27 Sep 2024
Middlesbrough station sets its sights on becoming the most creative in the UKThe railway station has been transformed into a colourful art gallery, with a new exhibition displaying art from across the North East, now on display for all to enjoy.
The station will see a gradual increase in the number of designs displayed throughout the coming months by eight artists, all based in the North East of England, with four from Teesside.
The commissioned artists are Emma Bennett, Ed Carter, Rachael Clewlow, Gareth Hudson and Toby Thirling, Beth Johnson, Keino, Helen Pailing, and Adam Shaw.
Each project will offer a local perspective on the shared history of the station and train travel across the North East and will feature a range of bespoke visual artworks.
Already on display is Rachael Clewlow's 'Tees Colour Register', which is a large-scale installation using light and colour, informed by a series of performative train journeys taken by the artist across the entire Tees Valley rail network.
Other artwork on display includes Adam Shaw's 'Kiosk', Emma Bennett's 'Middlesbrough Moquette' and Beth Johnson's 'Journey'.
The exhibition was formally opened yesterday (Thursday 26 September) to mark the start of Middlesbrough Art Week and as part of a partnership between TransPennine Express (TPE), who manage the station, Middlesbrough Council and artist-led organisation Navigator North as part of the Most Creative Station programme.
Middlesbrough Art Week, which runs between 26 September and 05 October, will host a programme of free events, critical conversations and creative activities.
The artwork can be found around the station, in the main building, on platform 1 and in the waiting room on platform 2.
The train operator is proud to support its local communities and artists by providing a space to showcase the work.
Kathryn O'Brien, Customer Experience & Transformation Director for TransPennine Express, said, "Middlesbrough Railway Station is a striking and historic building, and we're proud to be showcasing work from local artists during Middlesbrough Art Week and beyond.
"Our station is the perfect location for displaying these fantastic artworks for all to see and I hope that customers passing by enjoy looking at each of the pieces.
"We are committed to the communities we serve and recognise the part we play in helping them to grow, and are delighted to be supporting the arts."
Vicky Holbrough, Navigator North Director said, "We are delighted to be working with TransPennine Express and the station team to deliver this programme. Working closely with the station we will be bringing a further six artists commissions into the building between now and March 2025.
"As the programme unfolds, we are experiencing the positive impact of this innovative project - raising the profile of regional artists, connecting to local heritage, offering a new experience for those living and visiting the town and challenging perceptions about what a station can be."
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: "There's been a lot of hard work to make Middlesbrough Station fit for the future and a modern gateway for the town. "These installations will be the icing on the cake for those passing through and will celebrate our proud heritage. I, like many others, am very keen to see the wider project completed and I'm looking forward to this happening soon."
The event marks the first in a series of artist commissions and residencies for the programme Most Creative Station for Middlesbrough station. The Most Creative Station programme aims to animate the station with specific artwork and creative intervention and provides opportunities for people to be creative.
The programme will run up to Spring 2025 and forms part of a large-scale project to transform several of Middlesbrough's cultural anchors, including the Central Library, MIMA, The Auxiliary and Platform A with support from The Cultural Development Fund, a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) fund administered by Arts Council England.
Middlesbrough station sets its sights on becoming the most creative in the UK | TransPennine Express News (tpexpress.co.uk)
Middlesbrough station sets its sights on becoming the most creative in the UKThe railway station has been transformed into a colourful art gallery, with a new exhibition displaying art from across the North East, now on display for all to enjoy.
The station will see a gradual increase in the number of designs displayed throughout the coming months by eight artists, all based in the North East of England, with four from Teesside.
The commissioned artists are Emma Bennett, Ed Carter, Rachael Clewlow, Gareth Hudson and Toby Thirling, Beth Johnson, Keino, Helen Pailing, and Adam Shaw.
Each project will offer a local perspective on the shared history of the station and train travel across the North East and will feature a range of bespoke visual artworks.
Already on display is Rachael Clewlow's 'Tees Colour Register', which is a large-scale installation using light and colour, informed by a series of performative train journeys taken by the artist across the entire Tees Valley rail network.
Other artwork on display includes Adam Shaw's 'Kiosk', Emma Bennett's 'Middlesbrough Moquette' and Beth Johnson's 'Journey'.
