We’ve leapt from February into March, spring is finally on the horizon and with it the promise of new life and the warmth that we’ve been missing over the past few months.
If you’ve found yourself in cultural hibernation recently, then this is the month to bring yourself back to life again and YorkMix is here to help you get there.
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Exhibitions
Families & Other Animals by Susan Bower
Kentmere House Gallery is proud to welcome the work of Yorkshire artist Susan Bower to
its walls this month.
Having featured in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition for almost every one of the last 25 years, Bower is celebrated in London and the South. Yet curiously she receives little attention in the county where she was born and still lives.
Luckily for us we have a rare opportunity to view her work at the Kentmere House open weekend, March 5-6, and on Thursday evenings from 6-9pm.
Her uplifting and humorous paintings are both familiar and intimate, presented with such a wry humour that the observer cannot help but smile.
Fresh Impressions
The extensive collection at Kentmere House Gallery has burst some of its wonderful artworks right out of the gallery and into the University of York’s medieval HQ at King’s Manor this year.
Fresh Impressions is a selection of original prints by over 30 artists which has been curated by Ann Petherick of Kentmere House.
The exhibition will be running throughout the year in The Common Room at King’s Manor, Exhibition Square, and will be open Monday to Saturday from 10am-5pm.
Life Stills
Since opening in November we have seen the Lotte Inch Gallery in Bootham go from
strength to strength with its enticing and thoughtfully themed exhibitions.
This month will be no exception, with the Life Stills exhibition opening Wed 16 March.
The collection presents us with modern examples of still life art, aimed at redressing the frequent
misrepresentation of the genre as boring and outdated.
The paintings, drawings, prints and ceramics that make up this exhibition seek to transform the minutiae of everyday life and reinvigorate a frequently underestimated artistic form.
Yorkshire Artists Showcase
This month Blossom Street Gallery will be providing a platform for the work of three
talented Yorkshire artists with contrasting styles and techniques.
Ann Mills of York will showcase her collection of collage and mixed media artworks alongside the lively acrylics of Hilary Holroyd, also of York.
Add to the mix the expressive landscapes and seascapes of Huddersfield artist Jane Burgess, and the gallery has found itself a hat-trick of wonderful artists to delight us with until Sat 19 March.
Taster Exhibition from York Open Studios
Also at Blossom Street Gallery this month, York Open Studios will preview a range of local
artists from Tuesday, March 22 to Sunday, April 24. Get to the gallery to see who’s who in York artistic talent these days.
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Get involved
Sketchbook Circle
The regular informal drawing group, Sketchbook Circle, will be welcoming newbies and old-
hands alike at York Art Gallery on Wednesday, March 9. Drop in to the session and join in for £5 plus gallery admission.
Curators Talk – Centre of Ceramic Art
Learn about the CoMA collection from curator, Helen Walsh, who will be offering insight
into some of Britain’s finest ceramic art collections on Wednesday, March 16 at 12.30pm to 1pm. The drop in event will be included with gallery admission costs.
Tactile Sculptures – Sensory Tour for Adults
Discover the tactile sculptures of Harold Gosney and Martin Jenkins at York Art Gallery on Wednesday, March 23 from 12.30pm to 1.15pm.
The free session will be open to all art lovers above the age of 16 and is especially suitable for partially sighted and blind adults.
Family Artists: Telling Tall Tales
For a family friendly creative opportunity, book your place at York Art Gallery’s free event
on Saturday, March 19. Hosted by artist and illustrator, Abi Hiskey, this workshop will centre around finding the stories hidden in the gallery artwork and developing your own illustrations to accompany your tall tale.
Mosaic Making
For a truly in-depth insight into the history and technique of mosaic making, Yorkshire
Museum is offering a two-day adult learning workshop for £50 on Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20.
Run by artist Lesley Seeger, the course offers a rare opportunity to design and create your own mosaic inspired by of the Roman Four Seasons mosaic. Materials will be included in the
course cost.
Mosaic Madness
A cheaper and much more light weight mosaic making alternative will also be on offer at
Yorkshire Museum from Friday, March 25 to Monday, March 28.
A modern version of the Four Seasons mosaic will be made by many hands over the course of the weekend, overseen by artist Kirstie Briggs Bateman. Drop in to this free event to contribute to the community artwork which is set to become a feature of the museum in the future.
Easter specials
From Friday, March 25 to Sunday, April 10 there are several free Easter themed events on offer by York Museums Trust.
Create at the Castle will be a chance to make Easter cards inspired by Victorian decorative design and will run every day between 11am-1pm & 2pm – 4pm at York Castle Museum.
York Art Gallery invites families to celebrate the coming of Spring by conjuring flowers and
birds out of string and paper at the Studio Drop in Sessions, running every day between 11am – 1pm & 2 – 4pm.
The Easter period also involves yet more mosaic themed creativity at Yorkshire Museum, with Spring into Mosaics, a series of paper mosaic sessions open to all between 11am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm.
For any more information or to book into any of the Yorkshire Museums Trust events, call 01904 697979.
So without further ado I welcome spring, and invite you all to make the most of the season
of awakening, and to spring your creative spirit and imagination back into life.