Galleries Archive

 

galleryLocal Event
King's Lynn Horticultural Society Show
Shakespeare Barn
For the first time ever at the Arts Centre, this colourful annual event for the green-fingered comes to the new Shakespeare Barn. With the added value of an exhibition of paintings on a flower theme by West Norfolk Artists Association.

 


galleryLocal Event
Don't Brush Unseen
Old Warehouse
An opportunity over 2 weeks for Borough residents and their families to exhibit a picture, especially those who have not exhibited before @ just £4 per work per week. Contact Exhibition Organiser, Edward Wheatley on 01485 533485 to take part. Email: oldted@tesco.net


 

 


galleryLocally Organised
ART 21
Diversity

Red Barn Gallery
Art 21 holds its sixth annual exhibition at the Arts Centre. Since this group of Norfolk based artists was formed in 2000, some of its original members have now moved on and this year the group has returned to its full complement by inviting four new artists to join. The title, ‘Diversity’, refers to the individual style and choice of medium brought to the exhibition by each artist.



galleryLocally Organised
EDWARD WHEATLEY
“…without honour…”
Pictures of prediction, paradox and opprobrium

Old Warehouse
The words of St Matthew Chapter 13: Verse 57 have inspired some personal observations in paint after a career making corporate videos at the behest of others. An admiration for the social commentary of Hogarth and the Victorian genre painters is reflected in the work.



galleryBOYS’ TOYS
Chris Summerfield, Andrew Smith and Tom Crompton

Shakespeare Barn
War toys, cowboys and the mechanical are the starting points of three artists based in East Anglia who draw on the expectations of being male for their art. Their work is a celebration and subversion of the archetypal images and interests of the male. To present weapons of war and destruction as suitable toys for young males is examined with a sinister
humour. The rugged independent figure of the cowboy is revaluated. Toy-like hybrids of the natural and manmade world often echo the invented/dreamlike world of childhood, where incongruous elements fuse together.


galleryFEMALE LINE EXTENDED
Hazel Albarn & Jessica Albarn

Fermoy Gallery
Mother and daughter, Hazel and Jessica Albarn provide us with two individual responses to the natural world. Jessica uses drawing and
painting to explore states of mind reflected in the ‘alien’ bodies that surround us, whilst Hazel works with natural fibres and found objects,
delving into the random patterns left by the flow of nature. Both artists share a common interest in discovering the innate beauty in the discarded, hidden and untouchable.

 


galleryMARIT AMMERUD
Unpinned and Displayed

Fermoy Gallery Showcase
A study in ceramic by Marit Ammerud on how spoken words can shape us, if we give them value. Some of the trophies in this selection are still valid, others like ‘The Ex-
Husband’s Awards’ have lost their power, and are displayed as a mere curiosity. In keeping with Marit’s incisive wit and ability to embed her strange and unassuming pieces with pathos, this is a cabinet full of curiosities!


galleryEMMA FORREST
Urban Metalwear Jewellery

Fermoy Gallery Showcase
Contemporary, addictive and handmade. Successful jeweller, Emma Forrest, has designed stage pieces for Toyah Willcox and mass produced ranges for Topshop
and Impulse Body Spray. This is her long awaited first collection of silver jewellery for day and evening wear. Based on geometry and incorporating poetic text and resin in some pieces, this is a real chance to buy into the bigger picture and own a piece by a well-known jeweller. Realistically priced, these ‘gems’ combine wearability with ‘wow’ factor!


galleryKAREN WHITING
Perfection or Distortion

Old Warehouse
A fascinating commentary upon the lucrative business of cosmetic surgery by Karen Whiting, BA in Fine Art student from the College of West Anglia, who has herself reshaped, enhanced and distorted photographic images.


PRESENT TIME
Xmas Crafts in the Foyer

Fermoy Gallery Foyer
For this festive season the foyer is festooned with fabulous things. Aladdin and his cave have got nothing on us, as we have novelties nestled, cards crammed and boxes brimming with an assortment of quirky, practical and precious Christmas gifts at reasonable prices. Plus on Thursdays there’s a free coffee and mini mince pie with every purchase to get you in the festive mood!


galleryELEANOR GLOVER
Fermoy Gallery
This touring exhibition of the constructed assemblages of Eleanor Glover from the Ruthin Craft Centre in North Wales brings us a fascinating glimpse into a theatrical, staged ‘other world’ inhabited by quirky characters in sinister settings. What is slightly perplexing though is the normality of it all, which is perhaps due to the way that Eleanor brings new life to familiar cast-off objects like an old brush to create a head of hair. This use of the mundane to create the exquisite is her forte and the simplicity of making somehow allows the magical to pervade. These are fairy stories derived from real life’s odd moments of expectation, anticipation, joy and disappointment. She draws from her own experience and yet the pieces have a universal appeal. This fascinating work is full of contrasts and unanswered questions, which makes it so compelling.


galleryEAST ANGLIAN TREASURES
Anglia Textile Works

Red Barn Gallery
A welcome return to the Red Barn for ‘Anglia Textile Works’, now consisting of Yvonne Brown, Sheila Cetti, Kathy Colledge, Annette Morgan, Lucie Summers and Linda Whitby, whose innovative textiles mix traditional techniques with unusual materials, such as plastic and paper. This body of work, largely inspired by the rich diversity of East Anglia’s found treasures, such as the Sutton Hoo, Mildenhall and Snettisham hoards, was made by the group especially for the Festival of Quilts at the NEC, Birmingham in 2005 in response to an invitation by the organisers and received plaudits, such as “the best of British quilt art in the show…”


Wyss Foundation
Online Salon des Refusés

Eastern O7pen
King’s Lynn Arts Centre

Shakespeare Barn, Fermoy Gallery, Red Barn Gallery, Old Warehouse
+ Offsite projects: Edge, Doric, Bookends

For the Online Salon des Refusés 10 artists were plucked for global stardom in person by Loren and Judy Wyss of the Wyss Foundation.

Their newest initiative was designed to redress the balance for those who did not find favour with the official panel, by giving them mass exposure through the Arts Centre’s website!

Each artist also received a £50 cash award.


gallery
Marit Ammerud
Waking Up
mixed media
£175.00

gallery
Karin Forman
Growing Pains
mixed media
£325.00
gallery
John Gray
Cowgate Bickers
oil on canvas
£3,500.00
gallery
Jerome Hunt
Rue De Sebastopol
silkscreen
£195.00
gallery
Sue Jarvis
Moonshine
Acrylic
£240.00
gallery
Clare Johnson
The Crown of South Quay
screen & mono print
£295.00
gallery
Arturo S Limbo
Multitude
collage
Not for sale
gallery
Richard Neal
Albi Liked Ice Cream
watercolour
£400.00
gallery
Colin Wheeler
Joy and Apprehension at Highbury
pencil
£300.00
gallery
Mark Whittle-Bruce
Virginia Water, Leaves and Isobel Miller
oil on canvas
£1,200.00

Most of these works are for sale.

