Partner Article

Budding artists given new prime location

A NEW gallery space in the centre of Newcastle is to be used to showcase the talents of Northumbria University graduates.

The Northumbria University Gallery has acquired the space whose first exhibition – Fresh Art - featuring the work of 13 recent graduates is currently on display.

The exhibits, ranging from sculpture to line drawings and photography to paintings, are housed in the new Galleries Inc which is housed on the third floor of Central Square North on Forth Street.

Mara-Helen Wood, Director of the University Gallery, said: “The first year after graduation is the most daunting for any artist as they seek to establish themselves in a very competitive market.

“Exhibiting in a professional gallery environment is an essential first step for an emerging artist and that’s why we believe this space is so important.’’

The exhibition space is an important development in a raft of projects aimed at supporting Northumbria’s arts graduates.

Graduate Studio Northumbria (GSN), based within the School of Arts and Social Sciences, is another initiative which seeks to help new graduates establish themselves in the art world.

For a nominal fee of £150, the scheme allows graduates from arts disciplines access to studio space, dedicated office equipment, a professional meeting place and business support to help them launch their careers.

Keith McIntyre, Director of GSN, added: “The creation of GSN is about helping our talented artists to develop their practice and activate professional contacts across the arts, business and community networks. I believe we are the only institution in the UK that has a resource like this. There are other graduate projects but nothing quite as ambitious and as conceptually worked out as what we offer at Northumbria.’’

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .