The opening offers a great opportunity to meet Rita and ask any questions you may have about the work on display. Refreshments and a bit of brunch will be provided by Iron Co Coffee House.

Rita’s latest body of work “Souvenirs of Southbank Streets” are inspired by her childhood memories of playing in King and Queen Street in Southbank where she grew up. Reminiscent of the streets free from traffic, her paintings depict childhood games from the 40s, when and where children could play games and have great fun in their playground on their doorstep.

Rita loves the use of colour. Her “Bright Lights” paintings came about from her love and practice of making stained glass pieces. The vibrant colours and dark outlines became part of a new way of painting for her and has evolved over the past ten years. The use of bright colours uplift the senses and bring a happiness and joy to the pieces.

Rita says:

“I love experimenting with a variety of media, I get so much pleasure and happiness when I work – my goal is to share that with others and feel it is what I am on this earth to fulfil.”

We are pleased to announce that the exhibition which was due to open back in March until the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, will now be opening at The Heritage Gallery:

We would like to invite you to attend the next double exhibition opening at The Heritage Gallery and Cargo Fleet Offices:

Celebrating her 86th birthday on the day of the exhibition opening, Anna has a fantastic collection of ceramics, paintings and crafts that she has created later in life. Originally from Poland, Anna is inspired by the flower-filled countryside in which she grew up, often portraying Poland’s national flower symbol – the poppy, which is now also the symbol of sacrifice in war and remembrance.

The opening offers a great opportunity to meet Bob, Geoff & Anna and ask any questions you may have about the work displayed over drinks and nibbles.

We do hope you can make it to the opening and look forward to seeing you there.

Thursday 16th January 2020, 5-7pm

The art psychotherapists work in a number of different clinical areas, including forensic, eating disorders, learning disability services, with children and adults and also in the  psychosis service. Patients are referred for art psychotherapy by the members of the teams that the art psychotherapist is employed into.

Meet the art psychotherapists:

We would like to invite you to attend the next exhibition opening at The Heritage Gallery:

In 1976, teenage photographer Richard Clayton first went ‘over the border’ (the local name for the St Hilda’s area of old Middlesbrough), whilst he attended Teesside College of Art and was drawn to the Old Town Hall, as painted by L.S.Lowry in 1959. St Hilda’s is the oldest part of the town and was the centre of commerce and industry. By the late 1970’s, it was becoming more derelict with fewer residents living there, but it had a strong self-reliant community that Richard captured in black and white.

Now based in Skelton, Richard has had a varied career in photography, starting out with Industrial and Commercial Photography with a Teesside firm, to working in studios & photographic labs and also teaching photography to others. Richard has had much of his work published and exhibited in several galleries throughout the region. There is a book to go alongside the exhibition titled “Over the Border and Beyond”.

This exhibition covers St Hilda’s from 1976 to the present day, focusing on the many changes that have taken place in that time, to the point now where the old Town Hall is in an endangered state and what remains is a few visible graves and grassland.

The meaning of the word ‘Beyond’, in this exhibition, opens avenues of other projects – a series of photographs in Stockton on Holme farm, which now the site of the prison off Portrack Lane taken in the 1980’s, along with pub scenes in Stockton of a similar era. Photographs of Ireland, Germany, Poland and East Cleveland & Teesside.

We do hope you can make it to the opening, which offers a great opportunity to meet Richard and ask any questions about the photographs on display over drinks and nibbles provided by the lovely Iron Co Coffee House.

And who knows, you may spot yourself or relatives of that era, so please feel free to pass this invitation on to whoever you feel will be interest

We would like to invite you to attend the opening of the next exhibition at The Heritage Gallery:

It’s a great opportunity to meet the artists and ask any questions you may have about the work displayed over drinks and nibbles.

Aim4art celebrate their tenth anniversary this year, after forming in 2009 by four foundation course students, who wanted to pursue the arts after finishing their study at Cleveland College of Art & Design.

Realising that they are all 10 years older than when they first set out, (how time flies) and still doing what they love – creating and sharing their work, they thought they would celebrate with this group exhibition.