For enquiries or sales please call the Arts Centre Galleries on 01553 779095

 


galleryEASTERN OPEN 2007 – CALL FOR ENTRIES
Galleries: Shakespeare Barn, Fermoy Gallery, Red Barn & Old Warehouse

Eligibility: Aged 16+ living in one of the 7 counties Beds, Cambs, Essex, Herts, Lincs, Norfolk & Suffolk Type: 2D works in any medium Size: Maximum 60” on any side including frame and projecting no more than 4” Fee: £7 per work up to 3 works
To Enter: For entry forms, available in January, call or send an s.a.e. to:
King’s Lynn Arts Centre
29 King Street King’s Lynn PE30 1HA
01553 779095
Click here to download the entry form.


galleryEASTERN OPEN 2007
Now in its 38th year, the Eastern Open is still the largest and longest running regional open competition in the country, annually attracting over 600 entries.
Drawn from 7 counties in the eastern region it is selected by 3 high profile judges who this year include Kira Kim, international new media artist and Jari Lager, Director of Union Gallery, London. There is over £3,500 to be won over several disciplines including £2000 ‘Best in the Show’ and not forgetting the Doric Arts spotlight exhibition which will be concurrently on display. As always the Eastern Open provides the opportunity for a broad range of artists on all levels to exhibit together, creating an exciting, eclectic and diverse mixed show at affordable prices. Alongside the show is the ever popular postcard exhibition where a mini artwork can be snapped up for just £15!


galleryEASTERN OPEN 07
Edge

This year, the King’s Lynn Arts Centre launches an off-site exhibition project, Edge, in addition to the much celebrated Eastern Open. Whilst Eastern Open honours and promotes the wide-ranging talent and interests in two dimensional art, this new project aims to emphasise other aspects of contemporary art that are beyond flat surfaces. Curated especially for the occasion, Edge will take place at selected venues in King’s Lynn town centre, perhaps surprising ordinary shoppers and passers-by as well as art lovers. Venues and dates to be confirmed. See gallery summer brochure or contact the gallery for details on 01553 779095.


galleryARTS AWARD
Red Barn.

Ring to reserve your place on this course of five. This course is free although there will be a small charge for members packs and evaluation.
Aged between 13 and 15 and interested in art? Fancy gaining a recognised accreditation for your work? Want the chance to meet real artists, pass on new found skills and even have your own exhibition? Why not come along to Arts Award, where you can devise and execute your own arts project in any field you’re interested in, whether it’s painting, sculpture, film-making, photography, animation, design or even non-visual arts practices such as poetry or creative writing. Like the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, the Arts Award is split into three achievable stages: bronze, silver and gold and any one award can be achieved over this series of Sunday sessions. These workshops will involve informal talks from practicing artists, specialist advice in how to gain your award and warm-up activities that will help you think about your long term projects. Nick Neal, Asisstant Arts & Education Officer.



galleryKULT THEATRE

February is Oscar month - and it’s just as well, as King’s Lynn has some new talent for the Academy’s consideration! The Arts Centre’s very own Kult Theatre Company has been busy on projects throughout the winter months. They’ve already performed in front of the Mayor and shown off their skills on radio! This season hopes to involve our young actors in the decision making on future projects; from the kernel of an idea to the polished production itself. Our current group is fully subscribed, but if you would like to put your name on the waiting list please call 01553 779095.

 


OFFSITE | Embodying the Past, Engendering the Future
Contemporary Art at Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk

‘Fresh Interventions’

‘Liu Jianhua: Regular/Fragile’

The first exhibition of this scale for Oxburgh, the Hall is hosting new contemporary art exhibitions by regional and international artists who use this atmospheric National Trust property as inspiration for their work. Curated by Dr Sook-Kyung Lee, Curatorial Fellow in Cultural Diversity of the King’s Lynn Arts Centre, these exhibitions showcase the work of a major international artist Liu Jianhua as well as regional artists from the East of England.
‘Fresh Interventions’ opens in April and features emerging artists based around King’s Lynn, Wil Bolton, Joyce Layton, Alexander Paterson and Diana Stickley. The artists will respond to the site to produce new works, including sculpture, installation and sound art.
The second exhibition in association with ‘Embodying the Past, Engendering the Future’ Contemporary Art at Oxburgh Hall, presenting one of the leading international artists, Liu Jianhua, showing his large-scale installation ‘Regular/Fragile’ along with a new site specific work that responds to the history of Oxburgh Hall.
For the opening hours and entrance charge, contact Oxburgh Hall on 01366 328258.


galleryKing’s Lynn Captain Vancouver Festival

The Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk is proud to be celebrating the 250th birthday of Captain George Vancouver with a long weekend of festivities. There will be events for all ages to enjoy, many of which will be free.
Captain George Vancouver was born in King’s Lynn in 1757 and sailed with Captain Cook as a young midshipman. His later explorations and meticulous surveying literally put onto the map of the world the intricacies of the North West coast of America, an achievement that places him in the first rank of marine surveyors.
Over the Festival weekend, King’s Lynn will be buzzing with dancing, interactive historical drama, a people’s banquet, street entertainment, a feast of live music including a mini folk festival, exhibitions, lectures, maritime demonstrations and crafts, traditional seafood and much more. Come and see the magnificent tall-ship, The Earl of Pembroke. She will sail up-river to the Boal Quay on the morning of the 21st June, where she will moor for the festival weekend.
A spectacular weekend for all the family to enjoy, staged within the heart of King’s Lynn’s fabulous historic buildings and quayside.



galleryCollege of West Anglia | BA FA 07
Shakespeare Barn, Fermoy Gallery & Old Warehouse

The BA (Hons) Fine Art Degree at the College of West Anglia is now firmly established and continues its successful collaboration with King’s Lynn Arts Centre. The work on show from this year’s graduating students develops ideas and techniques to produce sophisticated responses in the form of drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photographs, collage, assemblage and crafted objects. The list of media involved may be familiar, but what these artists have done will surprise, provoke and delight!
Exhibiting artists: Clare Bix, Gary Bracken, Mary Crofts, Denise ‘Tod’ Evans, Karin Forman, Sally Hale, Sheila Hine, Rosemary Hoath, Lucy McGann, Liz Murfitt, Jill North, Lynne Potrykus, Lyn Robertson, Eileen Rolfe, Helen Roll, Chris Sunley.
Photo Credit: Green, Liz Murfitt


galleryJulian Walker | Words and Forgetting
Red Barn Gallery

Artist Julian Walker unearths memories to reawaken the forgotten via meticulously researched and presented installations, which are both satisfying and bewildering in their magnitude. To coincide with the 250th Anniversary of the birth of George Vancouver in King’s Lynn in 1757 a grid of 3737 fragments of domestic and personal 18th Century objects, as well as building and shipping materials will absorb the viewer’s attention, as they reflect upon the reputation and achievements of this local hero’s global impact.
Walker then embodies the language of such expeditions of discovery and appropriation via a systematic labelling of each item. You will encounter place names bestowed by Vancouver upon new territories, the idiom of early traders and words transferred to our culture from the First Nation Peoples.
The modular and formulaic installation should not belie the great capacity for the imagination of the viewer to piece together these memory fragments to recapture the past.

 


Vancouver Insight
Shakespeare Barn |

This fascinating international exhibition features the incisive work of 4 Vancouver based artists and provides us with an insight into a range of contemporary practice in British Columbia, Canada today.

