on 22nd September and will then be open to the public Monday – Friday 10am – 4:30pm and Saturday 10am – 1:30pm.

For further details of the associated events, visit their Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-a-city-of-flowers-round-table-discussion-tickets-714499997727?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Event

Event is completely free and available for drop-in. The exhibition’s Round Table Discussion on Friday 22nd September must be booked in advance on our Eventbrite page, but the tickets are also free.

New Light Prize exhibition

Birkenhead’s Williamson Art Gallery & Museum is proud to host the launch of the New Light Prize exhibition 23/24.

Established in 2010, the New Light charity celebrates and promotes Northern art, supporting both well-known and emerging artists by offering some of the region’s best awards and opportunities with the biennial New Light Prize Exhibition. It provides Northern artists with an unparalleled platform to showcase their work and reach new audiences.

The 2023 New Light Prize Exhibition Tour which covers five galleries, visiting four counties and London, begins at the Williamson, with judging taking place just prior to the exhibition’s opening. A panel of industry experts comprising of Olivia Heron, Curator at the Whitworth Gallery, Manchester, Nan Perell, New York Collector and supporter of emerging British artists, Matthew Hall, Director of London gallery Panter & Hall, renowned figurative artist Mark Demsteader, and Director of New Light, Rebekah Tadd, will shortlist artworks for the £10,000 Valeria Sykes Award, judging Royal Academicians alongside emerging artists.

Williamson Curator Niall Hodson says that “we are delighted to host and launch the New Light Prize Exhibition 2023/24. We want to be able to support the creative economy and the viability of artistic careers in the North West and beyond. It will provide economic benefit for the artists and opportunities to embrace new talent”.

Two free public events will take place during the exhibition’s run as part of Art For All, New Light’s education and outreach programme. On Saturday 14th October 2-3pm Art Historian Sara Riccardi will lead a free tour & talk of the exhibition. Then on the evening of Friday 3rd November join former New Light prize winning artist Josie Jenkins to use paint and print to create your own beautiful interiors inspired artwork.

Following the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum the New Light Prize Exhibition will then tour to London’s Bankside Gallery, The Gallery at Rheged in Penrith, The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle and finish at The Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate on 31st December 2024.

UNEARTHED Exhibition at the LAKE galle...

UNEARTHED showcases a collection of vibrant and intuitive landscape paintings by Liverpool artist Hilary Dron and London-based painter Tamara Williams.

Hilary’s award-winning work has been receiving much-deserved attention recently and they are looking forward to showing a brand new collection of paintings, inspired by her recent residency in County Mayo, Ireland.

Tamara has exhibited widely in the South East and Midlands and they’re excited to bring her work to the North West. Her paintings are a visual amalgamation of memories and feelings from one or many places. Tapestry-like landscapes with bold monotone blocks which reflect the shadowy shape of evergreen trees against more open hills and meadows.

Join them for the Private View of the exhibition on Thursday 7th September from 6pm-8pm.

Opening times: Thursday – Saturday, 10am-4pm

The exhibition runs from Thursday 7th September to Saturday 14th October 2023.

You’ll find the LAKE gallery in the heart of West Kirby, opposite The Concourse, a couple of minutes walk from the train station.

In the Window – Mark Fenn

Mark is a beekeeper and glassblower based in the Northern Lights artist-led space in Liverpool.

He combines his passions of beekeeping and glassblowing by infusing the honey gathered from his native Welsh black bees into glass vessels, which are inspired by the natural forms made within the beehive by the bees.

Mark’s latest body of honey infused work has been developed during the filming of ‘Make It at Market‘, a new series commissioned by BBC Daytime TV and hosted by Dom Chinea of ‘The Repair Shop’. His mentor on the series, Allister Malcolm, gave Mark a set of hexagonal moulds to experiment with in exchange for a block of his beeswax.

Based on honeycomb, Mark’s hexagonal vases are individually coloured and the four colours used in the collection represent each the four seasons and the life cycle of the bees. His white classic hexagonal vases compliment the collection: the cappings from the individual cells of the honeycomb form the purest beeswax, which is white in colour.

Emerging Makers

Featuring recent graduates and emerging makers working across a range of disciplines and media, this show highlights the ‘makers to watch’ of 2023.

This year, they have looked at the Green Grads display at Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2022. Green Grads make contemporary craft which is high quality, well designed and sustainable.

They have also researched recent new makers from presentations including Fresh at the British Ceramics Biennial, as well as Collect and the Crafts Council’s new makers selections over the past couple of years, to offer more of a general overview of ‘makers to watch’.

Event

Featuring:

Wood by Sandy Buchanan & Christoph Kurzman
Ceramics by Claudette Forbes, Isobelle Hayes, Gerald Mak & Martha Wiles
Glass by Hannah Baxendale
Leather by Iseabal Hendry
Willow by Simon Redstone
Metal by Studio Hancock
Mixed media by Flod UK

Degrees of Abstraction

Degrees of Abstraction brings together three abstract artists, Hilary Dron, Jessica Slack and John Sharp; each pushing the boundaries of gestures, geometric and natural forms.

