Design Event Mart

Following in our recent tradition of making Fridays special, by trying to include something cultured or arty in to our day, Paul and I set off for Gateshead to visit the Design Event Mart at the Baltic.
We thought that we would first pop to the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle as I wanted to show him the Emerson Mayes drypoint etchings of birds, with the view to purchasing one of a Redwing that I had admired on an earlier visit. Sadly that particular one was no longer there but we did meet up with my friend Jackie and her daughter Amelia for a lovely bite of lunch.

                                    

International Print Biennale brings museums and galleries across the north east together to celebrate printmaking from around the world. Find out about exhibitions, special events and classes from 17 September to 19 November 2011.

Being so close to Northern Print we decided to walk down Stepnie Bank to take a look at some more prints from the "international printbiannale" as we had seen some already at Bowes Museum. It was only a small but interesting collection and we met a lovely bloke, Allan Barnfather, who is a sculptor and printer. He showed us some of his work which he sells at Northern Print. During our chat he recommended that we visit an exhibition, also part of the Biannale, entitled "Good Times, Bad Times, All Times Get Over".

Curated for the Queen’s Hall Gallery by Jonathan Watkins (Director, IKON Gallery Birmingham) and presented as part of the International Print Biennale, Good Times, Bad Times, All Times Get Over is a rare opportunity to see prints by the extraordinary nineteenth century wood engraver and ornithologist Thomas Bewick and contemporary responses to his work by artists Graham Gussin, Lutz and Guggisberg, and Bedwyr Williams.

Thomas Bewick vignette

That sounds like another friday sorted as I love the beautiful town of Hexham anyway.

Our next stop was back over the Tyne to the Baltic and Design Event Mart. Once again Claire Baker had a stand selling her amazing military memorabilia collection.

                                                          http://claireabaker.blogspot.com/
I was also pleased to see another former CCAD student, Ayme Fitzgerald, selling her colourful cushions from a nearby stand.

                                                               http://www.aymefitzgerald.co.uk/