 

gallery
Dana Claxton is a First Nations artist of Lakota (Sioux) descent whose film ‘The Red Paper’ portrays the European colonialization of the New World from the viewpoint of the aboriginal people as a barbaric invasion and appropriation of land. Her scenario uses faux Elizabethan costume to parody the ‘heroic discovery’ account as celebrated and reinforced by history.
www.danaclaxton.com
gallery
Artist Scot Keefer (my name is scot) has set ‘In the Footsteps of Madillah’ in the centre of Vancouver’s downtown eastside, reputedly the poorest postal code in Canada and now site of a massive real estate ‘revitalization’. Enter Madillah, a mythical, feral human of local legend, unearthed during recent excavations and on the run, looking for a place to hide.
gallery
At first glance Scott McFarland’s photographs appear as a true record of the lavish gardens of the well heeled in Vancouver society in keeping with the notion that ‘the camera never lies’. Closer inspection, however, reveals evidence of digital reconfiguring – flowers blooming together out of season and shadows that belie their origins. These horticultural havens are, in fact, laboured landscapes formed through the photographer’s meticulous composition and re-vision, alluding perhaps to the staged early photographs of William Fox Talbot .
www.union-gallery.com
gallery
Fae Marie Logie’s video installation, Scale 1:10,000 refers directly to Captain George Vancouver’s survey of the inlets and islands of the northwest coast of North America which began in 1792. A one mile section of surveying tape of ‘Indian Arm’ is included by the artist to refer to the north arm of the Burrard Inlet, not navigated by Vancouver who was ‘certain that it possibly could not run far’, thereby filling a gap.

galleryLiu Jianhua: Regular / Fragile
Fermoy Gallery |

King’s Lynn Arts Centre Galleries present the work of Liu Jianhua, the leading Chinese artist who is known for large scale installations as well as intricate fibreglass and ceramic sculptures. His work has been exhibited at prestigious international art events such as Venice Biennale, Singapore Biennale and Shanghai Biennale and at art museums and galleries worldwide, including Centre Pompidou, Tate and Irish Museum of Modern Art.

The work exhibited is Regular/Fragile, a large-scale installation consisting of over 1,000 pieces of white porcelain ceramic which was the work selected for Liu’s representation of China at Venice Biennale 2003. It is one of the artist’s best known works and has been received enthusiastically by international art world. The exhibition at the Arts Centre coincides with a parallel exhibition at Oxburgh Hall, a nearby National Trust property, providing visitors with a unique opportunity to experience the artist’s seminal work in a contrasting environment and context – an historic 15th century moated manor house and a ‘white cube’ contemporary art gallery.

 

Trained at the manufacturing section of the Jingdezhen Pottery and Porcelain Sculpturing Factory and later at the Fine Arts Department, Prof. Liu now teaches sculpture in the Fine Art Academy of Shanghai University. This exhibition is curated by Dr Sook-Kyung Lee, Curatorial Fellow in Cultural Diversity.


galleryOFFSITE |John M. Horton, CSMA, FCA | Marine Artist | Vancouver’s Legacy
Council Chamber, Town Hall |

John Horton’s long love affair with the sea is the foundation upon which he established his pre-eminence as an internationally recognized marine artist. Having served in the Royal Navy he emigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 1966 and found there the perfect milieu for his inspiration. Concerned to address the apparent injustice meted out to the 18th century explorer, Captain Vancouver, which caused his achievements to be overlooked in his life time, Horton has dedicated a large body of his work to re-establishing the great Captain’s reputation. In this definitive collection of work, Horton documents Vancouver’s famous Pacific West Coast expedition aboard HMS “Discovery” and “Chatham”. Some of the most significant events that punctuated this difficult voyage have been skilfully and accurately reproduced. Horton himself re-sailed Vancouver’s entire 1792-94 voyages along the coast of North America, studying the original naval plans, paintings, sketches, charts and journals. This attention to detailed research ensures that these works bear the credibility that is John Horton’s trademark. They are intended as a tribute to the incredible courage, competence, loyalty and obedience to King and country shown by Captain Vancouver, his officers and men.


St GermansLocally Organised
ST GERMAN’S 14th ANNUAL
EXHIBITION
25th August - 1st September
Opening times: 10am - 5pm daily including Sunday & Bank Holiday Monday
Red Barn Gallery

Local artists from the St Germans Art Club share their work for the 14th year running. The artists are of all ages and abilities and they meet every Thursday at St Germans Memorial Hall from 7 - 9pm. New members welcome. Call 01553 617362. Don Noyce



WaterwaysLocally Organised
WATERWAYS
Gerald Marsland
25th August - 9th September | Open Daily: 10am - 5pm including
Sundays & Bank Holiday Monday
Old Warehouse

After regional success, winning the painting award at the Eastern Open in 2004 and
featuring in the ITV Anglia series “Coastal Inspirations”, self taught artist Gerald Marsland returns to the Arts Centre for his 4th solo exhibition.
His latest collection in oils, “Waterways”, brings together a selection of choice vistas from around the country that explore the effects of light, shadow and reflection on different water conditions. From turbulent seas to calm lakes, fast flowing rivers to canals, the paintings are brought to you in his atmospheric realistic style.
Aira Force, Ullswater, Cumbria by Gerald Marsland Photo credit: Amaro Bravo


HorticultureLocal Event
KING’S LYNN HORTICULTURAL
SOCIETY SHOW
Sat 8th 1pm - 5pm & Sun 9th Sept 10am - 4pm
Shakespeare Barn

Keen gardeners and curious visitors alike are invited to take a look at this year’s ‘Best in Show’ exhibits from the King’s Lynn Horticultural Show. This colourful event takes place at the Art Centre for the second year running and coincides with the national Heritage Open Day



Local Event
ART 21
Around and About
8th - 15th September |Red Barn

Art 21 return to the Arts Centre for its 7th annual exhibition bringing together artists working in different styles and media. This years title “Around and About” sums up a
variety of subjects, explored by individual artists. These range from vast intriguing landscapes to the close focus of an interesting face or an unusual object.


GalleryAFTER
Vered Lahav
22 September - 27 October 2007
Fermoy Gallery and Red Barn Gallery

Vered Lahav’s work explores ambiguities of imagery and memory. Created in various media including photography and sculpture, her installation refers to both personal and collective experiences that are often embedded in the most banal and familiar objects.
In her previous works, photographic images of dead birds, stained long gloves and an adolescent girl are juxtaposed with the rustic sculptures of little houses and the glass casts of bodily fragments, creating the sense of displacement and ambivalence. One work unfolds to the next without conscious connections, and the space in which they are situated becomes the backcloth for endless narratives.
For the exhibition at King’s Lynn Arts Centre, the artist presents a new body of work, After, a mixed media installation that examines contrasting yet inter-related elements of the modern city. She has discerned three elements from urban environments – women, men and buildings. Positioning herself as the ‘maker’ and the ‘user’ at the same time, Lahav investigates the culture of ‘seeing’, and emphasises the contrast
between the social nature of personal experience and the personal implication of social space.


