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LONDON CALLING .....AGAIN: Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath 13th - 16th June 2013
We had such a great time at the Affordable Art Fair in Hampstead last November we couldn't wait to go back. There is a fantastic buzz of excitement about the place: lots of fascinating contemporary art in a wonderful setting on Hampstead Heath. The fair has been moved to June this year so we might even have good weather this time too!
It was lovely last time to see some familiar faces, friends of the gallery who we don't see often because they live in the south. If you live in or within visiting distance of London and would like to come to the Fair and would like to come, do get in touch as we'll have some free and half price tickets to send you. We will be on Stand D3.
Sea Wife by Shirley Fletcher:
collagraph on paper
The artists we'll be taking to the AAF are as follows: Ian Burke, David Curtis ROI RSMA, Paul Czainski, Shirley Fletcher, Rob Shaw, and the sculptor Darren Yeadon.
STAITHES FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND HERITAGE: 14th and 15th September 2013
Art-lovers, lovers of Staithes, anyone who just wants to have a fantastic time wandering in and out of Staithes's fascinating buildings looking at a phenomenal range of artwork by dozens of artists....DO NOT MISS the second Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage this year. Last year's event was so much enjoyed by residents, holiday-makers and visitors that we decided to do it again - only bigger this time! We have even more artists, even more venues, more talks, workshops, music events than before, as well as lots of interesting pop-up food and drink outlets so you won't go hungry or thirsty as you take it all in. For more information about the FABULOUS Staithes Festival and the plans we're making for September this year go to:
http://www.staithesfestival.com/
If you're interested in taking part, follow the links on the website. See you there!
LISA@THEGALLERY DATES FOR 2013
Lisa@theGallery is back by popular demand! In 2012 we hosted a total of 6 dining events at which Lisa Chapman of To Dine For delighted us all with her highly (and justifiably) acclaimed cooking using local, fresh, seasonal ingredients. At long last we've finalised our Lisa@theGallery dinner dates for 2013. If you like beautifully prepared, locally sourced, seasonal food with lovely wine in a great setting and with wonderful company (who doesn't?) do come along on one or more of the following dates:
Spring Menu: Friday 26th and Saturday 27th April 2013
Summer Menu: Friday 5th and Saturday 6th July 2013
Autumn Menu: Friday 18th and Saturday 19th October 2013
Winter Menu: Friday 24th and Saturday 25th January 2014
To book call Al on 01947 841840 or 07972 012464 or email al@staithesgallery.co.uk
In these times of austerity you'll be pleased to hear we've been able to hold
our unbeatable price of £39.50 per person for 3 fabulous courses including
wine and coffee. To get a flavour of last years events and to see a sample
menu have a look at the best review website for eating, drinking and staying
in Yorkshire:
http://www.squidbeak.co.uk/blog/2012/06/squidbeak-dinner-2/
Looking forward to seeing you at one of our dinners soon.
STAITHES ART SCHOOL 2013
Our fabulous new programme for 2013's Art School is out now. Click here for details. Contact Al at the gallery on 01947 841840 or 07972 012 464 or email al@staithesgallery.co.uk for a brochure or more information.
We're going to London! Affordable Art Fair: Hampstead 2012
Staithes Gallery is participating in the Affordable Art Fair in Hampstead from 1st-4th November 2012. This is a wonderful event with over 100 galleries from all over the UK and abroad taking part. We're delighted to be able to take our artists' work to a wider audience. There are many people all over the country who don't know the magic of Staithes or the wonderful art it inspires, such as this exquisite painting, Madonna in Chintz, by resident Staithes artist Paul Czainski. If you live in or near North London, or will be in the area during the first week of November, do come along to the fair on Hampstead Heath and visit us at stand D8. Contact Al at the gallery on 01947 841840 if you'd like further information. See you there!
http://affordableartfair.com/hampstead/
Please note that, while we will do our best to arrange cover, the gallery may not be open all the time on Wed 31st October, Thursday 1st, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th November while we are at the AAF. If anyone is particularly interested in visiting the gallery during this time, please contact Al on 07972 012464 to arrange an appointment.
Coming soon....
Staithes Festival of Art and Heritage: 22nd and 23rd September 2012
We're getting very excited about the forthcoming first ever Festival of Arts and Heritage to take place in the village on 22nd and 23rd September. Cottages, garages, sheds have all been transformed into gallery spaces to accommodate some sixty or so visiting artists. There'll be a giant outdoor cinema projection of previously unseen Staithes film archive throughout the Friday and Saturday evenings, fabulous displays of old photographs and memorabilia, music events, workshops and fascinating talks.
At Staithes Gallery we'll be hosting illustrated talks by celebrated photographers Ian MacDonald and Joe Cornish - a must for anyone interested in exploring through photography the natural and industrial landscapes of our region, its people and the things they make and do.
