An exhibition to mark Rheged’s 25th anniversary is now open.
Celebrating 25 years of championing contemporary art in Cumbria, the milestone Twenty Five & Over exhibition brings together work by 25 established artists who
have previously exhibited at Rheged, alongside four emerging talents selected through a regional open call.
It is open daily from 9.30am to 5pm at the centre, near Penrith, and is free to enter.
It runs until February 1 and visitors can explore a collection of painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, and textiles.
It is Rheged’s 62nd exhibition since opening and takes inspiration from Rheged’s inaugural show, Twelve, which spotlighted 12 local artists.
Four of the original 12 – Tracy Levine, Paul Scott, Derek Eland, and Julian Cooper – return for this year’s event.
Claire Harrison, gallery curator, said: “We wanted to honour the incredible artists who have been a key part of our story so far.
“This exhibition is both a celebration of the past and an exciting look ahead to the future of art in Cumbria.
“We’ve selected artists from across the region, working in different mediums and from different art societies, to give a broad and vibrant representation.”
Among the returning artists are several who have previously held solo exhibitions at Rheged, including Derek Eland, Amy Bateman, Ian Lawson, and Tracy Levine.
Derek said: “I would like to thank Sarah Dunning, Claire Logan-Stephens, Claire Harrison and the whole team for everything you’ve done over the years. Rheged has never shied away from giving contemporary artists in Cumbria a high-quality platform to exhibit interesting and sometimes challenging work in all media.
“You have successfully filled the space between smaller private galleries and larger public museums, which are bound by commercial concerns or safe middle roads, and for that I thank you.”
For the first time, Rheged offers a more personal glimpse into the lives of the artists.
Alongside their work, each artist has responded to a series of reflective and informal questions such as what music they listen to in the studio, how they describe
themselves, or who they dream of collaborating with, offering a fresh perspective into the artists.
Rheged launched a regional open call for artists aged 18 to 30, receiving over 40 high-quality submissions.
Four promising artists were selected to exhibit in a dedicated space within the gallery – Em Whiteford, a landscape artist from Penrith, Ophelia Appleby a portrait artist from Brampton, Libby Gallagher, a textiles artist from Kendal and Oscar Fenner a landscape & collage artist from Penrith.
Visitors can vote for their favourite in a People’s Choice Award, with the winning artist receiving a £500 prize.
The exhibition is accompanied by a full programme of workshops, led by professional artists including exhibiting artist Catherine MacDiarmid.
As well as a special film screening of Show Up and Start – The Art and Life of Dorothy Ramsay on Sunday December 7, with an in-person Q&A with the Lake District based artist.
