With the days lengthening, skies lightening by the day, and half-term looming in the near future with all the what-to-do worries that it brings, now is the perfect time to go exploring the York art scene.
Luckily, there is plenty on offer this month.
Twelve printers printing @ Kunsthuis
Printmaking is an art form that is as variable as it is captivating, and this month Kunsthuis Gallery will be celebrating the medium in all its glory by hosting the work of twelve exceptional printmakers in their current exhibition, Revealed.
Each of the UK based artists featured has been chosen for their skill, innovation and contemporary style.
You have plenty of time to catch the show as it runs until April, but remember the old maxim: there is no time like the present.
The gallery is open Wednesdays – Sundays, 10am-5pm.
Pop and pots @ Lotte Inch
In their first exhibition of 2017, Lotte Inch seeks to redress a balance. Identifying both Pop Art and Ceramic craft as undervalued and often misrepresented groups, their aim is to elevate both art forms back into their deserved realm of fine art.
The unlikely coupling of these two styles is not lost on the exhibition organisers, who assure us that “whilst aesthetically polar opposites, both offer an important and legitimate means of producing art”, and they “should not be belittled or labelled as anything other [than fine art].”
If you, like us, find your curiosity piqued by this unusual double act, then you must see it for yourself at the gallery, 3 February – 4 March.
Textiles @ Blossom Street
Textile art is yet another intriguing and often underestimated art form. Despite often being dismissed as a hobbyist craft, textiles have the power to stun, captivate, and often surprise.
In celebration of the incredible potential of the medium, Blossom Street Gallery has spent some time assembling a new and impressive collection of textile artwork from a wide range of artists.
If you are not already familiar with the medium, then I highly recommend your becoming acquainted via this exhibition.
If you already are, of course, you won’t need much convincing. The exhibition runs from 1 February – 15 March.
An antidote @ Pyramid Gallery
In anticipation of an epidemic of February blues amongst art lovers this month, the Pyramid gallery prescribes a quadruple dose of art via their current exhibition, An Antidote to an English Winter.
Four artists will be showcasing their talents in this show. The first of these, Yorkshire based painter Lesley Seeger, presents the painted series which accompanies her new book, Coming Home, launched at the end of last month.
There will also be sculptures from Eoghan Bridge and Tom Payne, as well as the exquisite glasswork of Crispian Heath.
If it doesn’t cure you of your winter blues, this show will at least help to distract you from them for a while.
Get Creative
Flesh performances @ York Art Gallery
The Flesh exhibition currently on display at York Art Gallery is well worth a visit, and this month offers an especially good opportunity to see the show.
Clare Hund has collaborated with York St. John University students to curate a programme of performances that will run throughout the day on Wednesday 15 February.
The unique happenings, which include a performance from internationally renowned artist, Martin O’Brien, is included in the cost of gallery admission and will run from 10 am – 4 pm.
Go on safari @ York Art Gallery
There are plenty of animals to be found within the ceramic collection at York Art Gallery.
This coming half term, the gallery will be inviting all kids (including the grown-up kind) to discover the variety of animals within the collection via a gallery trail.
They are also offering visitors an opportunity to have a go at creating their own clay animals in the gallery studio.
This imaginative pairing of animal activities will provide the perfect family-fun throughout the holiday period, Saturday 18 – Sunday 26 February, 11am-4pm.