PlayPLAY
James Johnson-Perkins
10 November - 21 December
Fermoy Gallery

James Johnson-Perkins’ brightly coloured and light-hearted artworks define an original and highly individual relationship to western popular culture and childhood experience. He uses materials and subject matter which have a resonance with his nostalgic memories such as: building blocks, 80’s computer graphics and 80’s TV programs. In “Play” he is exhibiting his army of plastic toy brick figures, which he calls ’robots’, scrolling message boards with jokes, colourful banners and dazzling films using 8 bit computer graphics with animated geometric shapes. Based in Newcastle, his bold,
bright and colourful style has made him a leading component of the current flourishing North-East art scene.
Photo Credit: Colin Davidson


 


Face ValueFACE VALUE
Participants from MENCAP
10 November - 8 December
Old Warehouse

Last year King’s Lynn Arts Centre Galleries developed a partnership with a group of adults from Mencap and introduced them to the art of mosaics via workshops at the Art Centre, setting up a small business enterprise, “The Fish and Chip Mosaic Company” which successfully sold a range of craft pieces. Building on these craft skills, the group have continued to develop under the guidance of Paul Ebbens, local ceramicist and workshop leader, who has been exposing them to a whole range of new Fine Art techniques. Participants were encouraged to think more creatively and use new materials, which produced humorous, colourful and inspiring results. Judge for
yourself in this special exhibition of ceramic portraits, collaged paintings, mosaic pictures and a communal clay mural that demonstrates their spontaneous mark-making abilities.


NarrativesNARRATIVES
Shakespeare Barn | 10 November - 21 December

A series of 9 Sunday workshop days for adults on ‘Narratives’ led by Nick Sampson and Liz Falconbridge, with input from 6 visiting artists, (Lyndall Phelps, David Bryn, Alex Pearl, Vered Lahav, Elspeth Owen and Julian Walker) culminates in this fascinating exhibition that draws upon many of the themes explored over almost a year. An innovative approach allows individuals to experiment in a range of practical sessions that are intended to expand their creativity and spontaneity as much as their skills. They have engaged in tasks, quests and challenges, made up visual and verbal stories and games, all of which have extended their understanding of the ‘narrative’ and the results should be as varied as the participants, whilst demonstrating newly acquired techniques for expression and teasing out tales of the unexpected!
Photo credit: Sheila Hine


CALL FOR ENTRIES
EASTERN OPEN 2008
Including Artists’ Postcards
Awards include £2000 BEST IN SHOW

Eligibility
Aged 16 + living in one of the 7 counties Beds, Cambs, Essex, Herts, Lincs, Norfolk & Suffolk

Type
2D works in any medium

Size
Maximum 60” on any side including frame and projecting no more than 4”

Fee
£7 per work up to 3 works

To enter
For entry forms, available in January, call or send an sae
King’s Lynn Arts Centre
29 King Street
King’s Lynn
PE30 1HA
01553 779095

Closing Date: Monday 11 February

Entry forms can be downloaded by clicking here.


Jake & Dinos ChapmanA Hayward Touring exhibition from the Arts Council Collection, on behalf of Southbank Centre, London
Jake & Dinos Chapman: My Giant Colouring Book
Fermoy Gallery | 12th January - 10th February

Having its inaugural show in King’s Lynn is a brand new Hayward Touring exhibition featuring the work of brothers Jake & Dinos Chapman, renowned in the 1990s as YBAs - Young British Artists, but now somewhat notorious for their dark and irreverent imagery.
My Giant Colouring Book is a series of 21 monochrome etchings based on join-the-dot drawings from children’s books, although with all the rules of progressing from dot to dot fractured by artistic deviations. What starts life as an innocuous and innocent childhood illustration has been subverted to present an undercurrent of the macabre stuff of night horrors. Featuring surreal images such as dissected teddies and skeletal clowns, the images are surprisingly harmless on closer inspection and are underpinned by strong art historical references.
Dinos has said that they “are about how wrong you could make an image. How you could use nodal points and ignore them at the same time”.
This exhibition of prints provides an excellent introduction to the imaginations of two of Britain’s most inventive and subversive artists for all visitors, including the young.



Jim AitchisonJim Aitchison in Residence
Old Warehouse
Monday 11th, Wednesday 13th, Friday 15th
& Saturday 16th February | 11 - 3pm
Drop in for as little or as long as you like
Suitable for 3 - 13 years
No unaccompanied children | FREE

As part of our 2008 Literature Focus families are invited to drop in on Artist & Illustrator, Jim Aitchison in the Old Warehouse, where he will bring your ideas for story characters to life before your eyes on the gallery walls and then help you to illustrate and make your own personal story book to take away. Giant goblins, feisty fairies, perfect princesses or purple pigs in pinstriped suits…the only limit is your imagination!


John EdwardsJohn D Edwards - How Cancer Saved My Life
Lecture & Book signing | Sunday 3rd February | Red Barn
£5 including afternoon tea | 40 Maximum | 2.30 - 4pm

Cancer still strikes fear in us all, with its associations of ‘a fight for life’. Artist John D Edwards lives with his cancer in a surprisingly positive way and has recently published a book of paintings and text that chart a “journey full of revelations” and an attitude that is both humbling and inspiring. He was born in London in 1952 and attended Art School at Harrow and the Central School of Art in the early 1970s, working subsequently with a number of major figures such as Peter Blake, Jim Dine, Barry Flanagan, Allen Jones and Ben Nicholson. Since 1980 John as shown his own work all over the world. He now lives and works in an old dog biscuit factory in London’s East End.
John will be talking informally about his paintings and his illustrated book , ‘How Cancer Saved My Life’ followed by a book signing/meet the artist session and afternoon tea.
‘How Cancer Saved My Life’is published by BolamRose and will be available to purchase for £12.99 at this event.
www.johndedwards.co.uk


Eastern OpenWyss Foundation
Online Salon des Refusés

Eastern O8pen

King’s Lynn Arts Centre
Shakespeare Barn, Fermoy Gallery, Red Barn Gallery, Old Warehouse

+ Offsite project: Greyfriars Art Space

For the Online Salon des Refusés 10 artists were plucked for global stardom on behalf of Loren and Judy Wyss of the Wyss Foundation.

In its second year, this initiative was designed to redress the balance for those who did not find favour with the official panel, by giving them mass exposure through the Arts Centre’s website!

Each artist also received a £50 cash award


Sally Ann Fitter

Sally Ann Fitter
Sunflowers and Jug
Acrylic on canvas
£170

Alex Thorpe

Alex Thorpe
Untitled
machine embroidery on calico
NFS

Mervyn Whiffin

Mervyn Whiffin
Early Snow in Central Park
pastel
£1,900

Maria Pavledis

Maria Pavledis
About To Fall (From Cinderella Series)
drypoint/collograph
£195 framed, £165 unframed

Adam Wilson

Adam Wilson
Sunday Morning
watercolour
£250

Sue Polden
Sue Polden
My Useful Days Are Gone
mixed media
£400
Gordon Corn

Gordon Corn
Blakeney
oil on canvas
£700

Mark Caldon

Mark Caldon
Girl With a Violin
oil on canvas
NFS

Sally Clarke

Sally Clarke
Continuum 3
Textile mixed media
£100

Audrey Belton

Audrey Belton
Hanging Spoons
Photograph on canvas
NFS

 

Most of these works are for sale.