Local doctor Richard Wood will also be showing his beautifully crafted stringed instruments built from the recycled hardwoods that formed the old lifeboat slipway. This will be followed by Renaissance lute-singers NancyHorseman and Helen Atkinson performing with them in the gallery. You can come along and listen while sipping a glass of wine.
For anyone interested in drawing, Ian Burke will be holding workshops to help you to improve in this most fundamental skill that underlies all forms of art. It is a rare opportunity to learn from a superb artist who is also one of the best art teachers in the country.
Details of all these events and others can be found on the Festival website
at http://www.staithesfestival.com/events.html
Do contact the gallery on 01947 841840 if you'd like any more information
or wish to book a place at one of Ian's workshops.
Next Lisa@theGallery: 28th & 29th September 2012 - Book now!
Don't miss the next Lisa@theGallery dining event on Friday 28th and Saturday
29th September. Places are booking up quickly so book early to be sure of
a place at the table.
Contact Al for further information or to book on 01947 841840 or 07972012464
or email al@staithesgallery.co.uk.
You can follow our previous events at http://www.squidbeak.co.uk/blog/2012/06/squidbeak-dinner-2/.
Royal Academy Success! Congratulations to Rob Shaw!
This painting London from St Paul's with White Van by our artist Rob Shaw has won a place in the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition 2012. We think this is well-deserved. A fantastic achievement - well done Rob! It's the first of a series of cityscapes he is working on at the moment. We're very much looking forward to seeing the new work coming into the gallery during the next few weeks.
Lisa@thegallery: Next dinner evenings on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd June
Our Lisa@thegallery evenings on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th May were a great success. Guests on both nights enjoyed a glass of lovely Prosecco (supplied by Flourish and Prosper Wine Merchants in Howden) in the gallery before heading upstairs to our dining room, which Lisa had set out beautifully. She then served a delicious spring-inspired menu with perfectly matched wines, all of which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in a highly convivial atmosphere. Squidbeak's reveiw of the evening sums it up very well at http://www.squidbeak.co.uk/blog/.
If you'd like to come along to either of the next Lisa@thegallery dinners on Friday 22nd or Saturday 23rd June contact Al on 01947 841840 or 07972 012464 or email al@staithesgallery.co.uk
After that we'll be doing another Lisa@thegallery weekend on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th September. Early booking is recommended.
Artist Alastair Lovett to demonstrate in the gallery on Monday 7th May 2012
Sea-coaling by Alastair Lovett (courtesy of Durham University collections)
Visitors to Staithes Gallery on Bank Holiday Monday will not only be able
to see a great mixed show of completed paintings but will also be able to
watch one of our newest artists working on his latest piece.
Alastair Lovett's exceptional paintings combine a high level of skill with
a passion for the natural and industrial landscapes of our region. They have
been delighting residents and visitors in Staithes for several weeks now and
Alastair will be showing how it's done all day in the gallery from 10am until
5pm on Monday 7th May. Visitors are welcome to come in and watch the work
in progress.
Lisa@theGallery: Amazing Art, Fantastic Food, Wonderful Wine....
We have a series of superb events lined up at Staithes Gallery. We've collaborated with Lisa Chapman of To Dine For in Hinderwell, whose wonderful cooking will be known to those of you who've been on one of our residential painting weekends or who ever visited her highly regarded Endeavour restaurant in Staithes. We've also been working with Jill Turton of Squidbeak, the fantastic website that tells you all you need to know about where to eat and stay in Yorkshire (have a look - http://www.squidbeak.co.uk).
We have four dinners planned for Friday and Saturday 11th and 12th May and 22nd and 23rd June. The evenings will start at 7.15 with a welcome drink and an opportunity to view the gallery. This will be followed by a delicious seasonal three-course dinner with wine and coffee. The wines have been selected by Sean Welsh from the wonderful wine shop and delicatessen Flourish and Prosper in Howden. Sean has kindly agreed to be here himself to introduce the wines.
Lisa is very happy to accommodate food allergies, intolerances, vegetarians and special diets. Please let us know when you book.
Payment will be taken in full in advance. To book your place contact Al at
the gallery on 01947 841840 or 07972012464
or email al@staithesgallery.co.uk
Coming Soon: Retrospective Exhibition of the Work of Derek Carpenter
All of us at Staithes Gallery are delighted to be able to host this exhibition which will bring together some sixty plus paintings by one of Staithes' best loved artists. With the help of his partner Yvonne we have traced paintings from all over the UK and abroad and they will hang in the gallery from 25th February until 11th March 2012. Don't miss this opportunity to see the most comprehensive exhibition of Derek's work that has ever been shown. The opening weekend (25th - 26th February) promises to be great fun. A concert is planned in Derek's honour which will combine music from the Men of Staithes fishermen's choir and the OMGuit guitar group. More details to be posted nearer the time.
In the meantime, if any friends of Derek or of the gallery know of any of his paintings that we may have missed, could they contact the gallery and we will endeavour to include them in the exhibition?
