More than 100 alumni artists exhibit together for Since 1843: 2014
Celebrating its 170th anniversary, the NTU School of Art & Design is bringing together artworks by more than 100 alumni to illustrate the impact of the school on the visual arts and creative industries nationally and internationally.
The School of Art & Design started life as the Nottingham Government School of Design in 1843 and was one of several institutions set up by the Government to improve the design skills of industrial workers.
The diverse creative work of Turner Prize winning artist Simon Starling, Sexy Beast film director Jonathan Glazer and comic actor Paul Kaye is to be shown together in this unique exhibition marking the anniversary of one of Britain’s oldest schools of Art and Design.
They will be joined by artists such as St Pancras ‘clouds’ artist Lucy Orta, top rock music photographer Andy Earl, frenetically productive graphic artist Jon Burgerman and dozens of other successful alumni of Nottingham Trent University’s School of Art & Design.
Several artists including Jon Burgerman are producing new artworks for the exhibition while others, such as Simon Starling and Paul Kaye, will be taking part in talks and discussions which will offer insights into their work.
The exhibition, held in several buildings on the university’s City site, including the Bonington Gallery, will also feature canvasses by one of the school’s earliest local students, Dame Laura Knight, who gained a place in 1890 at just 13, and despite a childhood of poverty in nearby Long Eaton. After studying painting she went on to become the first woman to be elected to the Royal Academy.
Ann Priest, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University and Head of the College of Art, Design and the Built Environment, said: “This fantastic opening exhibition is an important reminder of the quality and influence of Nottingham’s creative output and a testament to the unique nature of our community of artists, practitioners and scholars.
“The exhibition is the first of a year of events which will be celebrating the heritage and history of the School of Art & Design… in the coming year, we will be drawing on our exceptional mix of craftsmanship, creativity and intellectual enquiry to consider our focus and opportunities for the future. This is what 170 years of creative effort and enquiry looks like.“
The alumni exhibition Since 1843: In the Making ran from Thursday 9 January to Friday 7 February 2014.
Image: work by Jon Burgerman