For enquiries or sales Arts Centre Galleries: 01553 779095

The King’s Lynn Arts Centre are indebted to the  Wyss Foundation for their continued support for the Eastern Open


Women At Work LogoCOLLEGE OF WEST ANGLIA
Women at Work
BA Hons Degree Show
20 - 31 May 2008
Shakespeare Barn, Fermoy Gallery & Old
Warehouse
After three years of study, the BA Fine Art students from the University Centre King’s Lynn (in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University) at The College of West Anglia, will be presenting their degree show. These emerging artists are made up of a group of eleven women of varying ages working with different media and a wide and diverse range of subjects, exploring the boundaries of fixed ideas and taboos.


Continuous Practice GalleryCOLLEGE OF WEST ANGLIA
Continuous Practice
7 – 21 June 2008
Shakespeare Barn, Fermoy
Gallery & Red Barn
The Art and Design Department at The College of West Anglia’s King’s Lynn Campus is pleased to be able to
share an insight into the work of tutors, created as continued professional practice in their specialist teaching fields. It is the strong belief of the department that art educators should remain current within their fields, so as to be able to convey an up to date and real enthusiasm for their subject to their students. For the very first
time, tutors both full and part time, along with technical staff, show some of the work
they have been producing alongside their teaching. The show includes a varied collection of creative work ranging from
Painting to Film to Jewellery, Graphic Design and Print.

 

 

Walter Dexter GalleryWalter Dexter
Jointly promoted by the King’s Lynn Arts Centre & the King’s Lynn Festival
Fermoy Gallery | 13 July – 9 August

2008 is the 50th anniversary of the death of the artist Walter Dexter (1876 – 1958), who lived and worked in King’s Lynn, latterly in Nelson Street and was tragically knocked over and killed by a motorbike in Saturday Market Place. Dexter was the first President of the King’s Lynn Art Club in 1945 and taught Art at King Edward VII High School. He was a remarkable painter of both landscape and portrait and was renowned for his fine views of King’s Lynn across the river from West Lynn. This commemorative exhibition has been enhanced by the generosity of Private Collectors and many of the pictures have never been seen by the public before. This offers a unique opportunity to view the breadth of work produced by this prolific local artist and includes drawings, paintings, illustrations, books and posters.


Hi Sklo Lo Sklo - From Masterpiece to Mass Produced Post War Czechoslovakian Glass from The Graham Cooley Collection
Shakespeare Barn & Red Barn | 13 July – 9 August | www.sklo.co.uk

Czech Glasses Gallery

From the 1950s onwards Czechoslovakia was a hotbed of modern glass design. Skilled and experienced designers produced hundreds of colourful and vibrant designs which were exported to the West in their thousands. Sold as art glass for the home and available on the high street, the designers behind them were rarely named - despite the fact that many are recognised today as masters of 20th century glass design. Unique art glass masterpieces pushed the boundaries of modern glass design and acted as inspiration for these visually stunning ranges - most of which ended up in the homes of ordinary people around the world. Today, these vases and bowls typically lie un-attributed and forgotten. This new and unique exhibition reveals the names and fascinating story behind these exceptional and quintessentially modern designs. With over 400 objects selected from the Graham Cooley Collection, ‘Hi Sklo Lo Sklo - From Masterpiece to Mass Produced’ considers the themes behind the innovative masterworks at the high end of the market, but focuses on how these were translated into designs for the mass market. The exhibition will be accompanied by a 178 page full colour catalogue by antiques and collectables author Mark Hill, and will contain an illustrated introduction and over 200 specially commissioned photographs.

Czech Your Glass Do you really know what you’ve got and how much it could be worth? Sunday 13 July | 10am – 12noon | Arts Centre Courtyard (weather permitting, or Shakespeare Barn Gallery)
Private Collector, Dr Graham Cooley & expert and author of the catalogue, ‘Hi Sklo Lo Sklo’, Mark Hill, will be on hand to view any pieces of glass you may wish to get identified and valued.


King’s Lynn Art Club LOCALLY ORGANISED
Old Warehouse Gallery | 12 July - 26 July | Old Warehouse
10am - 5.30pm Monday - Saturday 2pm - 6pm Sunday

King’s Lynn Art Club welcomes all Festival visitors to view this popular and varied selling exhibition of works in all media from members of the longstanding King’s Lynn Art Club. For this year only, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of artist Walter Dexter, King’s Lynn Art Club members will be presenting a wall of paintings inspired by this notable local artist who was their founder President in 1945. The Harrowing Award will be re-instated for 2008, selected by a professional artist along with a clutch of special commendations!


FORTHCOMING LOCALLY ORGANISED EVENTS

Horticultural Society ShowSt German’s 15th Annual Exhibition
6 - 14 Sept | 10am - 5pm daily including Sunday & Bank Holiday Monday | Red Barn Gallery
Local artists from the St Germans Art Club share their work in a wonderful array to celebrate their 15th annual exhibition at the King’s Lynn Arts Centre.


King’s Lynn Horticultural Society Show
Saturday 13 Sept 1pm - 5pm & Sunday 14 Sept 10am - 4pm Shakespeare Barn

Keen gardeners and curious visitors alike are invited to take a look at this year’s ‘Best in Show’ exhibits from the King’s Lynn Horticultural Show. This colourful event takes place at the Art Centre for the third year running to coincide with Heritage Open Day.

 


 

St German’s 15th Annual Exhibition

St Germans 15th Annual Exhibition 6th - 14th September | Red Barn Gallery
10am - 5pm daily including Sunday & Bank
Holiday Monday

It is with great sadness that this occasion for celebration, the 15th annual exhibition by St Germans Art Club in the Red Barn Gallery is now taking place in memory of the founder of the society, Don Noyce, who died suddenly in May. Don, an architect and extremely talented artist and water-colourist, was an inspiration to all those with whom he shared his skills so generously. His love of portraying the landscape and built heritage of West Norfolk made him one of our most passionate local advocates for the arts. Despite this loss, local artists from the St Germans Art
Club have rallied to share their work in a wonderful array as a testament to Don.


 

King’s Lynn Horticultural Society ShowLocal Event
King’s Lynn Horticultural
Society Show
Saturday 13th 1pm - 5pm &
Sunday 14th September 10am - 4pm
Shakespeare Barn

Keen gardeners and curious visitors alike are invited to take a look at this year’s ‘Best in Show’ exhibits from the King’s Lynn Horticultural Show. This colourful event takes place at the Arts Centre for the third year running to coincide with national
Heritage Open Day.



 

Phoenix EightLocal Event
Phoenix Eight
27th September - 11th October
Old Warehouse Gallery

Five of the founder members of Art 21 have now moved on in order to develop
and explore fresh challenges in their work. Working and exhibiting together under
the name PHOENIX EIGHT, they present their first exhibition at the Arts Centre
showcasing new work and approaches and includes like-minded guest artists.



