My thoughts on local arts and culture in the North East
Hexham Abbey - 17 April - 13 June 2023 The exhibition of wedding gowns which are currently being displayed really is stunning. The dresses are positioned all around the Abbey Church, making walking around the exhibition easy and intuitive. The collection included a range of wedding dresses spanning from the early 1900s to the early … Continue reading A Century Of Wedding Gowns
Between 2012 and 2018 there was a project in both Epsom and Morpeth aimed at giving a proper visual memorial to the suffragette Emily Davison, this campaign marked the 100th anniversary of her death in 2013 as well as capitalising on the events of her life and her notoriety to gather in funding from a … Continue reading Emily Davison Sculpture – Morpeth
High up on the hills in upper Redesdale, Northumberland, a curious new sculpture of a goat has appeared. The goat is featured with its front legs down and head up, with its hind legs in the air, as though it has been caught in the middle of jumping down a hill or rock. It is … Continue reading The Cheviot Goat
14th January - 8th March 2023 | Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar. Artists Tony Galuidi and Gavin Parry. I visited the Megaliths exhibition on January 15th, the day after it opened. As an ardent lover of the ancient stones and special pre-historic places that Britain has to offer, this exhibition was one which I just couldn’t pass … Continue reading Megaliths.
There is a debate raging about the appropriateness of placing a monumental sculpture called Ascendant: The Elizabeth Landmark on a moorland hilltop in Northumberland. This article engages with that debate and tries to sum it up from both sides.
The church of St Gregory at Marthwaite, a short distance from Sedburgh in Cumbria contains some very interesting and unusual stained glass. This mid Victorian church has stained glass windows dating from around the turn of the twentieth century, designed by Fredrick George Smith, which instead of the usual religious scenes contain much more interestimg … Continue reading Stained Glass in St Gregory’s Church, Vale of Lune.
Sage Gateshead, 4th and 5th June 2022 After seeing an advertisement for this event, I thought it looks interesting, although the Facebook advert had been quite cryptic on content. So, I got a ticket and decided to see what it was all about - it's free after all, and who doesn't like a free cultural … Continue reading Surge
19 February - 24 April 2023 - Woodhorn Museum Woodhorn currently has an exhibition of art in one of its galleries which are comprised of artwork submitted from an open call to the museum. From the artwork submitted they have selected over 130 pieces from a wide range of styles and mediums. The exhibition this … Continue reading Open exhibition 2022: A Portrait of Northumberland
Newcastle upon Tyne March 10 - 13, 2022 It's not often that I look at popularised works of art that are currently running, however, having seen photographs of this particular installation online, I was intrigued enough to go into the city centre to view the spectacle myself as it was occurring. As I got to … Continue reading North of Tyne Under the Stars
Ad Minoliti - Biospheree Plush. Photo - Photo by amey I first visited this exhibit about six weeks ago, I walked away quite bemused at what I was visualising. The array of colours displayed seems chaotic to me, and quite overpowering. Now, however, I've had a few weeks to digest my initial surprise at what … Continue reading Ad Minoliti – biosphere plush
Aisling on Art 