Staithes Art School 2012
For 2012 we've put together a programme of exciting painting weekends with our favourite highly accomplished tutors specialising in a variety of media. All our tutors are experienced at working with students of all abilities so whether you are just starting out or already a proficient painter they will be able to help you progress. You will be working either outside en plein air, as the Staithes Group liked to paint, or in a large light room above Staithes Gallery.
Comfortable accommodation with a continental style breakfast is provided either in the elegant Georgian maisonette above the gallery or in cottages close by. Our painting space is converted into a private dining room each evening when dinner, prepared by award-winning chef Lisa Chapman, is served.The painting weekends run from Thursday evenings until late afternoon the following Sunday. They are fairly intensive, offering painters the opportunity to leave aside everyday cares and to concentrate full on their painting in a sociable setting with like-minded companions.
There are many other activities on offer in Staithes and the surrounding area such as golf, walking, fishing, sailing and cycling (to name but a few) and non-painting partners are more than welcome to join us.
Have a look at our programme of painting weekends for 2012 or contact the gallery for more details about Staithes Art School.
Rob Shaw's new Breakwater series
Rob Shaw's latest paintings featuring the northern breakwater in Staithes have arrived in the gallery. Rob's much loved paintings of Staithes cottages always depicted his fascination for the relationship between buildings and weather. These breakwater paintings show this pared right down to the one monumental built structure whose only purpose is to withstand all that the North Sea can hurl at it. He has painted it by day and at night, working mainly in monochrome with tiny occasional splashes of colour. The paintings are both haunting and astonishing, images that stay in the mind long after you have looked at them. The breakwater's dark inky recesses, shiny railings and shadowy boulders are depicted holding fast against the powerful and interminable assault of pounding waves.
Click here to see some of the images but, if you possibly can, we recommend you come to Staithes to see the paintings in the flesh.
New work by David Curtis ROI RSMA
We were lucky this summer to see David Curtis painting in the village on several visits. David knows Staithes and the surrounding area so well and he never ceases to surprise us with new perspectives on our frequently painted village as well as exciting new takes on familiar scenes. We are constantly amazed by the miracles he works with his subtle, limited palette to reflect the wonderful and various light conditions here.
The results of this work are now in the gallery, much to the delight of many of our visitors. I have recently updated his page on the web site so you can see them along with a number of other lovely paintings he has made elsewhere.
Click here to see David's new work. Hope you like it as much as we do.
The Exhibitionists at Staithes Gallery: Profiling Margaret Shields 28th, 29th and 30th May 2011
We were delighted to be invited to participate in "The Exhibitionists", an open studios event organised by Redcar and Cleveland Creative Network to showcase creative talent in the Redcar and Cleveland area.
Our principal exhibitor in this fantastic event will be one of our favourite
artists, Margaret Shields. We
love her breathtaking depictions of life on the edge of the North Sea as well
as her lively portrayals of urban life on Teeside. Her heroic figures (human
or animal) are dwarfed by towering seas, vast ships or monstrous architecture,
blown away by swirling winds or shadowed by concrete and glass. Yet their
bearing betrays a stoic resiliance and humour.
Examples of both sea paintings and urban landscapes will be on show in the
gallery throughout the Bank Holiday weekend. Do come along and see them.
Margaret herself will be here to meet visitors and talk about her work on Saturday and Sunday between 2pm and 4pm.
Lifeboat Show 2011 - A Warm Spring Welcome!
The Lifeboat Show is back and we have a whole gallery full of wonderful new
work to delight and inspire you. Once again our all time favourite artists
have been joined by some newcomers to produce a bright fresh new look to the
gallery. There are textiles, collages, all kinds of original prints, sculpture
in stone, steel and willow, paintings in a rich array of media. Styles vary
from traditional landscapes to highly imaginative interpretations of our inspiring
and varied location.
We'd like to extend our warm thanks to each and every one of the thirty-one
artists in this show for creating an exhibition that we think is our best
yet. Thanks also to Stuart Purdie, Staithes and Runswick RNLI Fundraising
Chairman for all his help in putting the show together.
Money raised in this show will go to support the RNLI's Train One Save Many
campaign which offers training to volunteers who undertake the dangerous work
of saving lives at sea. We hope you will support us. A warm spring welcome
to you all. Enjoy the show!
Lifeboat Show 2011 opens on 9th April. Please contact the gallery if you'd like an invitation to the Private View on Friday 8th at 7.30pm. It runs until Monday 25th April (Easter Monday). Open every day 10am till 5pm
At last! Staithes Art School programme for 2011: Well worth the wait!
Thanks for your patience. I hope you will find the programme of painting
weekends for 2011 well worth waiting for. Our excellent tutors have all agreed
to come back to Staithes and teach once again on our wonderful painting weekends.
David Curtis, Robert Brindley, Bruce Mulcahy and Paul Talbot-Greaves are getting
ready to share their knowledge and skills with you in this most inspiring
village. We are also thrilled to be able to welcome Paul Banning who has long
wished to come and paint here. He will be tutoring in watercolours, offering
his lucky students the chance to learn from a true master how to paint in
this tricky medium.