 

Lord NelsonAdmiral Lord Nelson 250th Birthday Anniversary
27th September - 1st November | Fermoy Gallery

It seems only fitting that King’s Lynn Arts Centre opens a comprehensive exhibition of pictures, books and memorabilia to celebrate the Norfolk Hero, Admiral Lord Nelson just days before the 250th anniversary of his birth at nearby Burnham Thorpe on 29th September 1758. Courtesy of a local Private Collector, the viewer will be drawn into the life and achievements of Nelson as charted by artists, craftsmen and writers during his own lifetime and commemorated at both the centenary of his death at Trafalgar in 1805 and again at his bicentenary in 2005. Despite acquiring what by today’s standards would be ‘superstar’ status and noted
for a degree of vanity, Nelson was nevertheless a brave and fearless commander renowned for his trust and fair treatment of his men. This fascinating survey covering his Norfolk childhood, his crews, ships and battles, as well as touching on his love for his wife, his mistress, Emma, Lady Hamilton and their daughter Horatia,
makes real the idolatry that was accorded to arguably the finest naval officer this country has ever had.
Limited edition keepsake.
In association with this exhibition, the King’s Lynn Arts Centre has commissioned a special ‘keepsake’ by local wood engraver, Andy English, in a limited edition of 250 which will be available to purchase from the Fermoy Gallery.


 

Simon WoolhamSimon Woolham The Short Cut
27th September - 1st November | Red Barn

In his frenetic drawings of bleak urban landscapes, Simon Woolham processes his own experience of an inner city childhood to tease out some fragile memories of isolation and abandonment. School playing fields, junked underpasses and empty car parks; a tree stump or a broken fence are filled with the meanings of the events that go on around and about them. The Short Cut investigates the narratives and glimpses of speech contained within the dilapidated environments and the memories evoked by the image within. Using biro, models, animation, video and text, Woolham draws unsettling, emotional and sometimes humorous attention to the places of the past. These sites are the scenes of humiliation as well as innocent play, of rejection and failure as well as fantasy and adventure. Also using the Red Barn Gallery and the history of the Arts Centre complex for inspiration, Woolham will also be creating ongoing, site-specific “interventions” throughout his
exhibition. Visitors are encouraged to return to this ever evolving, thought-provoking experience.


 

Time FliesTime Flies - John Holmes: A Retrospective
27th September - 1st November | Shakespeare Barn

‘Time Flies’ represents the first major retrospective in the career of leading modern
British artist, John Holmes. Totally self taught, though owing much to the surrealists, his first one man show was at the Raille Gallery, Islington in 1961 followed by years of many successful exhibitions at some of the world’s top galleries in the USA, Europe, the UK and Sao Paulo. During his years working as an Advertising Art Director he illustrated for some of the eminent publishing houses throughout the world including Paladin, where he designed and painted the iconic
book jacket for Germaine Greer’s ground breaking book, ‘The Female Eunuch’ in
1971. Since then his art has been used on numerous book covers and for magazine
illustrations worldwide, (including the cover for Pan Books of Peter Benchley’s ‘Jaws’
in 1975 and covers for ten H P Lovecraft books published by Ballantine), but each
time it is Holmes’ unique interpretation of the indefinable point where reality and fantasy converge that makes his art extraordinary. “John Holmes’ work blisters…of searing eroticism, high camp, coarse belly laugh and hideous vulgarity - all ingredients in the best surrealistic tradition.” (Art and Artist Magazine)


 

Different StrokesDifferent Strokes
15th November - 20th December | Fermoy Gallery Foyer

Showcase & Monitor This local branch of a national organisation, Different Strokes, a charity dedicated to helping younger stroke survivors regain control of their
lives has been working in partnership with King’s Lynn Arts Centre Galleries and Education service for several months. Using a small Borough Council Arts Development training budget they have been provided with a tailored programme of hands-on work with artists to develop new skills and allow greater access to employment. The results on display in the Fermoy Gallery Foyer speak for themselves and are a testament not only to their determination, but also to their reawakened talents. Stephanie Walford, Marion Kernan and Marian Horner have been busily working with Inge-Lise Greaves on a fabulous range of unique and stylish handbags and jewellery in handcrafted felt, Chris and Robert Key and Terry Makin have worked with John Hughes on experiments in landscape and still life painting, whilst James Gledhill has been doing an intensive course in mark-making with Asst Arts & Education Manager, Nick Neal and has produced some striking portraits, drawings and prints. Many of their wonderful achievements are for sale and will make great Christmas gifts, whilst at the same time contributing to an extremely good cause!


 

OFF-SITE | Xmas Crafts At The Coal Shed
Saturdays & Sundays, 22nd & 23rd, 29th & 30th November

Pop into the new Coal Shed Gallery this festive season and pick up some
snazzy arty-crafty gifts all your family will love. With a diverse range of jewellery,
ceramics, toys, cards and more, from makers near and far, you are bound to find
something unusual for the special people in your life. But be warned, you won’t
want to give them away!
Opening times 10.30am - 3pm

Modest Monuments: Contemporary Art From Korea

15th November - 20th December

Fermoy Gallery, Shakespeare Barn & Red Barn Gallery

Arts Council Painting: Sen Chung, untitled, 2008

‘Modest Monuments: Contemporary Art from Korea’ is the first major survey show of Korean art in the East of England. The exhibition presents ten emerging artists from South Korea who play a significant part of today’s international contemporary art. The exhibition is curated by Dr Sook-Kyung Lee, Exhibitions & Displays Curator at Tate Liverpool.

The title stems from the collective characteristics of the participating artists’ work. They often commemorate the humble and seemingly insignificant moments of social and personal history, and emphasise a sensibility that is meditative and private, yet socially engaging.

The exhibition will provide the audience with a wider understanding of contemporary Asian art, representing younger artists whose innovative works have been known internationally but not shown widely in the UK.

Participating artists: Sen Chung, Joonho Jeon, Yeondoo Jung, Kira Kim, Yousun Kim, Yong Baek Lee, Kyungwon Moon, Yoon-Young Park, Seung-Ho Yoo, Kijong Zin

Selection of artwork


 

Mary WebbMary Webb


17th January - 21st February | Fermoy Gallery

We welcome back Mary Webb, whose last solo show in the Fermoy Gallery was in 1996. On that occasion and for this new exhibition, in which Mary reflects upon the culture, architecture and landscape of Tuscany and Portugal in prints, watercolours and oil paintings, she has created a larger scale signature work especially for the end wall of the gallery.

Mary Webb is highly regarded nationally and well known in the Eastern region (where she is based in Suffolk) particularly as a printmaker who also shared her skills through teaching at Norwich School of Art & Design for 24 years. Mary’s uncompromising style of rendering the world as formally pared right down to basic geometric shapes and blocks of flat colour is both an homage to minimalism and an antidote to the extraordinary fast pace and busy imagery with which we are constantly bombarded in contemporary art and the media. What appears, perhaps, as a simplistic composition is in actuality the careful balance of an experienced and confident colourist.



