Go Furness

50 Miles exhibition

For their last exhibition of the year, The Bleach House Gallery have selected a wide range of artists and designers, working within a fifty mile radius of Ulverston who are all passionate about the work they produce.

The exhibition runs from now right up until Christmas Eve, and a wide range of media will be represented in this exhibition, including photography, printmaking, fine art, glass, ceramics, jewellery and textiles.

Although Cumbria is the second largest county in the UK, it is often overlooked in terms of art and design on a national basis, and rarely gets the opportunity to publicise exhibitions in the national papers. It is thought that exhibitions hosted in this area, showing local artists and designers, are unlikely to be as significant as those shown in the larger cities and London, the supposed hub of art and design in this country. However, Laura Barnett, Interior Designer and Co-Founder of The Bleach House Gallery in Ulverston, would like to propose that Cumbria is a county just as rich in artistic talent as any city, including London, and deserves to be more widely recognised as such.

Says Laura: “Some of the artists and designers we are exhibiting as part of ’50 Miles’ have never shown their work in a gallery situation before and lack confidence in their own artistic merits. However, much of what is being shown could very favourably compete with what is showcased in important city galleries. Indeed I would like to suggest that there is probably as great a density and variety of talent in this 50-mile radius as anywhere in Britain”. She goes on to say: “I find it particularly inspiring to see that many artists and designers working in Cumbria are pushing the boundaries of the particular medium they choose to work in, creating very much cutting edge design”.

There are also some special events taking place during the Ulverston Dickensian Festival on the weekend of 29th and 30th November, including live music and cookery demonstrations from Annette Gibbons (Cumbria on a plate). There will also be an opportunity to meet some of the exhibitors. And Laura, along with other local artists and galleries, has organised an Ulverston Art Trail. Flyers for all of these activities can be downloaded below, or you can watch this short film, where Laura describes everything going on throughout November.

Exhibitors include: Allan Wilson, Jan Thirlwell, Jo Vincent, Tina Balmer, Joy Grindrod, Rose Bugler, Mike Rollins, Doreen Jackson, Sue Fletcher, Jo-Anna Duncalf, Caroline Anderson, Helen McKenna, Mary Stark, Chris Thorp, Laura Barnett and Vicki Mulligan.

Posted by Phil Powell on 11th November 2008