Celebrating 150 years of our beautiful building, this bold and colourful show features a series of new paintings and illustrations by Venture Arts artist Michael Beard.
Beard has also collaborated with Manchester Craft and Design resident maker Sue Cragg. Sue & Michael have created a series of functional ceramics including teacups, plates and biscuit barrels inspired by their shared love of tea & biscuits.
The exhibition is free to visit and open to the public until Christmas Eve. All pieces are available for purchase and can be collected after the exhibition.
MICHAEL BEARD
Michael Beard is a Venture Arts studio artist who works across various disciplines including painting, drawing and ceramics. Beard is well known for his large-scale drawings and has shown locally (Thumbs Up at Castlefield Gallery, 2020) and internationally (Para Art, Tokyo, Japan, 2018) which he continues to develop and explore in this show.
SUE CRAGG
Sue Cragg is a Manchester Craft and Design Centre resident maker who creates wheel-thrown tableware in porcelain and stoneware clays. The clay is sometimes coloured by hand and may be carved or finished with an accent of colour. Her designs are modern, simple, and pared back. The decoration is minimal, allowing the shapes to speak for themselves. Sue aims to create functional ceramics with a simple balance of form, which gives pleasure in their daily use.
VENTURE ARTS
Based in Manchester, Venture Arts is an award-winning visual arts organisation working with learning-disabled artists. Through their studio programmes, exhibitions and collaborative projects, they remove barriers to the arts. They put artists in the lead, champion neurodiversity and provide pathways for every individual to develop their creative identity.