Images 32Images 32 - The Best of British Contemporary
Illustration | Association of Illustrators
17th January - 21st February | Shakespeare Barn

‘Images’ is the leading annual competition and touring exhibition in the UK dedicated to showcasing the very best of published contemporary illustration and is unique in that it is Britain’s only jury-selected competition of its kind, judged by a highly regarded panel of industry experts including Menno Kluin (Art Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, NY) and Gina Cross (Creative Manager at The Guardian).
The show includes artworks by established and new talents and categories include Advertising, Books, Editorial, Design and New Media, Self-promotion and New Talent. Launched in 1976, AOI (the Association of Illustrators) has organised ‘Images’ for the 32nd time, marking its long history of promoting the best in contemporary British illustration, and has provided a showcase for fantastic talent and an exquisite overview of the wealth and variety of illustration produced in the UK today.



Henry Brooker's JournalHenry Brooker’s Journal
TAG - The Art Group
17th January - 21st February
Red Barn Gallery

TAG is a recently formed group of regional artists, who apply their individual practice to address a collective theme. Demonstrating nearly a year of individual
experimentation, group critique and idea sharing, this is TAG’s first exhibition, showcasing the group’s unique collaborative ethic. Inspiration for their first show comes in the form of a journal, written by Henry Charles Brooker, recounting his time as a soldier during World War 2, his capture by German troops, the treatment of the prisoners of war, his eventual release and return home.

This is an opportunity to see how artists have used their different disciplines (including textiles, ceramics, painting and drawing) to reflect on this tragic and moving source material.



Pulped FictionPulped Fiction Showcase
17th January - 21st February
Fermoy Gallery Foyer

For 9 Sundays over the past year, an avid group of Pulped Fiction workshop participants, under the expert guidance of Nick Sampson, have been acquiring a range of the unique skills associated with the art of making artists’ books. They have been immersed not only in making their own paper, developing a range of printing techniques, but in experimenting with different bindings and styles of book-making, pop-ups and paper manipulation, colour and texture. Their extraordinary achievements are showcased here and illustrate beautifully the scope and diversity that is encompassed under this unusual 20th century concept. As you can see, these are not mere books, but innovative art objects to attract, amuse and amaze!



Eastern OpenEASTERN OPEN 2009
40th Anniversary Exhibition
28th March - 16th May
Shakespeare Barn, Fermoy Gallery, Red Barn
& Old Warehouse

CALL FOR ENTRIES Bumper Year of Opportunities!
40 Awards including £3,000 Best in Show. Commitment to exhibit up to 400 works!
Eligibility: Aged 16+, Living in one of the 7 counties Beds, Cambs, Essex, Herts, Lincs, Norfolk & Suffolk Type: 2D works in any medium Size (restricted for 2009): Maximum 100cm on any side including frame and projecting no more than 10cm
Fee: £10 per work up to 3 works Entry Forms: Available in January 2009 or send an sae to King’s Lynn Arts Centre, 29 King Street, King’s Lynn, PE30 1HA
Telephone 01553 779095
Entry forms can also be downloaded by clicking here.

This year’s judges are Dr Sook-Kyung Lee, Exhibitions & Displays Curator at Tate Liverpool, Alison MacFarlane, Executive Director & Head of Visual Arts for the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Nicholas Usherwood, Writer and Curator and Features Editor for Galleries Magazine and (in a change from earlier advertising) Judith Wyss, artist and long standing sponsor of the Eastern Open (replacing Brion Clinkingbeard, Deputy Director for Programming at the Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft, USA).


 

Call Me MauriceAvailable to purchase from the Fermoy Gallery, King’s Lynn Arts Centre, from 13 July 2009 by emailing lfalconbridge@west-norfolk.gov.uk or telephoning 01553 779095

‘Call me Maurice’ - The Life & Times of Lord Fermoy, 1885 – 1955 by his daughter Mary Burke Roche

The life of Maurice Burke Roche describes his progress through a childhood under the roof of a despotic self-made millionaire from Ohio, boyhood at the heart of the Gilded Age, military service in France with the American Army in World War I, elevation to the Irish peerage and election as MP fro King’s Lynn. Friends with the King of England, he lived at Park House, Sandringham, where his grand-daughter, Diana, Princess of Wales, was born a few years after his death. Maurice Burke Roche, a democratic Lord who made those he met feel valued, was, by all accounts a man with a heart who made people laugh!  

£15 (Plus £2.50p UK postage & packing; overseas rates of P & P according to destination)


Eastern Open 2009Eastern Open 2009 - 40th Anniversary Exhibition
Shakespeare Barn, Fermoy Gallery, Red Barn & Old Warehouse Galleries
28 March - 16 May

This year’s Eastern Open is our biggest ever and is celebrating its 40th birthday showcasing a range of contemporary art and media once again from the Eastern region. Artists from 7 counties have been selected by a distinguished panel of judges - 4 for the 40th for the first time ever! These are Dr Sook-Kyung Lee, Exhibitions & Displays Curator, Tate Liverpool; Alison McFarlane, Executive Director & Head of Visual Arts, Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Nicholas Usherwood, Writer, Curator and Features Editor, Galleries Magazine and Judith Wyss of the
Wyss Foundation USA.
For this special anniversary event, with the generosity of local sponsors, we have been able to offer 40 fabulous prizes including a £3,000 cash prize and 39 cash and non-cash awards. Brand new also for this year we have included a special opportunity to show the work of artists working in film/video/animation and digital media. With a record breaking ceiling of works accepted overall, anticipating 100 for every decade, please come along and join us in wishing the Eastern Open a very Happy 40th Birthday!


Fine Art 09BA (Hons) Fine Art
University Centre King’s Lynn in partnership
with Anglia Ruskin University
2 - 13 June
Fermoy Gallery, Shakespeare Barn & Red
Barn Galleries

This exhibition showcases the work of 9 BA Fine Art students from the University Centre King’s Lynn (in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University) at The College of West Anglia. The exhibition includes a broad spectrum of 2D and 3D work ranging from traditional to contemporary approaches to Fine Art.
Come and see the work of Michelle Adams, Audrey Belton, Jane Clark, Gemma Clements, Sally Jessop, Keely McCarthy, Fionn O’Beirne, Jon Parry and Adam Ryan.


Robert WhitmoreRobert Whitmore
Jointly Promoted by King’s Lynn Arts Centre & King’s Lynn Festival
Fermoy Gallery | 12 July - 8 August

Robert Whitmore was born 101 years ago in King’s Lynn and died in 1993 in Sussex. His connection with the town and the Norfolk coast over many years visiting family, as a tourist and via the subject matter of his paintings has earned him local (unsung) hero status. As a schoolboy, he cycled from West Winch to the King Edward VII School in King’s Lynn every day and aged only seventeen won a Norfolk Painting Scholarship to Regent Street Polytechnic in London, graduating in 1929 and taking up the post of art master at Kilburn Grammar School, where he taught for 40 years. At the age of 23 he was selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and during the war he spent time in the RAF in Canada painting the air bases and countryside, also exhibiting at the Canadian Royal Academy. His gift to King’s Lynn in 1939 of ‘King John of France Presenting His Cup to the Mayor of Lynn’, borrowed
from the Town Hall for this exhibition, symbolises his immense pride in his home town. Like ‘St.Cuthman pushing his old mother in a wheelbarrow’, on loan from Steyning Museum, Sussex, it is typical of his era and his great interest in history, although he was overwhelmingly a landscape painter. His most successful ex-student, Royal Academician Ken Howard, also author of the homage in the exhibition catalogue, credits him with the direction his own artistic life has taken. Whitmore dedicated his life to the difficult balance of combining practice with communication.


