An artist whose gallery officially opened in Pateley Bridge last weekend has thanked local people for their support.
James Owen Thomas is known for his environmental activism through art. Much of the art on display in his gallery highlights issues on this topic and in particular single use plastics.
He was recently commissioned by Whitewoods Wellbeing near Bewerley, where he is the artist in residence, to create a collage of trees.
His latest collage involved collaging a Van Gogh portrait using discarded national lottery scratch cards. This was sold to a buyer in Leeds who visited the gallery.
James, who has lived in Pateley Bridge for more than 10 years, said:
“This is an area of outstanding natural beauty so I feel very lucky to live here and I am inspired in my art by all the nature in the local surroundings.”
“The idea of the official opening was to invite everyone local as a way of thanking them for their support and for them to see how I am developing my art business. “
Among those attending the opening was North Yorkshire deputy lieutenant, Professor David Hill, who gave a talk on environmental issues and praised James’ art for making a positive statement.
The gallery is open 11am to 3pm Wednesday to Friday. The Ripon City Photographic Society is also exhibiting at the gallery until July 30.
James (right) displays one of the pieces in the gallery.
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Business Breakfast: Harrogate company builds robots to help tackle leaking pipes
It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club!
The second in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is an After Work Drinks event on February 23 from 5.30pm. Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district, get your tickets now by clicking or tapping here.
A Harrogate-based robotics company, Synovate, has built robots which are set to help reduce leaks in water and gas pipes.
The ‘LeakVISION’ robot uses thermal imagining technology from aircraft to detect minor temperate changes in pipelines and identify leakages.
The robot can be deployed remotely, reducing the excavation needed to find a leak whilst avoiding road closures.
The LeakVISION robot has already been trialled successfully with Northern Gas.
Synovate worked with Northern Gas to train repair-workers to operate the robot. The idea is to make jobs safer and more efficient without making them obsolete.
Simon Langdale, engineering director at Synovate, said:
“The LeakVISION robots will make it easier and faster to identify and fix leaks, which will be a significant benefit to the environment. In addition, deploying robots saves time and resources over traditional excavation methods.
“We are also trialling new technology where the robots will seal leaks from within the pipes, further reducing the need for extensive digging.”
Synovate worked with experts from universities in Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds as part of the Pipebots scheme to help create the robots.
In addition to the LeakVISION robot, the company is also designing robots to spot hydrogen leaks.
Artist with Harrogate gallery adds new location in York
Lucy Pittaway, who has a gallery in the centre of Harrogate, has announced a new gallery will be opening in York.
Her existing Harrogate gallery, which is on Prospect Place, features original works of art and prints, as well as various other products including stationary and homeware.
The new gallery in York is located at 21 Coppergate, in close proximity to attractions such as the Jorvick centre, the Shambles and York Minster.
Lucy said:
“We hope our gallery offers a refreshed opportunity for locals to love their high street and enhance the experiences for tourists with a further boost to the city’s visitor economy.”
The new site is Lucy’s sixth solo gallery.
Lucy, who has painted many landmarks from across Yorkshire, added:
“Yorkshire affords us so many opportunities to enjoy diverse landscapes such as fells and valleys, amazing coast lines and vibrant cities and historic towns.”
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Walker Galleries in Harrogate moves online
The Walker Galleries has closed its shop on Montpellier Parade in Harrogate and moved its operations online.
Established in 1972, the family-run contemporary gallery is one of Harrogate’s premier art destinations.
It has a large number of 19th and 20th century English and European paintings and watercolours.
Managing director Ian Walker said the property was due to be renovated and stressed the gallery would continue to operate online and at art fairs.
Mr Walker said:
“We are continuing as a business, we are merely shutting down as a retail site. We have written to all our clients explaining the situation.”
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Well known Yorkshire artist to open gallery in Harrogate town centre
Yorkshire artist Lucy Pittaway is to open a new gallery on Prospect Place in Harrogate.
The award-winning artist is taking over the space formerly occupied by menswear store Austin Reed which closed its doors in 2016 and has stayed empty until now.
The new premises will be Ms Pittaway’s fifth solo art gallery and will offer original works of art as well as prints, homeware and stationery.
Her best known works are her signature sheep art and her work on the Tour de Yorkshire and UCI World Championships in Harrogate.
She said moving into Harrogate was always part of her business plan:
“We evaluated the town as part of our growth plans a number of years ago and just had to wait for the right time.”
The gallery is taking over the corner store that used to be Austin Reed
The store will welcome customers at its opening weekend on Saturday and Sunday, November 5 and 6.
Opening times will follow those of other stores which can be found here.
Breaking barriers at ‘hidden gem’ Harrogate home art galleryWith an expert eye for beautiful pieces, a portfolio of exciting artists and a lovely Harrogate home to pull it all together, this hidden gem of a gallery is breaking down barriers in the art world.
Sarah Collier set up Silson Contemporary in October 2016. Five years later, on a dull, grey day, a beaming Sarah opens the door and her bright, colourful space has immediate impact.
At first it took a big advertising effort to get artists and potential buyers through the door. But these days things are different: people are queuing up to get a glimpse at Sarah’s latest finds.
A home and an art gallery in one.
What started off in the dining room has spread to the living room and reception area. Some pieces are even making their way up the stairs at Silson Contemporary, which can be found on Harlow Oval.
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While Sarah enjoys working from home, it does mean that she has to always keep the space spotless. It also means that she has to love the pieces she exhibits because she lives with them.
It’s not just paintings at Silson Contemporary.
“It was just a little seed in my head. I wanted to set up a gallery and we had this beautiful room with big bay windows, high ceilings, hanging rails. It just went from there.
“People love coming in and seeing art in the home because that is where they are going to put it. This really gives people ideas about how they can display their art.
“The gallery does seem to be a bit more recognised now. I love how the business has grown. We are hidden so word of mouth has been really important.”
The entrance hall is covered from ceiling to floor in art.
There’s a common perception that art is just for people who have a lot of money. That is something that Sarah has been trying to push back against since she started.
“I think that’s a myth that has been perpetuated by the art world because it suits them. But it’s absolute rubbish.
“When I have been to galleries sometimes the staff look you up and down and if they don’t think you are rich they are not interested.
“Art is for everybody, absolutely everybody. I have work here that is expensive and I have work is that is inexpensive.”
Sarah studied art but when she was young she decided not to follow that interest.
However, when she was a radiographer at Harrogate District Hospital she decided to take up an MA in art history. That was the push she needed to get into the art industry and open her own gallery.
She says it was the “best decision she has ever made”. So as someone who loves art, would she ever sell her own pieces?
The artists are from all over the UK.
“No I am rubbish. I love the academic side and I love art but I overthink. All the artists I speak to encourage me but I can’t.
“Though I think that makes me appreciate what these artists do more. How can they know when to stop? How can they know that one extra line makes something special? It’s inspiring.”
Silson Contemporary has just opened an autumn and winter show, which runs until December 23. The gallery is open by appointment only on Fridays and Saturdays.
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series. We are trying to highlight small independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.