Have a look at the Staithes Art School
pages for details of the 2011 programme. If you have any further queries or
wish to make a booking please ring Al on 01947 841840 or 07972012464. Alternatively
email al@staithesgallery.co.uk.
Coming Soon: 24th October 2010
THE BOAT SHOW - New exhibition of paintings, prints and drawings by Ian Burke
Powerful and unsentimental depictions of boats and the fishing industry have long been a strong theme in Ian's work. In The Boat Show he has drawn on a wide range of influences including photography, both Victorian and contemporary, and 20th Century colourists such as Joan Eardley. But the essence of these paintings is in the shapes: of the boats themselves, the harbours that shelter them and the fish and crustaceans that they seek and catch. In Ian's paintings these shapes are presented as planes of bright colour: loud, confident brush strokes in which figurative reality gives equilibrium to joyful, seemingly carefree abstraction.
Ian also enjoys combining control with the haphazard in printmaking: lino-cuts,
silk-screens and woodblock prints, both with and without colour. Here too
he uses line and shape to refresh the way the viewer gazes on familiar sights
and views.
A stroll around this exhibition is much like a stroll around a harbour in
strong sunlight on a summer afternoon. Take it slowly, relax and enjoy…but
be careful! The light and shadows can be deceptive. We recommend you look
twice.
"Ian Burke prints like he paints and paints like he prints"
Polly Bielecka
Gallery Director: Pangolin, London
Former Art Student, Rugby School
"Ian Burke is the Brian Clough of teachers"
Chris Oldfield
Slade School of Art
Former Art Student, Eton College
FLOTSAM AND JET: Paul and Chris Czainski - Shared Icons
Eagerly awaited new show from the Fabulous Czainskis: Private View - Friday 28th May 2010
"Love and Marriage...go together like a .... perfectly surrealist ice-cream
and a twentieth-century icon made of shells"....ok it doesn't scan like
Sammy Cahn's lyrics to the famous song but in this case it's the truth. Both
Paul and Chris Czainski create beautifully made artworks that astonish and
delight us and make us smile. The skill and wit of each of them obviously
bounces off the other with startlingly different results.
Regular visitors to the gallery will already be familiar with Paul's highly-skilled,
often a little off-beat artworks that deliver a gently surrealist twist to
the absolute mastery of his craft that he demonstrates over and over again
in deceptively real paintings on both traditional and quirky post-modern themes.
Some of you will remember Chris's beautiful pieces (are they paintings? are
they sculpture? she defies any pigeonhole) from previous Lifeboat Shows. Her
work uses beach finds and scavenged materials to create images that are quite
wonderful - in the sense that they stimulate wonder: wonder about the images
themselves, but also about the materials used to make them.
Paul and Chris have been hard at work this year to create a joint show like
no other: a show featuring two artists who have worked together, seen the
same things, lived and breathed the same air, yet found utterly different
and entirely complimentary ways of responding.
Do come and see the work. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
The show opens Friday 28th May and continues until Sunday 11th July 2010.
HAVEN: A YEAR IN STAITHES - Captivating and long awaited new exhibition by ROB SHAW
Private View - Friday 11th September 2009
Just over a year ago, Rob Shaw took the very bold step of giving up his job
and moving back to Staithes to live and paint in the village that had for
so long been his inspiration. There has scarcely been a day this year when
he has not painted and we are delighted to announce that from Saturday 12th
September we will be showing the work he has completed during this time. This
will be his first exhibition as a full time artist and promises to be even
more stunning than ever.
Complex layers of colour and shape show the buildings that now surround him
daily, huddled into the landscape, stoical as ever against the assaults of
wind and weather, time and tide.
We invite you all to come and see the new work. Prepare to be amazed.
STAITHES ART SCHOOL 2010 - Exciting New Programme
Staithes Art School 2009 was a sell out. Lots of old friends came back, either
to try painting Staithes with a different medium under a different tutor,
or to pick up where they left off last time. We made lots of new friends too
and I hope they will also return to paint in this stunning location. The great
thing about Staithes is that it is so perfect for painting. We hope that in
2010 more of you will come and discover it for yourselves. All our tutors
agree and they will be returning in 2010. We also welcome back our very first
tutor Sue Ford who was busy last year tutoring on the Queen Mary II on its
Atlantic crossing to New York but has made time in next year's schedule to
tutor another weekend in Staithes in June.
So if you're a complete beginner or an old hand; if you work in watercolours,
pastels, oils, acrylics - or even if you mix your media - there will be something
for you at Staithes Art School in 2010.
Have a look at the Staithes Art School page
for details of our Programme of Residential Painting Weekends for 2010. Or
ring Al on 01947 841840 if you have any specific enquiries.
