What a fantastic evening in Crosby! A huge thank you to Luke Skiffington for being an incredible host, and to everyone who came out to support the Paper Cuts 2 show.
If you couldn’t make it, there’s still time to catch the exhibition. It’s open by appointment from December 1st to December 3rd. All artwork is available for purchase through the gallery and online.
The countdown to Paper Cuts 2 is officially underway! Join us for the opening event on Saturday, 30th November, from 5-7pm, where we’ll gather for drinks in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The exhibition will then run by appointment from 1st to 3rd December.
Nestled in a Mersey View unit, just a short walk from the iconic Anthony Gormley installation on Crosby Beach, this intimate space will showcase an exciting and diverse collection of artists including: Ally Wallace, Beth Jones, Credo, Daniel Halsall, Elizabeth Challinor, Ellie Towers, Fiona Stirling, Frances Disley, Frea Buckler, Graham Lister, Hayley Harman, James Bacchi-Andreoli, Jennifer Douglas, Landlines Studio, Luke Skiffington, Marc Renshaw, Mark Brogan and Ruby Tingle.
We’d be delighted to see you there! For those traveling from outside Liverpool, the gallery’s postcode is LL22 6QB. Don’t miss this wonderful celebration of paper based creativity!
I had the pleasure of stopping by Paradise Works briefly this evening to experience Belinda Worsley’s installation, Rose is a Rose is a Rose, beautifully displayed in Jeffrey Knopf’s studio.
It was a joy to reconnect with familiar faces and meet so many new ones there. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came for the engaging conversations, to Belinda for inviting me to be part of this inspiring project, and to Jeffrey for graciously hosting. I’m excited to see where the postcards travel to next!
Mark your calendars for Saturday, 16th November, when “Rose is a Rose is a Rose” opens its doors for a special one-day event, coinciding with the Manchester Contemporary and Paradise Works’ Open Studios in Salford.
From 3 PM to 9 PM, Belinda Worsley will showcase her captivating postcard project, accompanied by works from Steven Calver, Angela Tait, and Jeffrey Knopf in his studio space.
The works in the Rose Project draw inspiration from Gertrude Stein’s famous line, “A rose is a rose is a rose,” a simplified form of the phrase from her 1913 poem Sacred Emily. Often interpreted as a reflection of the law of identity (“A is A”), the quote suggests that things are simply what they are. Stein believed that naming something evokes the emotions and imagery associated with it, an idea central to broader philosophical debates on universals—where thinkers like Peter Abelard used the rose to explore how language conveys meaning.
With my own work focused on the challenges of communication and the complexities of language, I created a couple of postcards reflecting these themes in connection to Stein’s quote. Be sure to look out for my text-based contributions amid the beautiful array of roses on display!
Enjoyed a fantastic evening at the AIR Open tonight! Now in its seventh year, this year’s exhibition is the largest yet, showcasing 58 works by contemporary artists from around the world. The collection spans diverse media including video art, drawing, sculpture, textiles, and mixed media. Additionally, a digital showcase featuring the longlisted artists is available on the AIR Open website.
The exhibition runs from August 16 to September 21, and visitors are invited to cast their votes for their favorite pieces. This year’s lineup features talented artists such as:
Aimee Spilsted, Alex Aiton, Amelia Frances Wood, ANDI, Archie Leigh-Jones, Becky Moon, Bethan Hamilton, Bill Psarras, Chris Lewtas, Ciarrai MacCormac, Craig Fisher, Daniel H Bell, Enxi Liu, Gareth Cairns, Hang Zhang, Helen Davies, Jay Ottewell, Julie Cassels, Justine Lesage, Kate Street, Katy Mason, Kelan Andrews, Laura Nathan, Lucy Ridges, Lucy Waters, Lois Hopwood, Luke Skiffington, Lula Braimbridge, Marc Renshaw, Marie Jones, Nicola Bolton, Nigel Grimmer, Nisaa Saeed Raja, Rachel Ackroyd, Ramon Omolają Adeyemi, Ruby Tingle, Sam Owen Hull, Sara Hindhaugh, Simon Leahy-Clark, Steve Sutton, Tom Motley, and Vincent James.
Definitely a must-see in Manchester for the summer!
