Artists Harvey, Jonathan and John from Prism Arts Studio Arts Programme worked with Tullie House curator Claire Sleightholm to co-curate the exciting new ‘Cultures Collide’ exhibition in the historic Old Tullie House, which opened earlier this year.
This opportunity arose as some of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings normally on show in the gallery are on tour in Japan; this proved to be an exciting starting point and led the team to explore the similarities between the apparently very different cultures of the United Kingdom and Japan.
By exploring the museum’s collections, the artists discovered a host of connections between Carlisle and Japan. They curated a selection of objects with local resonance as well as objects from Japan to explore important themes that connected the two cultures; Creature Comforts, Vibrant Industry and Natural Beauty.
The artists were so inspired by their experience working with the museum collections that they have created their own work in response. ‘Culture Collide: The Journey Continues’ is on display in the Tullie House Community Gallery, and showcases some of their fantastic work. Each artist has been inspired by different aspects of the project and has developed work in their own unique styles and according to their personal interests.
Catherine Coulthard, CEO Prism Arts said: “We have been working collectively with Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery for a number of years developing new opportunities for our emerging artists to develop their practice by responding to exhibitions and exhibiting work in the museum. This project is an exciting development as it has enabled our artists to work closely with the curatorial team which has proved an essential progression route for our emerging artists as they develop their work and engagement with new audiences.
This exhibition is the most ambitious project to date to explore collaborative working between guest curators from our communities and Tullie House’s curatorial team. This project brings together the individuals’ respective expertise and passion for visual art that has resulted in a unique exhibition.”
Claire Sleightholm, Project Curator at Tullie House: “It has been a real pleasure to work with these artists as guest curators on Cultures Collide, and that the experience was inspiring enough for them to produce their own response. We’re delighted to have their work within TullieHouse that showcases their individual talent and creative vision.”
The exhibition is open now until the 16th July.