The exhibition was formally opened yesterday (Thursday 26 September) to mark the start of Middlesbrough Art Week and as part of a partnership between TransPennine Express (TPE), who manage the station, Middlesbrough Council and artist-led organisation Navigator North as part of the Most Creative Station programme.
Middlesbrough Art Week, which runs between 26 September and 05 October, will host a programme of free events, critical conversations and creative activities.
The artwork can be found around the station, in the main building, on platform 1 and in the waiting room on platform 2.
The train operator is proud to support its local communities and artists by providing a space to showcase the work.
Kathryn O'Brien, Customer Experience & Transformation Director for TransPennine Express, said, "Middlesbrough Railway Station is a striking and historic building, and we're proud to be showcasing work from local artists during Middlesbrough Art Week and beyond.
"Our station is the perfect location for displaying these fantastic artworks for all to see and I hope that customers passing by enjoy looking at each of the pieces.
"We are committed to the communities we serve and recognise the part we play in helping them to grow, and are delighted to be supporting the arts."
Vicky Holbrough, Navigator North Director said, "We are delighted to be working with TransPennine Express and the station team to deliver this programme. Working closely with the station we will be bringing a further six artists commissions into the building between now and March 2025.
"As the programme unfolds, we are experiencing the positive impact of this innovative project - raising the profile of regional artists, connecting to local heritage, offering a new experience for those living and visiting the town and challenging perceptions about what a station can be."
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: "There's been a lot of hard work to make Middlesbrough Station fit for the future and a modern gateway for the town. "These installations will be the icing on the cake for those passing through and will celebrate our proud heritage. I, like many others, am very keen to see the wider project completed and I'm looking forward to this happening soon."
The event marks the first in a series of artist commissions and residencies for the programme Most Creative Station for Middlesbrough station. The Most Creative Station programme aims to animate the station with specific artwork and creative intervention and provides opportunities for people to be creative.
The programme will run up to Spring 2025 and forms part of a large-scale project to transform several of Middlesbrough's cultural anchors, including the Central Library, MIMA, The Auxiliary and Platform A with support from The Cultural Development Fund, a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) fund administered by Arts Council England.
Middlesbrough station sets its sights on becoming the most creative in the UK | TransPennine Express News (tpexpress.co.uk)
Legacy Lothar Götz, Emma Bennett, Loucey Bain 1st August - 5th September 2024
In 2014 Platform A presented a solo exhibition of the work of Lothar Götz. The idea was to have Götz mentor an emerging artist with a visual language with some similarities to his own. Götz shared some of his techniques and ideas with the mentee during the installation. The emerging artist then went on to establish herself as a significant practitioner. That mentee was Emma Bennett. Her work has since developed in terms of colour, composition and scale and, like Götz, regularly makes reference to architecture. Legacy brings recent work from these two artists together for a visual conversation that is augmented by the work of an emerging artist and new mentee, Loucey Bain. Bain’s brutalist plasterboard sculptures bring physicality to the ideas of Götz and Bennett. The outcome is a three-way visual dialogue around colour and form underlined by the importance of strengthening professional relationships as the legacy continues.
www.platformagallery.net/index.php/shows
In 2014 Platform A presented a solo exhibition of the work of Lothar Götz. The idea was to have Götz mentor an emerging artist with a visual language with some similarities to his own. Götz shared some of his techniques and ideas with the mentee during the installation. The emerging artist then went on to establish herself as a significant practitioner. That mentee was Emma Bennett. Her work has since developed in terms of colour, composition and scale and, like Götz, regularly makes reference to architecture. Legacy brings recent work from these two artists together for a visual conversation that is augmented by the work of an emerging artist and new mentee, Loucey Bain. Bain’s brutalist plasterboard sculptures bring physicality to the ideas of Götz and Bennett. The outcome is a three-way visual dialogue around colour and form underlined by the importance of strengthening professional relationships as the legacy continues.
www.platformagallery.net/index.php/shows
24 April 2024
Introduction to Working Lives
Join the MIMA team as they introduce Working Lives, a new exhibition which brings together artworks dating from the 1880s to 2024 held in the Middlesbrough Collection and are shown alongside loaned pieces by contemporary artists connected with Cleveland Art Society. The exhibition examines the creative lives of artists working in the Tees Valley and highlights the importance of artist groups and the support structures that have been built by artists in the region. A new film made using Artificial Intelligence (AI) asks questions about what collections mean to different people.
