The Visual Arts in Darlington incorporates an exciting programme of exhibitions, Public Art commissions and Darlington Borough Art Collection.
The Myles Meehan Gallery has gained a local and national reputation for showing innovative and contemporary exhibitions. The gallery delivers an exciting education programme, featuring talks from artists, visual arts demonstrations and workshops. In addition to the Myles Meehan Gallery Darlington Arts Centre also has three community galleries, the Lounge Gallery, Glass Corridor Gallery, Craft Cabinet which showcase 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 visitor’s 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 181, 754 bricks and commemorates Darlington's railway heritage.
Darlington Borough Art Collection includes a wide range of artworks, which span over 150 years and have 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.
For further information on the Visual Arts in Darlington please contact:
Julie Revell
Visual and Public Arts Officer
Darlington Arts Centre
Vane Terrace
Darlington
DL3 7AX
Email: julie.revell@darlington.gov.uk
Telephone: 01325 348845