Emerging voices in curation are taking centre stage in a major new art exhibition shaped by young people.
The Hatton Gallery in Newcastle, in partnership with the Jerwood Collection, has partnered to present HAPPY!, an exhibition curated in collaboration with L-INK, the gallery’s youth collective for 16 to 24-year-olds.
Running from 14 February to May 9, the exhibition features works by established artists including Gillian Ayers RA, Yinka Ilori, Eva Rothschild, and Alan Davie.
Yinka Ilori; Sun and Water can Live Together; 2023. Screenprint Paper and Image (Image: Artwork by Yinka Ilori. Courtesy the artist and Cristea Roberts Gallery, London)
Julie Milne, chief curator of art galleries at North East Museums, said: “The renowned Jerwood Collection of modern British and contemporary art has provided the inspirational opportunity for L-INK, our young people’s group, to curate an exhibition which explores the joy and challenges of creativity.”
HAPPY! explores how artists develop their practices through various pathways, including formal and informal education, as well as personal life experiences.
As part of the project, three North East schools – Archibald First School, St Paul’s CofE Primary School, and St Mary’s Catholic School – worked closely with the Hatton Gallery to respond creatively to works in the Jerwood Collection.
Their student-produced artworks will be exhibited alongside the professional pieces that inspired them.
Eva Rothschild; Garland 1, 2024 Screenprint Paper and Image (Image: Courtesy artist and Cristea Roberts Gallery, London)
Ms Milne said: “Selected school groups have also taken up the themes and produced their own art works in response to key art works in the collection.
“Set within the Hatton Gallery known for the experimental art teaching methods and art exhibitions of Victor Pasmore and Richard Hamilton, this wonderful exhibition is an education and inspiration to us all.”
The exhibition not only celebrates established talent but also highlights up-and-coming young artists, nodding to Victor Pasmore’s landmark 1957 Art Education Exhibition at the Hatton.
Sara, a member of the L-INK group, said: “The Jerwood Collection has brought L-INK such a nice opportunity where we got to move out a bit of our comfort zone in terms of exhibiting and curating our own projects throughout the years, meaning that we not only are developing our skills but also expanding our own experiences.
“The collection itself is rich and full of potential for a great outcome and we have been lucky to get to work with it, especially when it comes to the Hatton Gallery because as a historically significant space for the contemporary art world it is the best place to have this exhibition and I am glad to be part of it.”
Lara Wardle, executive director and trustee at the Jerwood Foundation, said: “HAPPY! reflects the Jerwood Collection’s commitment to meaningful engagement with modern and contemporary art.
“Inspired by Victor Pasmore’s pioneering 1957 Art Education Exhibition at the Hatton Gallery, this project places young people at the centre of curatorial thinking, encouraging learning through making, questioning and experience.
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“We are delighted to work with L-INK and Hatton Gallery on an exhibition that brings works from the Jerwood Collection into dialogue with new generations of artists and audiences.”
The exhibition spans three galleries at the Hatton, with two spaces dedicated exclusively to works from the Jerwood Collection.
HAPPY! is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, with free entry.