My thoughts on local arts and culture in the North East
Laing Art Gallery. 27th May -14th October 2023. The Essence of Nature is the current paid exhibition taking place in the Laing Gallery, this exhibition is one that I have so far avoided going to as it contains two distinct styles of art, Pre-Raphaelism and Impressionism. I am not a fan of the latter style. … Continue reading The Essence of Nature
Tullie House, Carlisle. 16th June 2023 - 1st September 2023 The current exhibition which is taking place in the community gallery in the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle is called Creative Expression. This exhibition takes a series of Victorian artworks and displays them in a small gallery space placed in opposition to … Continue reading Creative Expressions
Just to the north of the Central Lowlands in Scotland, the Romans built their northernmost border wall, The Antonine Wall. Around mid-way along the route of the wall, there is a sculpture of a Roman soldier’s head that can be considered nothing less than monumental in its scale. The sculpture is sited at Croy Hill, … Continue reading Silvanus!
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
