NARBI PRICE - ARTIST TALK AT NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY

Narbi Price will be giving a talk in Liverpool on 2nd Oct and in Newcastle on the 3rd October.

Returning to Liverpool on October 2nd at 1pm to do a talk on my work at the Walker Art Gallery as part of the John Moores Painting Prize Talk Tuesdays programme and also on the following day at Newcastle University at 10am as part of their Visiting Speakers. programme. Both talks are free, open to the public and no pre-booking is necessary.

NARBI PRICE - PRIZE WINNER JOHN MOORES 2012

We are very pleased to hear that Artist Narbi Price who is the tutor for Life Drawing and Acrylic Painting Courses at Newcastle Arts Centre is a prize winner of the John Moores Painting Prize which will be announced on Friday 14th September. There are 4 prizes of £2.5 thousand pounds and one of £25 thousand. Narbi has previously shown at the Walker Gallery Liverpool and in Milan, and will also be eligable for the People's Prize this year, which is voted for by the public who go to visit the exhibition.

For more information visit:

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

"I've made a point attending every John Moores exhibition since I first visited The Walker Art Gallery on a university trip in 1999. Seeing the familiar works by Turner and Daguerre every two years on the way through the galleries to the show has become as much a part of the experience as seeing what the exhibition is like each time.

It is testament to the changeling qualities of contemporary painting that the show is never the same in mood or rhythm. Trends come and go but one thing remains true about the John Moores Exhibition - it is a great snapshot of what is happening in contemporary painting at any given time.

This year I am lucky enough to be showing in John Moores for the second time and having my work selected by the esteemed panel of judges to win a prize is a great feeling."

JENNY PURRETT - CUSTOMS HOUSE EXHIBITION

Jenny Purrett who had a solo show at Newcastle Arts Centre at the beginning of this year has a new exhibition at the Customs House, South Shields. The show features a very big yet delicate drawing that has been applied direct to the gallery wall. Her shot paper that form trees is now a full scale stand that fills the main space, best viewed in the early evening when the setting sun beams through.

Jenny's show is at the Customs House until 29th September. She is also the tutor for a new introductory course at Newcastle Arts Centre - "Drawing for the terrified" open to all who want learn to draw without fear of making the 'wrong' mark.

For more information on Drawing for the Terrified and also for Jenny's Creative Drawing classes which start in 2013 click here.

JOHN STEZAKER WINS INTERNATIONAL PRIZE

John Stezaker, a surreal maker of new pictures from photos by other people, won an important international photography prize this month.

He was named winner of the £30,000 Deutsche Börse prize at a ceremony in London. The British artist, subject of a retrospective at the Whitechapel Gallery last year, won with "great unanimity" among the judges, said Brett Rogers, director of the Photographers' Gallery.

John had a solo exhibition at Spectro Arts Workshop, Bells Court, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle in 1977,

Spectro first established in Whitley Bay in 1970 was the forerunner of Newcastle Arts Centre which was founded in 1981.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/sep/03/deutsche-borse-prize-john-stezaker

This year's remarkable new paint product is Liquitex Acrylic Spray launched this month by Colart the owner of Winsor and Newton. This is a water based acrylic in an aerosol that matches the colours of Liquitex paints and inks. Although the most obvious use is for graffiti it has very exciting possibility for studio artists and craft makers and adds a new range of possibilities to interior decoration. Used with masking tape, frisket film or stencil sheet the whole range of airbrush techniques can be used on any surface the will take acrylic paint. Furthermore this is a low odour product that is much safer than solvent based spray cans.

We have a limited number of tester cans free to customers on request

FAKE INDIE LABEL PRESENT

Meursault

22nd November

7.30pm

Tickets £8 advance.

Following their sold out album launch at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh and the release of their critically acclaimed third album Something for the Weakened, Meursault return to Newcastle with a show at The Black Swan, with string section The Pumpkin Seeds.

Click here for all events coming up in the Black Swan Bar and Venue at Newcastle Arts Centre.

THE WAITING ROOM BY RACHAEL ALLEN PREVIEW

The preview of Rachael Allen's exhibition 'the waiting room' was a success as people came to be the first to see the artist's new work and hear her talk about her process and the challenges she faces whilst practicing as an artist.

Rachael will also be presenting a one hour lecture, followed by a discussion on Thursday September 27th from 6-8pm. This artist lecture which is entitled 'the art of illness' is free and all are welcome, however seating will be on a first come first served basis.

As well as this lecture Rachael is also offering a free workshop called 'make a death plaque' where participants are asked to cast decaying fruit and vegetables. For further details click here.

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS (HODS) 2012

55-57 WESTGATE ROAD

Last Saturday 8th September we opened the doors to 55-57 Westgate Road for guided tours of 'from mansion house to art house.' Mike Tilley lead the tour again this year for another great turn out to this popular anual event.

For more information on the interesting history of 55-57 Westgate Road click on the image above.

LOOKING BETTER & WORKING FASTER THIS YEAR

Our Westgate Road elevation has had a makeover. As part of our programme of improvements our front onto Westgate Road is having an overhaul and repaint with colours from a traditional artist palette to add colour to our street.

We now have a high speed fibre optic Internet access to our office and meeting rooms so pictures and video will down and upload up to 40 times faster than our current service.

Refurbished offices / design studio available on 'easy in' 'easy out' terms available.

Click here for further images

Email for information

Westgate Road Milecastle

Westgate Road Milecastle now has a 'blue plaque' to mark the discovery of south-west corner of this fortified gate in Hadrian's Wall in 1985. This discovery confirmed that the Roman Wall ran along the south side of Westgate Road and is marked by a replica of the foundations that can be seen in the Black Swan Courtyard at Newcastle Arts Centre. This should not be confused with the Mile Castle pub which is further down the street. Dave Fry (top left of the photo) who led the excavation now runs the Pottery Studio at the Centre.

Councillor Nick Forbes Leader of Newcastle City Council
unveiled the plaque at the entrance to Black Swan Court on Thursday 29th September 2011.

Westgate gets a 4 star Hotel

The former Eagle Star House has been transformed into a 148 bedroom 4 star Indigo Hotel just yards from Newcastle Arts Centre.

The former Hell’s Kitchen star Chef Marco Pierre White's new restaurant is the focal point of the new £14m boutique Hotel now open on Fenkle Street opposite Newcastle Arts Centre.

The new Steakhouse Bar and Grill is a 120 seat restaurant that will offer a private dining area, bar and lounge.

North of England Art Club at Newcastle Arts Centre

The venue is open 6 days per week.