The Exhibitionists

A celebration of the creative talent in Redcar and Cleveland

Spring Bank Holiday 27, 28, 29, 30 May 2011

The Exhibitionists artist open studios event presents a tantalising opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes of artists at work. The cream of local creative professionals will be participating in a number of events at a variety of venues throughout Redcar and Cleveland, revealing the quality and diversity of their work and making this a true celebration of the arts in the area.

The launch of the event will take place at Saltburn's 'Profile' Gallery. Late opening of local shops, as well as artists stalls in the town centre will add to the party feeling.

The Main Event starts at 6pm in Profile’s ‘Sitting Room’ with a plethora of local artists taking to the stage for their “15 Minutes of Fame”. A wide mix of classic folk, spoken word and the occasional bit of Didgeridoo!
Later in the evening Profile welcomes local singer/songwriter Elaine Palmer and 'The Bronze Medal'. Admission to the Sitting Room is free all evening but the headline event is ticket only, £5, available in advance from the gallery and strictly limited so grab one now if you can!

Further details of what will be on offer in the gallery can be found here.

Artsbank will feature the work Emily Hesse, a sculptor who's organically formed, sculptural works are created in driftwood. Emily describes her work as an intuitive response to the way in which she views the world. Inspiration comes from everywhere,form, texture, nature, thought and accident. Current works include abstract oil paintings on wood panels and found object collagraph prints.

"I was never really sure who I was, or my purpose in life.. I have no formal art training, although I consider myself to have always been an artist. In a moment of creative desperation I noticed the amazing beauty in a small piece of driftwood, collected a pile from a beach and formed it around a piece of old mirror. That was seven years ago. Now this wood is my life, my total obsession."

Emily's work can be viewed here.



Ten artist studio holders at Saltburn Artists' Projects will exhibit their work in the main gallery, as well as opening up their studios across the weekend. More details can be dicovered here.

The Artists Gallery will also be running workshops on the Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday why not take advantage of the chance to learn more about mosaics whilst helping to create a lasting piece of public art for Saltburn? This community mosaic workshop with Helen Jane Gaunt and Derek Mosey forms part of Saltburns’ 150 Celebrations. The 5 panel mosaic will depict various aspects of Saltburn-by-the-Sea and will be completed by local people, schools and community groups working alongside Helen and Derek. The panels will each feature a different area of the town, the finished mosaic will be located near the Station in Saltburn. There’s no need to book for this workshop, just drop in.

Saltburn's own Northern Lights Interiors is a beautiful emporium of objects spanning the whole of the 20th century, supplying interiors with items from the stylishly iconic to the utterly bizarre as well as a collection of chandeliers lovingly restored by the owners. Ted and Shirley have always been keen to promote local artists and designers, and will be exhibiting a collection of works by the talented Saltburn artist Andy Hawkins for the open studios weekend. Local Design Student NJL has been captivating and stirring the imagination of minds all around the northeast and will be proudly exhibiting a collection of work in another stunning window display for Northern Light Interiors.

A brochure detailing all events, venues, times and participating artists is available at a variety of places including those mentioned here. Alternatively you can download a copy here.

This promises to be a truly memorable event so grab the opportunity to experience the creation of new work in action, and importantly, a chance to meet and talk to participating artists and creative professionals about their critical thought processes and making techniques.