YOUR CHANCE TO WIN THIS BEAUTIFUL SUE NICHOL PAINTING
One of our most popular artists, Sue Nichol, has donated this wonderful painting
of the Staithes coble Pilot Me B as a prize in the forthcoming raffle in aid
of the RNLI. Artists in general and Sue Nichol in particular have always loved
Pilot Me B and she has served as a model for countless paintings over the
years as well as being a working fishing boat for her owner Bill Blackwell.
Sadly she is no longer working and has been moved from Staithes Beck, much
to the disappointment of many of our artists.
Sue painted her last Pilot painting, aptly entitled Farewell Pilot Me B,
just before the coble was taken out of the beck for the last time. The painting
won her a great accolade: Bill Blackwell himself declared it the best painting
of his coble that he had ever seen! Praise indeed in Staithes where the fishermen
are apt to complain that the artists paint boats that would go round in circles!
Sue has very kindly donated her painting to be raffled for the Staithes and
Runswick RNLI. Tickets are available from Staithes Gallery and from the Lifeboat
Shop in Staithes. The draw will take place on July 19th at the RNLI Garden
Fete at Mulgrave Castle.
Other prizes include a weekend voucher for Grinkle Park Hotel and a print
of the Staithes Group painting Fisherfolk at Staithes by Robert Jobling
(also donated by Staithes Gallery).
WEDDING BELLS FOR GEOFF AND JULIE
Congratulations to gallery regulars Geoff and Julie on their recent engagement. Their marriage will take place on 19 September 2009 at Crook Hall in Durham City.
We have got to know Geoff and Julie over the years as they have often stayed in the Laura Knight Studio and come into the gallery to look at the artworks on display.
They have always particularly liked the work of our artist Rob Shaw and have chosen this stunning work "Narrow Road" to buy for their home. The painting is being kept for them at the gallery.
Friends and family who would like to buy them a gift on the occasion of their marriage can make a contribution to help them buy the painting. Please contact Al Milnes at the gallery for details of how to do this. We will keep a record of all contributions and pass it on to Geoff and Julie.
Anyone wishing to view the painting can call in during opening hours or ring for an appointment.
LIFEBOAT SHOW 2009 - PRESENTATION OF CHEQUE TO RNLI
On Saturday 6th June at 12 noon we will be delighted to present a cheque to the RNLI for £2300.90. This money was raised through sales of artworks during our Lifeboat Show at Easter. More was also raised through sales of catalogues and donations during the show.
We'd like to thank all our artists who took part in the show for so generously contributing to this very good cause. Thanks are also due to Staithes and Runswick RNLI Fundraising Chairman, David Manship for helping to organise the show and to the RNLI Volunteers and Friends who attended the Opening Night.
The money raised will go to fund training of Lifeboat crews through the Train One Save Many scheme. Training remains the largest cost to the RNLI and we are delighted to be able to contibute to this important work.
STREETWISE, WEATHERWISE - Margaret Shields 23rd May - 30th June 2009
We are absolutely thrilled to be hosting Margaret Shields' solo show STREETWISE, WEATHERWISE and urge you to come and see these breathtaking paintings so full of life and energy.
Click here to see more samples of Margaret's work which will be in the forthcoming exhibition.
Born in Middlesbrough and resident for many years in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Margaret celebrates the resilience and stoicism of the people of Teesside and the North Sea coast. Her paintings show them buffeted by wind and waves, or dwarfed by urban architecture old and new - tiny figures in an immense and exhilarating universe.
They get on with their lives: tinkering with boats; cycling against the wind; walking their dogs; carrying home their shopping; surrounded and engulfed by gigantic seas, menacing skies, tearing winds and the vast clanking machinery of local industry. Some exploit their surroundings for pure pleasure: skateboarding under the A66 flyover; surfing or simply dodging the waves of the North Sea; or pony-hacking along a windswept beach while vast ships pass by on the horizon.
The viewpoints of these paintings offer a slightly skewed perspective that both disturbs and excites. The seascapes are also townscapes, showing the life of the town shadowed by the swirling activity of the sea itself and the silent towering vessels that pass by. In the city concrete, brick and glass loom above the streets making somehow heroic the ordinary lives lived out there.
"It doesn't take much to make the ordinary look extraordinary." (Margaret Shields)
4th Annual Lifeboat Show (4th - 19th April 2009)
It's been a long wait, shivering through freezing temperatures all winter,
one of the longest, coldest and hardest on record. The miserable weather has
been matched by dismal economic forecasts. Doom and gloom, it seems, are everywhere.
Not here at Staithes Gallery, though, where our artists have been busy throughout the dark days, working on brand new spectacular artworks to move, delight and inspire us as the days lengthen and start to get warmer. We hope you'll agree that they bring a much needed breath of fresh spring air, a blast of colour, light and joy to follow the long gloomy winter.
