Woodhorn Museum will be showcasing work by talented Northern Artists as part of its new exhibition, Northumberland: Magic and Myth, which opens on Saturday 15 February.
Following an open call which received more than 200 submissions by over 100 artists, artwork has now been selected for display in the new exhibition, showcasing a range of responses to the myth and magic theme.
Rowan Brown, chief executive of Museums Northumberland, said: “Northumberland: Magic and Myth is our third open art exhibition building on the success of our previous exhibitions”.
“The open call offers talented artists from across the north, both amateur and professional, the opportunity to display and sell their work, and an amazing platform to reach new audiences and showcase their talents.”
“I’m extremely grateful to our principal funders, Northumberland County Council and Arts Council England, and to all the artists who applied to exhibit with us this year. It promises to be an inspirational and thought-provoking show.”
Liz Ritson, Learning & Programme Manager at Museums Northumberland, said “We invited people to submit up to three pieces of work inspired by the magic of Northumberland and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response. The quality of the work is outstanding and the responses to the theme have been creative, diverse and imaginative.”
“Each year, our panel select an overall winner and two highly commended artworks. It’s always a difficult task with so many unique and stunning artworks to choose from. This year we’ve introduced a third highly commended award, and this will be selected by public vote. I’d encourage all of our visitors to vote for their favourite piece in the exhibition, and we will announce the winner at the end of the exhibition.”
Liz was joined for the selection process by artist Dr. Narbi Price and arts professional Claire Venus to select the works for display.
The prize-winning artists for 2020 are:
Overall Winner: Chris Brooks - Guardian
Highly Commended: Julie Gregory - Farne Island Selkie II - No Looking Back
Highly Commended: Tim Patterson - Sit and I’ll tell yer’ bout the Joker and the Thief in the Night (Joker and the Thief)
On weekends and during school holidays, families inspired by the theme of the exhibition can take part in ‘make and do’ sessions to create their own magic wand and cast a spell to turn winter into spring.
Entry to Woodhorn Museum is free for children aged 0-16 with an admission charge for adults. Concession tickets are available. All passes are valid for unlimited visits for 12 months from the date of issue. Check the website for current prices.
Northumberland: Magic and Myth opens on Saturday 15 February and runs until Sunday 29 March. For more information visit www.museumsnorthumberland.org.uk
