The Visual Arts in Darlington incorporates an exciting programme of exhibitions, public art commissions and Darlington Borough Collection.

The Myles Meehan Gallery has gained a local and national reputation for showing innovative and contemporary exhibitions. The gallery delivers an education programme, featuring talks from artists, visual arts demonstrations and workshops. In addition to the Myles Meehan Gallery the recent refurbishment of Darlington Arts Centre has seen the development of a new community gallery, The Lounge Gallery, which showcases the work of community artists, students and new and upcoming artists.

Public Art has played an important role in the development of new spaces in Darlington in recent years including West Park and the Pedestrian Heart. West Park is a major development incorporating new housing, a NHS hospital, a new school, recreation facilities and a large park with panoramic views. Forward thinking developer,  Tony Cooper from Bussey and Armstrong, commissioned artists, poets and writers at the earliest stages of the development. W. N. Herbert has written poetry based on the local history and wildlife of the site, that has been carved within functional and sculptural features,  placed throughout the rolling landscape of the park. Sculptors, David Paton and David Edwick have also produced sculptural features for the park and hospital respectively. The pedestrianisation of the Town Centre in the Pedestrian Heart scheme provided the opportunity for artist, Michael Pinsky to be on the design team. This resulted in the creation of unique Public Art features including Life Pulse, consisting of five lighting columns, which read and illuminate visitors heart beats, creating changing patterns of light. Darlington is also home to one of the first iconic public art lottery projects in the region, Train by David Mach, which is made from 185,000 bricks and commemorates Darlington's railway heritage.

Darlington Borough Collection is a compilation of artworks, which spans over 150 years and has a breadth of theme and subject matter, including landscapes, portraits, local scenes, seascapes and animals. These artworks are created using different styles and media, featuring oil paintings, etchings, tapestry, watercolours and drawing. The collection features work by locally and nationally renowned artists including Graham Sutherland, John W Carmichael, Tom McGuiness and John Dobbin. A selection of artworks from the collection has recently been on display at the Myles Meehan Gallery in the Variation exhibition.

For further information please contact:

Julie Revell

Visual and Public Art Officer
Darlington Borough Council
The Arts Centre
Vane Terrace
Darlington
DL3 7AX

Email: julie.revell@darlington.gov.uk
Telephone: (01325) 348845