17:30 – 18:30: Working Lives: Artist Spotlight Talks
Meet artists whose work features in new exhibition Working Lives, for a series of spotlight talks within our galleries. Hear from artists such as Bobby Benjamin, Claire A. Baker, Emma Bennett, Phil Gatenby, Gail Henderson, Kev Howard, Jonny Green, Sarah Cooney and Saud Baloch as they reflect on their current practices.
MIMA — Working Lives
Introduction to Working Lives
Join the MIMA team as they introduce Working Lives, a new exhibition which brings together artworks dating from the 1880s to 2024 held in the Middlesbrough Collection and are shown alongside loaned pieces by contemporary artists connected with Cleveland Art Society. The exhibition examines the creative lives of artists working in the Tees Valley and highlights the importance of artist groups and the support structures that have been built by artists in the region. A new film made using Artificial Intelligence (AI) asks questions about what collections mean to different people.
17:30 – 18:30: Working Lives: Artist Spotlight Talks
Meet artists whose work features in new exhibition Working Lives, for a series of spotlight talks within our galleries. Hear from artists such as Bobby Benjamin, Claire A. Baker, Emma Bennett, Phil Gatenby, Gail Henderson, Kev Howard, Jonny Green, Sarah Cooney and Saud Baloch as they reflect on their current practices.
MIMA — Working Lives
Making Middlesbrough Railway Station the most creative in the UK
09 February 2024
Ambitious artwork steeped in Middlesbrough’s heritage is set to make the town’s railway station the most creative in the UK. In partnership with artist-led organisation Navigator North, Middlesbrough Council has commissioned eight artists who will celebrate aspects of the town’s rail heritage through a series of striking and imaginative pieces of public art. The project was launched last year with an open call which attracted dozens of artists to pitch ideas. Eight artists have now been chosen, all who are based in the North-East, with four from Teesside.
The commissioned artists are Emma Bennett, Ed Carter, Rachael Clewlow, Gareth Hudson & Toby Thirling, Beth Johnson, Keino, Helen Pailing and Adam Shaw.
Each project will offer a local perspective on our shared history of the train station and train travel across the region and will feature a range of bespoke visual art works. The Most Creative Train Station project will coincide with the multi-million pound refurbishment of the historic station, built in 1877, which will include a new platform and infrastructure and a range of new rail services. The art works are currently in development with the first commissions planned to be in situ by Spring 2024, with the wider works due to be complete in early 2025.
Cllr Philippa Storey, Middlesbrough’s Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Culture, said: “We were blown away by the originality, quality and passion for Middlesbrough displayed in the submissions we received from artists. “Making Middlesbrough Station the most creative in the UK is just one of the ways we’re improving access to art and culture, as part of the funding Middlesbrough Council received from the Cultural Development Fund and a fantastic way to kick off the celebration of the bicentennial of the railway. “Middlesbrough Railway Station is one of our most striking and historic buildings and I’m excited to see its refurbishment completed, and then how this artwork will interact within the space.”
The programme forms part of a large-scale project to transform several of Middlesbrough’s cultural anchors including the Central Library, MIMA, The Auxiliary and Platform A with support from The Cultural Development Fund, a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) fund administered by Arts Council England.
Making Middlesbrough Railway Station the most creative in the UK | Middlesbrough Council
09 February 2024
Ambitious artwork steeped in Middlesbrough’s heritage is set to make the town’s railway station the most creative in the UK. In partnership with artist-led organisation Navigator North, Middlesbrough Council has commissioned eight artists who will celebrate aspects of the town’s rail heritage through a series of striking and imaginative pieces of public art. The project was launched last year with an open call which attracted dozens of artists to pitch ideas. Eight artists have now been chosen, all who are based in the North-East, with four from Teesside.
The commissioned artists are Emma Bennett, Ed Carter, Rachael Clewlow, Gareth Hudson & Toby Thirling, Beth Johnson, Keino, Helen Pailing and Adam Shaw.
Each project will offer a local perspective on our shared history of the train station and train travel across the region and will feature a range of bespoke visual art works. The Most Creative Train Station project will coincide with the multi-million pound refurbishment of the historic station, built in 1877, which will include a new platform and infrastructure and a range of new rail services. The art works are currently in development with the first commissions planned to be in situ by Spring 2024, with the wider works due to be complete in early 2025.
