Be Part of a New Exhibition at Barons Quay!

Visual Arts Cheshire is inviting budding artists to be part of a new community art exhibition that will go on display in Barons Quay this winter. 

The 20×20 Community Arts Project is a unique exhibition where local people are being invited to produce a 20cm x 20cm piece of art that will be displayed in the Visual Arts Cheshire pop-up gallery, opposite Wildwood in Barons Quay.

Entries can range from abstract paintings to photographs, a pencil drawn portrait to a watercolour scenic landscape, anything goes! The only stipulation is the size; 20cm x 20cm.

It costs £2 per artwork to take part, with £1 of this donated to Mid Cheshire Foodbank and the remaining £1 to cover the gallery costs. The works  will then go on sale and can be priced at the artist’s discretion, up to a maximum of £20. 

As well as raising money for the local food bank, Visual Arts Cheshire hopes that when the individual square artworks are hung together in the gallery, they will create one big, stunning piece of community art for local people to enjoy. The exhibition will run from Thursday 10th November to Saturday 31st December 2022, and submissions can be made at any point during this time – space permitting.

Artwork should be unframed and measure 20 x 20cm. Canvasses can be purchased from the Northwich Art Shop or the VAC Gallery. Alternatively, artwork can be mounted onto a strong card or foam board. 

Phil Carswell from Visual Arts Cheshire said: “This is an exciting opportunity for people to see their artwork in a gallery! You don’t have to be an artist, just enjoy being creative. It’s open to all ages and abilities and we’d love to see a real mix of ideas to create a stunning gallery wall for everyone to enjoy this winter.”

Lina Higuita, Centre Manager at Barons Quay said: “Visual Arts Cheshire has brought a number of inspiring art initiatives to the Centre and the 20×20 Community Arts Project is no exception! We know that visitors enjoy seeing the artwork and now they can be part of it!  There is a lot of artistic talent in the town and I can’t wait to see the end result.”

To take part in the community exhibition, drop off your artwork at the VAC Gallery at Barons Quay from Thursday 10th November. The gallery, opposite Wildwood, is open Thursday to Saturday each week, 10:30 – 16:00 until the 31st December. 

On Saturday 12th November Transition Northwich will hold a free drop in creative workshop, with activities inspired by the positive actions people can take to combat global environmental issues. The public will be welcome to come in and explore the table activities and see the start of the 20×20 exhibition.

Visual Arts Cheshire 

In August, the Art Trail exhibition was succeeded by an exhibition curated by the Weaver Vale Art Group. The gallery is currently hosting work by  the Cheshire Artists Network along with work created by members of the VAC committee.

Visual Arts Cheshire (VAC) is a Community Interest Company who for several years have organised an annual Art Trail in the town, along with an exhibition of work from local Primary Schools each Spring. The group seeks to promote a range of arts activities within the town, including exhibitions and workshops. Every year VAC also produces the Northwich Calendar – 2023 being the 10th edition.

Since establishing a base at Barons Quay with the support of the Centre’s Management Team, Northwich BID and the Northwich Art Shop, VAC plans to host a series of exhibitions in the gallery over the coming months. They have also curated an exhibition currently running at the Weaver Hall Museum entitled Inspirations 3. This exhibition of work is by local artists who have been inspired by artefacts from the Cheshire Museum Service.