Reflections of their thoughts and feelings will be displayed on canvas wall hangings, as well a range of works from each artist in various mediums.

Lynne:

“We’ve been together 10 years now, can’t believe it! The group’s work has developed beyond belief, but I think it’s the friendships that have developed most of all.”

Karol:

“Love my time with Aim4art, we have aged together as people and artists, hopefully leaving our carbon imprint with the work we produce.”

Kate:

“A whole day to paint and be creative, what a gift! And then to share that time with like-minded people who all support and encourage each other.”

Meeting every Tuesday, the group support each other throughout their art practice to develop and improve their skills and ambitions.

We do hope you can make it to the opening and look forward to seeing you there.

We would like to invite you to attend the next exhibition opening at The Heritage Gallery:

Born and raised in Scotland, John moved south at the end of schooling during the heatwave of 1976. At that time, photography was not on his list of pastime activities. Football, golf and ice hockey lead the way together with a full-time apprenticeship. However, that was to change after viewing a portfolio of black & white prints belonging to a family member. Since then and for almost forty years, he’s been pressing the shutter, shooting both professionally and as a hobbyist. Like many successful image makers, John has moved with the times. Gone are the days of film, chemicals and dimly lit darkrooms; the comfort of a Lightroom and the digital era now take precedence.

Based in Teesside, the North York Moors and coastline are John’s playgrounds, not to mention North West Scotland, where the rugged coastline draws John and his wife Susan back time and again. His love of the outdoors is expressed in his personal style toward landscapes, recording land, sky and sea in a natural way.

John says:

“To be standing on the edge of the world, taking in the views of the moors, mountains and streams or breathing the salt air amidst deafening crashing waves, satisfies life’s simplest experiences. My goal is to record those senses, remember those feelings and ultimately share them through my photography with you the viewer.”

We do hope you can make it to the opening, which offers a great opportunity to meet John over drinks and nibbles and ask any questions about his artwork and photographs on display.

Máire was born in Carrickmacross County Monaghan, Ireland, emigrating to North Ormesby in the late 1950’s as a child. She lived in Middlesbrough for over 30 years working in the town’s Law Centre and was an elected member of the Council.

Máire has created visual art throughout her life using a variety of traditional media – including pen & ink, watercolour, acrylic paint and photography. Since 2000 she has been experimenting and working in various forms of digital based media, incorporating a camera, scanner & basic paint programmes into her art toolbox. Artists have been experimenting since the 1970’s with how computers could help create and present their work, and digital technologies are now widely accepted as a new medium. Máire’s work sits within the New Media art movement.

The work on show in this exhibition titled “Putting the World to Rights” illustrates her knowledge of and respect for the history of Middlesbrough and its residents, from the perspective of an Irish economic migrant woman. Much of the work is figurative with a rich and nostalgic narrative and all works were made using a combination of traditional and new media.

The opening offers a great opportunity to meet Máire and ask any questions you may have about the work over drinks and nibbles.

We do hope to see you there and please feel free to pass this invitation on to anyone you feel may be interested.

The opening offers a great opportunity to meet Julia over drinks & nibbles and ask any questions about the work displayed.

Julia has painted for many years, displaying work at various venues throughout the North East as a member of the art group – aim4art. This exhibition, being her first solo exhibition, is a personal challenge for Julia and a nod to nature.

She is passionate about the environment and has a love of colour, and this is what drives Julia to experiment with different styles and mediums, capturing images and moods within her work. Influenced by gardens around the world, as well as local flora and fauna, she has developed an awareness of how important these things are in the context of our environment.

 

Julia says:

 

“I paint because I like to. The subject is important, but the actual process of developing a piece of work is what inspires me; the sketches, the studies & observations, mixing the mediums, experimenting with colours and the mistakes on route is equally important. Being a part of a group like aim4art has nurtured all of this. The process is soul immersing and therapeutic. For me, it’s not about achieving a likeness or exactness, but more of a feeling. It has been a life long obsession that won’t go away.”

 

We do hope you can make it to the opening and look forward to seeing you there.

 

Please feel free to pass this invite on to anyone you feel would be interested.