We'd like to welcome you all to our 4th Annual Art Exhibition in aid of the RNLI's Train One Save Many campaign. You'll find a wonderful variety of the finest artwork by the best artists working in the region. There is such a wide range of styles and media - something for everyone. Do come along. And don't forget if you ARE tempted to buy, Staithes Gallery and the artists will donate 20% of the sale price to this very important cause.
Many thanks to all the artists who have given us this stunning show. Thanks
also to Dave Manship, the Staithes and Runswick RNLI Fund-raising chairman,
and the RNLI Members and Friends who help us to put it on every year. A warm
spring welcome to you all. Enjoy the show!
Salty Sea Dogs (and Other Animals)
We're on the road! Staithes Gallery is to take this great show: "Salty Sea Dogs (and Other Animals)" to Otley. Featuring a mixture of artworks from our regular gallery artists, the show is a repeat of last year's successful visit to the lovely West Yorkshire market town.
We have been kindly invited to return to the Old Grammar School in the heart of the town. It is a beautiful building lovingly converted to house the practice of David Bamford (Architects) Partnership, a great showcase for our artworks and an opportunity to see the art in a different setting.
The show opens on Tuesday 31st March at 7.30pm. So if you are in the Otley area call in for a glass of wine and see the artworks. The exhibition continues throughout April 2009.
New Paintings from Rob Shaw - February 2009
Staithes artist Rob Shaw has been working hard for the past year or more
on a brand new series of paintings. Some of the new work is now finished and
starting to make its way into the gallery. The new paintings are simply stunning,
like this huge colourful new work pictured.
"I've tried to create images that are richer, deeper, more complex and
layered than my previous work," he says. "I've also employed a broader
range of paint and other media."
The work depicts the village dwellings set in the exhilarating land and seascapes
that engulf them, assaulted as ever by the extreme conditions of light and
weather familiar to anyone who has spent time on this part of the coast.
The work is coming into the gallery literally as it dries. Make your way to
the Staithes to be among the first to see this exciting new step forward in
the development of one of the country's most promising young artists.
Click here to see more examples of
the new work.
CHRISTMAS SHOW: 5th December 2008 - 4th January 2009
Through Advent and into the New Year we have a mixed Christmas Show which
showcases the very best current work of our regular artists. There is everything
here to suit a range of tastes and pockets. We have everything from beautiful
traditional landscapes to bold and colourful abstracts. We have sculpture,
photography, printmaking and textiles, as well as painting in a wide range
of media. We have framed prints at £30 to vast paintings at £3000.
Staithes Gallery is a great place to come and browse, whether you are looking
for a gift for a loved one, something to treat yourself, or just to come in
from the cold and feast your eyes for a few moments during the holiday season.
If something does catch your eye, don't forget we are now signed up to the
Arts Council's Own Art scheme. You can buy an original piece of art from £100
to £2000 and spread the payment over 10 months completely interest-free
(Typical 0% APR). Please ask at the gallery for details.
CONGRATULATIONS TO LEE AND HELEN
Regular visitors to Staithes and Staithes Gallery, Lee Holmes and Helen Fisher are to be married on 25th April 2009. We would like to wish them every happiness. They are both big fans of our artist Rob Shaw and on their engagement picked out this lovely painting "Yellow Nab" for their home. The painting is currently being kept for them at the gallery. Friends and family who would like to buy them a gift (they already have a toaster!) are asked to make a donation to help them buy the painting. Please contact Al at the gallery for details of how you can do this. We will keep a record of all donations and ensure this is passed to Lee and Helen. Friends and family who wish to see the painting itself are most welcome. Ask at the gallery during opening hours or ring for an appointment
OWN ART: Available from 19th November 2008
We are delighted to announce that we are now signed up to the Arts Council's Own Art scheme. This enables art lovers to buy art with ten months' credit completely interest free (Typical 0% APR). It's a great scheme. The client gets the artwork to place in his or her home. The artist gets money to pay the bills and invest in more materials. The gallery gets the commission we need to keep the lights on. The Arts Council make it all possible. We hope that this will help our clients to own great art without breaking the bank. Please ask at the gallery for details.
STAITHES ART SCHOOL 2009: Exciting news!
Staithes Art School is going from strength to strength. 2008 saw lots of delighted painters, and a fair sprinkling of happy non-painting partners, leaving Staithes on a Sunday evening, having spent a wonderful weekend painting with excellent tutors and in very good sociable company, clutching a batch of paintings they never imagined they would be able to do. Many are determined to return in 2009 and if they do they are in for a treat. David Curtis ROI RSMA has agreed to tutor a weekend for us in May (Watercolours and Oils). This will be a rare opportunity for fans of his paintings, his films and his books to learn from him in person in one of his favourite painting locations. We also welcome another well-known author of books for aspiring artists, Paul Talbot-Greaves, who will tutor a weekend on Watercolour painting in June. Back by popular demand are David Allen RSMA, who will tutor on Working with Pastels in early July; Robert Brindley RSMA, who has kindly agreed to do two weekends, in late July and again in September, on Watercolours and Oils; and Bruce Mulcahy RSMA, who can't resist the autumn light in October (just before the clocks go back) for his ever-popular Opaque Materials weekend. See the Staithes Art School page for further details, or contact Al at the gallery.
GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER by Ian Burke: 25th October - 30th November 2008
Wicked and playful, full of colour and fresh salty seaside wit, Ian Burke's paintings are rather like the Punch and Judy shows he depicts in this new Art Show opening at Staithes Gallery on Saturday 25th October 2008.
In Ian's view the show is a celebration of his own "getting away with it" by making his living as an artist and a teacher, both of which give him immense pleasure, instead of the drudgery of a dreary nine to five job. The show is dedicated to his late mother, Mrs Audrey Elizabeth Burke of Redcar - a thank you for her insistence on his continuing in education at the age of 16.
Ian is a maverick painter and printmaker, still fascinated by many of the
subjects that have enthralled him since his Redcar childhood: the seaside
with its piers and entertainments; beaches, boats and tractors; the fishing
industry; lobsters; huts and sheds; the detritus that gets washed up on shore.
He depicts the coast without sentiment or nostalgia. Like Mr Punch himself,
his strong, bright images shout at the viewer. His subjects and their treatment
can shock and disturb us. But the mischievous wit, the painterly confidence
and sheer bare faced cheek ensure he gets away with it.
GUARDIAN JOURNALISTS RAVE OVER STAITHES (12th and 13th September 2008)
Two journalists from The Guardian stayed at the Laura
Knight Studio Cottage
while debating the relative merits of Lancashire and Yorkshire. The
resulting articles were highly entertaining, with Staithes being held in
high esteem. Read the reviews below...
SEA FEVER by Sue Nichol: 13th September - 19th October 2008
"I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the seagulls crying."
from Sea Fever by John Masefield (1878 - 1967)
After spending a month by the sea in Cornwall during the summer, in addition to her many visits to Staithes throughout the year, Sue has built a body of work which reflects her fascination with the sea and in September we are delighted to be able to put up a one woman show of Sue's most recent work. Dark skies with a hint of hope as a tiny patch of blue peers through clearing clouds above the angry sea; rain coming at you across the waves from the horizon; boats huddled for shelter in the harbour; or sunlight shimmering on the waves as a flock of gulls take flight: these are Sue's subjects, captured in the highly textured acylic paintings we have come to know and love. This year there are some surprises too. She has been experimenting with new media, most notably oils. Fans of her work will be able to see how the medium gives her a new way to depict her treasured subjects.
Devastating News: Ruby Garland Milnes (15.3.91 - 8.5.08) RIP
Life changed for ever at Staithes Gallery on 8th May 2008 when our beautiful
daughter Ruby was killed by a lorry which crossed the off-road cycle path
she used every day to travel between our home in York and York College. Clients
and artists may remember her, dressed in her unique and individual style,
helping out at openings by serving refreshments. Needless to say our family
is devastated and we all miss her terribly.
We were absent from Staithes and the gallery for most of the summer with our
other children, trying to rebuild our shattered family. This was what we most
needed to do and was made possible by the kind help and support of our friends
in Staithes and elsewhere. Special thanks are due to Pete, who came up from
London to take over the day to day running of the gallery, ably assisted by
Kiki. Between them they also helped run the Staithes Art School painting weekends
in the summer. Artist Rob Shaw put down his brush to help out as well and
Rob's parents, Cyril and Beryl, also came to the rescue. We cannot thank them
enough, or indeed any of the hundreds of people who gave so freely of their
time to provide us with practical help and messages of sympathy and support.
These carried us, and they continue to do so, through the darkest times we
ever imagined. We will always be grateful.
New Lifeboat Show: 21st March - 6th April 2008
This year's Lifeboat Show in aid of Staithes and Runswick RNLI looks set to be better than ever. Many favourites from previous years will be returning as well as some exciting artists new to Staithes Gallery. They are all frantically busy putting the finishing touches to stunning new work - like this delightful gouache "Punch and Judy" by Sue Atkinson. It all goes up on the 21st March so make it a day out during the Easter break. We will be opening the upstairs gallery once again to provide a relaxing space where you can sit down and enjoy the art in comfort. We hope to see you there.
Exciting New Programme for Staithes Art School 2008
We have six fantastic new painting weekends planned for 2008, one each month
from May to October.
In May the brilliant pastellist David
Allen RSMA will tutor in Working with Pastels.
In June and September the ever popular Sue
Ford returns to teach Watercolours, Line and Wash and Pastels.
July brings Robert Brindley
RSMA, renowned for
his own wonderful landscapes, to pass on some of his secrets for painting
in both Watercolour and Oil.
In August the inimitable Ian Burke
kindly breaks his vacation from the chalk face at Eton College to tutor in
Drawing to Printmaking.
The wonderful autumn light of October in Staithes has tempted back Bruce
Mulcahy (now also RSMA) to tutor in Opaque Materials.