Cllr Philippa Storey, Middlesbrough’s Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Culture, said: “We were blown away by the originality, quality and passion for Middlesbrough displayed in the submissions we received from artists. “Making Middlesbrough Station the most creative in the UK is just one of the ways we’re improving access to art and culture, as part of the funding Middlesbrough Council received from the Cultural Development Fund and a fantastic way to kick off the celebration of the bicentennial of the railway. “Middlesbrough Railway Station is one of our most striking and historic buildings and I’m excited to see its refurbishment completed, and then how this artwork will interact within the space.”
The programme forms part of a large-scale project to transform several of Middlesbrough’s cultural anchors including the Central Library, MIMA, The Auxiliary and Platform A with support from The Cultural Development Fund, a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) fund administered by Arts Council England.
Making Middlesbrough Railway Station the most creative in the UK | Middlesbrough Council
As part of Middlesbrough Art Week, I am exhibiting in From the Urban to the Rural at The Auxiliary
From the Urban to the Rural, Upstairs Gallery (No Step Free Access)
Loucey Bain, Emma Bennett, Dianne Bowell, Nell Catchpole, Gordon Dalton, Rachel Deakin, Dyad, Will Hughes, Lisa Lovebucket, John James Perangie, Chris Suttie and Vision 25-C.
Throughout the summer, 12 regional artists from The Auxiliary Project Space and Gilkes Street Artists participated in residencies at VARC (Visual Artists in Rural Communities). Decamping from urban Middlesbrough to rural Northumberland either alone or in groups, these short residencies gave each artist time and space to think, create work and to recalibrate. See how they developed their work in this group show at MAW, curated by Will Hughes.
I am very pleased to announce that I will be taking part in an artist's residency at VARC in rural Northumberland
The Auxiliary Group
From July to September 2023, The Auxiliary and VARC will facilitate thirteen Tees Valley artists to participate in VARC’s residency programme.
‘As part of our artistic development programme, we had spoken to our studioholders about what might help with that,’ says Liam Slevin, artistic director at The Auxiliary. ‘One of the things that came up was going on residencies, and we’ve been really lucky in being successful in our application as a consortium to VARC.’
The group is multi-disciplinary and includes ceramicists, painters, sculptors, photographers, sound and textile artists. All of the artists will spend at least one week each at the residency. As studio based artists living in an urban landscape, this is an excellent opportunity for the artists to spend time in a rural location and investigate how this meets and shapes their individual and collective creative practice and expression.
On the 12th of August, some of the artists will share their experiences of the residency, performing live demonstrations throughout the day at VARC as well as talking about their own experiences and wider practices. The residency will culminate with an exhibition at Middlesbrough Art Week (28th September – 7th October), showcasing documentation and work produced on the residency.
varc.org.uk/artists/the-auxiliary-group/
The Auxiliary Group
From July to September 2023, The Auxiliary and VARC will facilitate thirteen Tees Valley artists to participate in VARC’s residency programme.
‘As part of our artistic development programme, we had spoken to our studioholders about what might help with that,’ says Liam Slevin, artistic director at The Auxiliary. ‘One of the things that came up was going on residencies, and we’ve been really lucky in being successful in our application as a consortium to VARC.’
The group is multi-disciplinary and includes ceramicists, painters, sculptors, photographers, sound and textile artists. All of the artists will spend at least one week each at the residency. As studio based artists living in an urban landscape, this is an excellent opportunity for the artists to spend time in a rural location and investigate how this meets and shapes their individual and collective creative practice and expression.
On the 12th of August, some of the artists will share their experiences of the residency, performing live demonstrations throughout the day at VARC as well as talking about their own experiences and wider practices. The residency will culminate with an exhibition at Middlesbrough Art Week (28th September – 7th October), showcasing documentation and work produced on the residency.
varc.org.uk/artists/the-auxiliary-group/
My Curator Space profile can be viewed using the following link:
www.curatorspace.com/artists/emmabennett
www.curatorspace.com/artists/emmabennett
In January 2023 I was awarded an a-n bursary to develop my practice by learning new skills.
"Supported by a bursary from a-n The Artists Information Company"
"Supported by a bursary from a-n The Artists Information Company"