Abstract art can trick the human eye, as it searches for form and representation, and unlike figurative art, can evoke emotions through colour and shape. This show of large, vibrant paintings closes the door on reality and centres you in the realms of abstraction.

Hilary Dron – Hilary was born in Liverpool and completed her degree at Central School of Art and Design, London. She worked as a designer for Liberty before beginning a 30 year career, teaching art in schools and in further education. After a recent sabbatical in Japan and the Far East, she decided to leave teaching and concentrate on her own work, something she has always wanted to do. The last six months have represented a huge step for Hilary and have included a commission by Aintree Hospital and exhibitions in and around Liverpool.

Speaking about her work, Hilary notes: “My paintings are about colour, light, texture and atmosphere. They are reimagined experiences of a personal memory memories of landscapes I have visited, from woods in Liverpool, mountains in Taiwan to Sakura blossom in Kyoto, Japan. I recently spent ten days in Ballycastle, County Mayo painting the coastline, bogs and beautiful surrounding Irish countryside.” She paints to get into that quiet place in her mind, where there is no sense of time and she hopes her paintings reflect this essence of a deep, quiet experience.

Jessica Slack – Jessica is a contemporary abstract artist whose work is inspired by colour and nature. Jessica’s fascination with the power of colour and how it can evoke emotions when least expected leads to bold and vibrant expressionist paintings that aim to bring joy to homes all over the world! In her own words… “The shifting nature of the environment, from the changing seasons to the contrast between urban and rural landscapes is constant inspiration to me. The aim of my work is to capture feelings of joy, wonder and freedom – reflected in the bold use of colour, texture and abstract mark marking you see in my work.”

After graduating with a first-class degree in Printed Textiles and an MSc in Colour Science, Jessica began her artistic journey after taking part in Liverpool Art Fair back in 2019. Fast forward to now, Jessica is recognised as an emerging British artist with prestigious awards such as the Signature Art Prize and Bethlehem Card Commission in addition to being seen in The World of Interiors Magazine and having commissioned artworks throughout Liverpool City Centre.

John Sharp – John was born in Bentham on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border and grew up in Garstang. Having studied illustration at De Montfort University, John then went on to work as an illustrator, graphic designer and in design/visual effects for the film and TV industry at University of Manchester, Yorkshire television, Flehner Films, Buenos Aires and various VFX companies in Soho London and Manchester. His work has included a broad array of projects including The Harry Potter films, Emmerdale and Iceland TV adverts.

“I work in a variety of styles and with a variety of subjects. There is usually a polemic element to my pictures. The “Kite” pictures relate to graffiti and urban Life. The “All of Us” series are a commentary on the energy of life and the absurdity of religion and politics. The Bird pictures are more cartoon than ornithology…Gulls are marauding gangs on the edges of society, Ravens, solo wanderers across moorland and hills and Cormorants are a prehistoric presence in the heart of the city. Mythological subjects are usually metaphors for contemporary issues, for example the “Mermaid” drawings reflect the ecology of the oceans and “Minotaurs” are misfits trapped in the city.”

All artworks are for sale.

Join them for the Private View of the exhibition on Thursday 14th September from 5pm-7pm.

All welcome, but please register here: https://degreesofabstractionpv.eventbrite.co.uk

The dot-art Gallery can be found at 14 Queen Avenue, Castle Street, Liverpool, L2 4TX (just 5 minutes’ walk from Liverpool One).

Opening times: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am-6pm

The exhibition runs Friday 15th September – Saturday 18th November 2023.

Helene Appel: Among Trees, Along Sand ...

Berlin-based artist Helene Appel creates images that straddle the threshold between realism, sculpture, and abstraction. Appel paints ordinary materials from everyday life, working in a 1:1 scale.

Appel’s work highlights the sometimes-overlooked beauty of ordinary objects such as the bark of a tree, sand on a seashore, an envelope, the headlight of a car, and a loose fold of fabric. Appel’s closely-observed paintings even explore the aesthetic qualities of discarded vegetable peelings ready to be thrown onto the compost pile, or a kitchen sink full to the brim of murky washing up water. The materials Appel uses, such as oil, watercolour or encaustic, start to resemble the object itself, giving her paintings a physical and three-dimensional presence.

This exhibition features key works from Appel’s career alongside a selection of new paintings. It is also an opportunity to see two works by Appel which were recently acquired for the Williamson’s collection: ‘Sand’ and ‘Dishwater’.

Events

Exhibition tours with curator Niall Hodson will take place on:

Thursday 5th October, 12:30pm

Friday 8th December, 10:30am

Friday 19th January, 6pm

Booking details coming soon.

Life Line: Photographs By Jonathan Coo...

Life Line exhibits two photography series set along the West Kirby waterfront. Employing magical realism and unique printing techniques, Cooper’s photographs place their inhabitants in a dreamlike world.

Cooper began this series when the old West Kirby promenade still existed, and these photographs also track the development of the new flood defence wall.

EVENTS:

Saturday 7th October, 12-1pm: artist talk by Jonathan Cooper. Free

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Jonathan Cooper studied Photography at Withens Lane College in Wallasey, where his tutor included the renowned street photographer Tom Wood. Having previously worked in London and Australia Cooper is now based in Wirral.