Thrilled to hear I have made the final selection of 60 artworks for the AIR Open 2024. A big thank you to the judging panel (Alan Baker, Jude Wainwright, David Gledhill and Mike Chavez-Dawson) for selecting my piece ‘Salty’ from over 1,300 pieces of work. Feeling humbled and truly honoured!
The exhibition launch will take place on Thursday 15th August at Rogue Artist Studios from 6-9pm with all welcome to attend. If you’re free then I hope to see you there!
Other artists in the line-up include:
Aimee Spilsted, Alex Aiton, Amelia Frances Wood, ANDI, Archie Leigh-Jones, Becky Moon, Bethan Hamilton, Bill Psarras, Chris Lewtas, Ciarraí MacCormac, Craig fisher, Daniel H Bell, Enxi Liu, Gareth Cairns, Hang Zhang, Helen Davies, Jay Ottewell, Julie Cassels, Justine Lesage, Kate Street, Katy Mason, Kelan Andrews, Laura Nathan, Lucy Ridges, Lucy Waters, Lois Hopwood, Luke Skiffington, Lula Braimbridge, Marc Remshaw, Marie Jones, Nicola Bolton, Nigel Grimmer, Nisaa Saeed Raja, Rachel Ackroyd, Ramon Omolaja Adeyemi, Ruby Tingle, Sam Owen Hull, Sara Hindhaugh, Simon Leahy-Clark, Steve Sutton, Tom Motley and Vincent James.
Huge congratulations to you all! I can’t wait to see your work at the show.
Thrilled to share the news from this evening that I am the recipient of AWOL / Comme Ca Open 2024 First Prize award. It was such a wonderful surprise! Many thanks to the selection panel and the judges Sean Williams, Ceri Morgan and Short Supply for the honour, it is greatly appreciated.
Also a big thank you to all at AWOL and Comme Ca for the seamless curation of work and making the event one to remember. Special mentions for David French, Jude Wainwright, Claire Turner and last (but by no means least), Cass Art for the fantastic goodie bags you provided to all artists, the vouchers I received as part of my prize and the opportunity to show in your Manchester gallery (can’t wait to get planning!).
Delighted for the lovely Laura Nathan too with her highly commended award! Many congratulations to her; very well deserved for her strikingly beautiful and poignant piece.
Photo appears courtesy of Jude Wainwright.
A few pictures from the AWOL/Comme Ca Art Open 2024 preview. Had such a fantastic evening! Many great conversations with beautiful people amongst a gorgeous, eclectic selection of work. It must’ve been a huge challenge to narrow down the 200 odd entries to 22 artists!
The show is open to the public at Hope Mill from the 18th May and runs until Sat 22nd June 2024 (Opening times are Wednesday and Thursday 11-4pm & Sat 11-2pm). Plenty of time to catch it if you are about in the area! If you are new to the space, the gallery at Hope Mill is amazing too – great light with wonderful views of Ancoats and beyond. Highly recommend a visit!
Delighted to announce that I have been selected along with 21 others for the AWOL / Comme Ca 2024 Open Call. Many thanks to Short Supply, Sean Williams and Ceri Morgan for including my work in the show!
Really looking forward to the preview which will be held in Comme Ca’s gallery space at Hope Mill, Ancoats on 17th May 2024 (which is when the overall winner and highly commended prizes will be announced). The lucky first prize winner will receive £2,000, £150 in Cass Art vouchers and an exhibition opportunity at Cass Art in Manchester. The highly commended prize winner will receive £500.
Exhibiting artists are as follows: Aimee Spilstead, Anna Stevens, Catherine Hill, Christopher Rainham, Daniel Hester, Dotto, Georgia Noble, Hanzhi Zong, Helen Davies, James Bloomfield, Jamie Kirk, Jon Pountain, Kay Shah, Laura Nathan, Luke Armstrong, Michael Mackenzie, Niamh Murphy, Olga Mun, Sarah Grant, Sharon Howarth and Simon Blackley.
Wonderful evening catching up with a number of familiar faces and meeting new ones at the Manchester Open 2024 (a few of whom are captured here).
It was too busy to really see the work properly so I will head back in the not too distant future for a closer look! The show is open until Sunday 28th April so there is plenty of time to see a snapshot of what Manchester’s creative scene has to offer. A catalogue of participating artists is available here.
Many thanks to Ruby Knopf who has kindly given me permission to share a couple of her photos of the evening.