Michael JohnsonMichael Johnson
Red Barn Foyer | 12 July - 8 August

Artist Michael Johnson is an obsessive observer producing visionary compositions. He processes, captures, filters and deconstructs images of his surroundings that usually pass others by unwittingly and the resulting paintings are unnerving snapshots of a reality that is only too recognisable. For this, his second show
in the King’s Lynn Festival in 8 years, his close encounters have been with the people and buildings of King’s Lynn.
“I was slow to appreciate Lynn’s gritty charm. Unwittingly I found the town permeating my work with its condensed theatre of rural/maritime/urban Englishness. Where once I had imposed drama on the ordinary scenes I sketched, now I find that larger themes emerge naturally from this most unassuming vantage point in what many regard as a remote and unfashionable place. The beautiful
buildings of Lynn have not been neutered by their heritage status but are still incidental to the rich human life that surrounds them.”


Hanse Art ProjectTRADING AS…..
Hanse Art Project
Shakespeare Barn Gallery | 12 July - 8 August

Artists: Tony Bellars, Clare Bix, Wil Bolton, Paul Ebbens, Karin Forman, Inge-Lise Greaves, Kabir Hussain, Joy Layton, Sera Irvine, Helen Roll, Andrew Schumann & Diana Stickley
In association with the first ever Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn, celebrating the town’s links with the Hanseatic League of Baltic trading states, 12 artists have made new work on the theme of ‘Trading As…. ‘. Research and archive based, their responses to the theme are all highly individual and reflect the artists’ concerns to reflect or reveal the essence of this alliance that actively promoted and protected trading routes in the Baltic and the North Sea during the Middle Ages. Referencing themes such as storage, mapping, exchange and commodities each artist has used research to inform their new work, pondering on the past to create the future. The ‘Trading As… exhibition ‘offers a chance to view some cutting edge artistic interpretations inspired by King’s Lynn historic heyday as the third largest port in England and to learn about events that shaped the town at the same time.

 


 

Helen BullardHelen Bullard - Animus Flux
Fermoy Gallery | 26th September - 31st October

Helen Bullard is a wildlife painter and research based installation maker, focusing her practice around natural history, anthropology, material culture and the animal/human divide. Since researching her recent installation 1 Fathom Deep she has become fascinated with animal communication, including the human animal. Echoing the thesis that a signal is considered communication if it is sent and received, causing both participants to change their behaviour, Helen takes a contemplative look at interspecies communication, vocal mimicry and modification, convergent evolution, gift giving, and weapons of defence. Animus Flux will be an interactive installation, spanning senses and signals, and will transform the gallery into the signalling centre of the forebrain through the use of sound, light, film and sculpture.
Associated event:
Pidgin Language: Animals, Birds and Us Symposium | Saturday October 10th | Arts Centre


 

Garden Museum ShowcaseGarden Museum Showcase
Fermoy Gallery Foyer | 26 Sept - 31 Oct

Nestled beside Lambeth Palace, alongside the River Thames and Lambeth Bridge is an absolute gem housed in the deconsecrated Church of St Mary’s of Lambeth. The first rector recorded was in 1197 and up until the early 1700s the bells would ring out to herald royal visitors to the Palace as the Horseferry landing stage was practically on the doorstep. The building underwent a multitude of changes until 1977 when it was threatened with demolition and was saved by John & Rosemary Nicholson and opened as the Museum of Garden History. Recently relaunched as ‘The Garden Museum’, we are delighted to have been loaned an array of quirky gardening implements that provide a link between the ‘Animus Flux’ and ‘Spadeworks’ exhibitions and show how the art of tilling, sowing and growing is an ancient and timeless one. From a Bronze Age sickle, to a Victorian bird scarer and combined walking stick and thistle slasher through to ‘Doc’ a Disney gnome from the 1940s, you cannot fail to be fascinated by the obsessions of the green fingered!
www.gardenmuseum.org.uk


 

Bob CatchpoleBob Catchpole - Spadeworks
Red Barn Gallery | 26th Sept - 31st Oct


Spadeworks is the first exhibition by Norfolk-born sculptor Bob Catchpole at the King’s Lynn Arts Centre. His strange, humorous and surreal world of objects and creatures draws on the agricultural heritage of Norfolk. Whilst celebrating the rich variety and sophistication of the tools needed to work the land, the sculptures also undermine our preconceptions about the nature of their function and ultimately the world we inhabit.
He uses real tools and locally-sourced oak to conjure up eccentric forms that can be both zoomorphic and anthropomorphic, whilst retaining the identities of the original objects. Using several different themes, the work has a playful, quizzical quality alongside darker intimations. New works that illustrate undercurrents of the sinister are the Daisychain series, alluding to the innocent childish pastime of interlocking flowers, yet substituting threatening blades and prongs.
The Red Barn installation recreates the mundane world of the toolshed as a magical environment inhabited by otherworldly forms where tools have taken on a life of their own. The witty and dynamic works show the artist’s preoccupation with carving and construction in sculpture, in relation to the shapes and manufacturing processes from rural industries.


 

Olga JurgensonOlga Jürgenson
14th Nov - 19th Dec | Red Barn Gallery

Olga Jürgenson is an internationally exhibited artist currently living and working in the UK. Born in Siberia, brought up in Estonia and educated in Russia, she is an artist whose work asks important social questions. Often examining the economic and social realities of the EU, Jürgenson provides an insight and identity into the lives of those who travel from east to west in search of new opportunities.
For her new installation, she examines aspects of human travel, displacement and migration by mixing photographic images from her personal or donated archive, with often blurred digital images and video footage taken in other parts of the world. In her experience, this mirrors the culture shock following relocation to a new country by migrants and the sense of being ‘cut off’ from their normal life and families.
In a global world, where working relationships are constantly being redefined and are increasingly transitory, Jürgenson highlights the dynamics of new models of production, distribution and employment and the effect that these have on working people. Despite the fact that her work focuses on serious social and political issues, they are at the same time full of humour and accessible to a wider public.


 

Out In The Real WorldOut In The Real World
West Norfolk does MAs
Fermoy Gallery | 14th November - 19th December

Four local female artists with long-standing ties with King’s Lynn Arts Centre exhibit a selection of the challenging and experimental work they produced on recently completed MA courses at Norwich University College of the Arts. Helen Breach and Sandra Walmsley studied on the MA Drawing, whilst Mary Crofts and Linda Roast studied for the MA in Fine Art.
Linda Roast’s subtle and sensitive pieces offer us her own take on current values within society and the fragility of life, sometimes appropriating and altering existing imagery. With farming as a metaphor, Mary Crofts’ uses her work to highlight and commentate upon weighty issues and policy in a playful way. Helen Breach has investigated ways of capturing commonplace sounds, such as a boiling kettle, through drawing. Sandra Walmsley’s interest in natural history and the environment has led to the creation of a mythical sanctuary for extinct animals called Sanshumain, revealed through her artist’s book.


 


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