Have a look at the Staithes Art School
pages and check them out.
Photography Weekends at Staithes Gallery
Yorkshire landscape photographer, author and tutor John Potter is to hold
two photography weekends at Staithes Art School for small groups wishing to
develop their skills amidst the inspiring environment of Staithes. Please
see his website for details and booking:
http://www.jpotter-landscape-photographer.com/news_events.php
A Sideways View by Baz Ward
An astonishing show of eye-catching new paintings by York artist Baz Ward:
3rd November - 15th December 2007 .
The village of Staithes has been painted and photographed over the years by hundreds of artists…but never quite like this.
Baz Ward, known to the region's art lovers for his hyper-real cityscapes of his native York, casts a fresh eye over the village and finds a rare beauty in its forgotten corners. He scrutinises the familiar and every day from surprising angles, revealing startling patterns and forms in sights that all too often escape our notice.
"I'm interested in finding surreal and abstract forms in familiar things," says Baz. "A sphinx-like profile on a rock face, for example, or Mondrian squares on a rendered wall."
This exhibition celebrates the inspiring village and coastline of Staithes
from unexpected perspectives that confound, dazzle and amaze.
SHELTER by Robert Shaw
Exhibition of Paintings 3rd August - 14th September 2007
Storms and floods are nothing new to Staithes and fears of coastal erosion
are the stuff of local lore (a mermaid's curse!). For generations the people
of this tiny settlement have stood up to the assaults of Time and Tide the
only way they can - by holding fast.
Artist Robert Shaw moved to the clifftop
village of Boulby overlooking Staithes in his late teens. He was captivated
by the huddles of cottages clinging to the very edges of the land and resisting
all that the North Sea could hurl at them. He began to depict what he saw
in dreamy impressionistic images that quickly found an enthusiastic market
among villagers and visitors alike.
He never stopped painting and Staithes continued to inspire him, despite moving
away and pursuing a successful career in building design. Now he returns,
a confident professional artist, with a breathtaking series of new paintings
that depict the storm-battered cottages clinging to the crumbling cliffs with
more poetry and colour than ever. But the new work also draws on his architectural
background to celebrate the construction of these hardy dwellings and the
beauty held so delicately within the balance, precarious as always, between
their vulnerability and their resilience.
Glut by Ian Burke: 3rd June - 26th July 2007
Painter and printmaker Ian Burke's
solo show opens on 3rd June. There will be tractors and cobles, fishermen
and fish, lads and sheds, breakfasts and lobsters galore. If you've never
seen Ian's vibrant paintings and distinctive linocut prints prepare to be
amazed. There are surprises too for old friends already familiar with Ian's
work. New themes are subjected to the scrutiny of his brush and press: bright
pink hunting jackets all but blot out familiar Yorkshire moor-land landscapes;
a cluttered Welsh dresser tantalisingly reveals the eccentricities of its
owner. There are plenty of lobsters on the menu still but they are served
alongside suckling pigs and the most hugely satsifying of English breakfasts.
An exhibition to relish!
30th Mar - 15th Apr 2007
ART EXHIBITION in aid of Staithes and Runswick RNLI Lifeboat Station:
Thanks to everyone who supported our Lifeboat Show. Sales of paintings, catalogues
and raffle tickets have so far raised a staggering £4361 for the RNLI
Train One Save Many campaign. Raffle tickets are still on sale in the gallery.
(Don't miss out on a chance to win the fabulous prize.) Thanks to all the
artists who produced such a wonderful variety of superb quality artwork and
to villagers and visitors who came along. A special thank you to the people
who gave up their time to keep upstairs gallery open. This was a great success
and we couldn't have done it without you!
Raffle in aid of RNLI: 1st Prize "Staithes Dreaming" by Robert Shaw
Robert Shaw has kindly donated this stunning artwork "Staithes Dreaming"
as first prize in our raffle for the RNLI Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station.
The second prize will be a beautiful new lino-cut print by Ian Burke. Third
prize will be a copy of the catalogue for the 2007 RNLI Show signed by all
the artists.
Tickets go on sale at the Easter RNLI Exhibition and until the draw during
Staithes Lifeboat Weekend in August 2007.
Reviews and media coverage of Staithes Gallery
The Guardian (Film and Music)
12th September 2008
The Guardian (Travel) 13th September
2008
Whitby Gazette 12th June
2007
Yorkshire Post 21st
April 2007
Whitby Gazette 23rd
March 2007
Evening Gazette
16th Feb 2007 - Cover and feature
Whitby Gazette 21st November
2006
Yorkshire Journal July 2006
- Feature
Whitby Gazette 21st
April 2006
Yorkshire Post
15th April 2006 - Cover, Page2,
Page3, Page4.
Links
Staithes Town
Esk Valley
Holiday
Cottages
Staithes Fishing Boat
What's On Guide to Yorkshire and Humber
North York Moors Accommodation
and Tourist Guide