Hey Art, What's Good?

In this episode Rosie and Alice have a chat about the BALTIC Open Submission, with Curator of Performance and Public Programme Katie Hickman, and Programme Assistant Emily Holmes. This is a show comprised of the works of 150 artists and makers based in the North east of England, which spans all manner of artistic mediums and genres - there’s really something for everyone it’s amazing!

Hello! We're back with a great discussion about the online exhibition 'What Does It Mean to be Working Class?' at Pink Collar Gallery. We got together with the gallery's curator, Michaela Wetherell, and two contributing artists, Erin Dickson and Kev Howard, to hear about the work on show and their thoughts on what it means to be a working class person, and how this affects those in the creative industries.

For this episode we have a chat about our recent visit to the Laing Art Gallery to explore the new 'Art Deco by the Sea' exhibition. This extensive show looks specifically at the Art Deco movement in art, advertising, architecture and clothing, specifically in relation to the rise of British seaside tourism in the late 1920s-1930s. Something that we love about this show is how the Laing has been able to incorporate elements of their own collection, to really include the North East into this narrative.

For this episode we sat down with art friend and curator Michaela Wetherell, to talk all about her new online gallery space, Pink Collar Gallery, and the new exhibition ‘Burnout’ by the podcast’s own Rosie Stronach! Michaela started the online gallery as a means to continue curating whilst many venues were closed over lockdown. The gallery’s aim is to give a platform to and promote art created by underrepresented groups, and Michaela’s particular passions are highlighting female (under)representation within the arts and the relevance of working-class identity. This is Rosie’s first solo exhibition which explores mental health within the creative community. ‘Burnout’ is an ongoing series which reflects upon the effects of poor mental stability resulting in a mental or emotional burnout. cw: we discuss mental health and briefly touch on suicide. if you’re having a tough time or would like someone to talk to, here’s some resources for organisations you can get in touch with to help out: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/

In this episode Rosie and Alice have a chat about their recent visit to the BALTIC to check out Against Time by Huma Bhabha. Focusing largely on the body / figure, this exhibition explores movements in art history, cultural imagery inspired by the artists upbringing, and a look towards the future. A lot of what we see could be mistaken for already historic artefacts: crumbling statues and sketches of unfamiliar landscapes with mammoth and aging monuments, however this isn't necessarily the case.

For this episode Alice and Ellie talk about their separate visits to Cheeseburn Sculpture Gardens for their 2020 edition. Cheeseburn takes place every summer at Cheeseburn Grange, a private residence near Hexham, and showcases a massive range of sculpture-based artworks from a host of different artists, with a great focus on North Eastern creators. Have a listen to get an idea of what Cheeseburn had to offer this year, and learn about some of our favourite pieces!

In this episode we are joined by Lydia Hiorns, Programme Manager at Shieldfield Art Works (SAW), to have a catch up with what the organisation has been up to during lockdown, and their current situation after a loss of funding. You might recall we had SAW on the podcast before, so it was great seeing what they’ve been doing in the past year, and how their wonderful community focus has impacted the Shieldfield community.

In this episode we have a good chat with Bethan Jayne and Carmela Vienna, two of the founding members of Round Lemon! We learn about what Round Lemon is and how it started, what opportunities are available through this new online platform and community, and how their individual interests contribute to both Round Lemon and their own artistic practices.

For this episode we were joined again by the lovely Elinor Morgan, Senior Curator at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, to have a catch up with what MIMA has been up to since the lock-down in March. We talk about the differences in communication with the art community during this time, the fun creative projects the institute have been running, and what the near future for the institute looks like.

For this episode Alice and Ellie have a chat about some of the art they can see in their local areas while on their daily walks. Ellie reflects on the growing Rainbow Trail near her at the coast, and Alice discusses some of the sculptures located around Saltwell Park in Gateshead.