Furiously Mad Timeline
Do you remember our Furiously Mad exhibition in 2014?
Here is a link to then timeline that we created for the exhibition
Category: Archive
Thanks to National Lottery Players
Paul Richards, Seasons of Life (detail)
Manchester Art Fair
we enjoyed our annual visit to the Manchester Art Fair. As last year we became cultural partners of the fair and very much enjoyed meeting artists and organisations taking part
Your Truth is not My Truth: Pool Arts respond to the Life and work of William Blake
Some of the work from our Blake exhibition October 2019
- America A Psycopathy, Roger Howard
- America A Psychopathy, Roger Howard
- exhibition view
- Dead Man, Lee Hadfield
- exhibition view
- Annette Ebanks, strong human form / subtle cloudy form
- The Dance of The Albion / Glad Day , Alan S.
- Joys and Desires, Alison Kershaw
- Another Adele reads from Blake at the opening of the exhibition
- Another Adele reads from Blake at the opening of the exhibition
Preview Thursday 3rd October 5-9pm All Welcome
Exhibition Dates:
3rd – 12th October 2019 (Weds/Thurs/Fri/Sat) 2-6pm
Workshop: Make your own lino print date:
Thursday 10th October 4:30-6:30pm (please contact to book, places limited)
The Horsfall, 87 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester, M4 5AG
The poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827) lived his life in poverty and received very little recognition during his own lifetime. He was considered at best an eccentric and at worst a madman by the critics of the time. However, a few dedicated followers preserved much his prolific work and he is now considered one of the most important British artists of all time, influencing art, literature and music from the Pre-Raphaelites to Patti Smith.
For this exhibition at Horsfall, Pool Arts researched the life, work and influence of William Blake and wondered what relevance he might have to our own experiences. Certainly we live in a time of political change and upheaval. Blake saw visions throughout his life that influenced his art but he was also an Enlightenment radical who contemplated the American and French revolutions; questioned religions and challenged dominant ideologies that he felt stifled imagination and the human spirit.
In this exhibition, our artists have looked at Blake’s biography, his art and poetry and from there created new work. What is Truth? Blake searched for a spiritual truth and found it rooted in imagination. Then as now, the fight between different Truths shaped the world. The exhibition features thoughtful responses from the Pool Arts artists, including; Alan S’s large scale painted installations, Paul Richards’ sensitive works of visionary mythologies and Roger Howard’s work exploring current political concerns. Becky Mary’s print “Quotation” perhaps sums up how difficult it has been to really understand the work of William Blake, deciphering a history through second and thirdhand research, viewing one of the Fathers of the modern age in art, from the perspective of a Post-Truth age.
Contributing Artists include: Another Adele, Akinyemi Oludele, Annette Ebanks
Becky Mary, Alison Kershaw, Alan S, Simon Mawdsley, I. Baron, Lee Hadfield, David Speers, Ruqia Artiste, Roger Howard, Eddie Price, Tess Lomas.
Pool Arts RESILIENCE a work in progress
Join Us for a weekend of art and fun as part of Manifest
Our title reflects the determination of an organisation run by and for its artists to survive todays slings and arrows of austerity
#ManifestArts19 Pool Arts Open Studio Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July 12-5pm
I.Baron Elvis Acrylics
This year we are opening up our studio for you to see behind the scenes, as well as current work from members which will be exhibited in our corridor gallery, a sneak peak of work in progress for our exhibition on William Blake coming up later in the year and the chance to buy some Pool Arts original work.
Pool Arts opened their current Ardwick studio in March 2017 to provide affordable space and opportunities for artists in Manchester who face barriers to practice including support through mentoring and exhibition opportunities. We run an associate scheme and have 5 self contained studios licenses, which allows us to offer a subsidised rate for our members.
Pool Arts Associates: Manyi Takor, Timothy Guvercin, Danny Cameron and Alison Kershaw work alongside members and studio mentor Lisa Risbec in their Ardwick studios.
Pool Arts members include: Annette Ebanks, Simon Mawdsley, I.Baron, Alan S, Roger Howard, Lauren W, Opitz Price, Lee Hadfield, Nathan Aiyen Sassen, Paul Richards, Dave Speers, Ruqia Artiste, Traë England-Shortt, Akinyemi Oludele and Becky Mary.
Why not visit the Manifest Website for more information – watch this space for more details about our open studio
Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair & The Manchester Contemporary 2018
We are delighted to be cultural partners this year with 
Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair
The North’s Favourite Art Fair
12-14 October at Manchester Central
Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair is the most prestigious art fair in the North. Over 120
galleries and artists will be selling thousands of modern and contemporary paintings, sculpture,
photography and editioned prints at a wide range of prices.
Your ticket to Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair also includes entry to The Manchester Contemporary. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council, The Manchester Contemporary, now in its tenth year, takes a uniquely artist-focused approach, inviting the most exciting international and UK galleries to participate
The Manchester Contemporary
Bringing leading international and UK contemporary art to Manchester
12-14 October at Manchester Central
Now in its tenth year, The Manchester Contemporary takes a uniquely artist-focused approach, inviting the most exciting international and UK galleries to participate. With careful selection and bold curatorial vision, The Manchester Contemporary showcases the strength of the UK’s regional artists and galleries alongside key international presentations that can only be seen in Manchester.
R H Y T H M: the work of Akinyemi Oludele – opening sensation
Akinyemi Oludeles exhibition opening at Horsfall in Manchester was a great success last night. We are all buzzing about the great atmosphere. With live Jazz, three floors filled with the audience of his followers and supporters plus those who wandered in from the bustling Great Ancoats Street stream of traffic to see what all the excitement was about. Those who came were treated to an historic live drawing performance by the artist, which illustrated just how he is inspired by the music. In fact more than inspiration; Akinyemi is truly in collaboration with the musicians – a part of the band, creating a visual trace of the moment, responding and even guiding the music. He sang, rapped and moved in and out of the beats and tunes. Absolutely electrifying. We need to be seeing much more of Akinyemi Oludele. People came from far and wide, those who have known the artists from his presence and involvement in live music nights in Manchester over the years – and there was a lot of love in the room for his achievement with his first solo show. A more diverse audience you couldn’t wish to meet – of all ages and backgrounds. Thanks again to Horsfall for hosting us.
E X H I B I T I O N continues Thurs – Sat 2-6pm until closing event 2-6 on Saturday 22nd September. Don’t Miss!
Exhibition at The Horsfall opens Wednesday 12th September
Continuing The Horsfall’s exhibition partnership with Pool Arts, we present the work of Manchester based artist, Akinyemi Oludele in his first solo exhibition.
Perhaps Manchester’s best known artist whose name you haven’t yet heard, this is a rare chance to experience his extraordinary abstract and documentary work from the last 10 years.
Oludele is a familiar figure on Manchester’s arts and music scene and if there is a gallery event, jazz concert or a poetry reading, Oludele can often be seen mingling in the crowd with sketchbooks in hand, capturing the event in his own inimitable style. He is also a prolific sharer or work on social media based; delivering political satire just as succinctly as capturing the atmosphere of a jazz concert.
Encompassing his vibrant and expressive abstract painting, drawings and digital work, the exhibition is a window into the movement and rhythm of Manchester. Oludele’s work expresses a world where art and human interaction are intertwined and where music is vital to life.
Curated by Pool Arts Artists Alison Kershaw and Lisa Risbec, the exhibition is presented over three floors with rhythm as the central theme; whether the captured movement of a live sketch or the marks made in an abstract piece. Visitors will be led through abstract paintings, live dance and music drawings and digital art posters by a soundtrack of the very music that inspired Oludele’s work.
“Drawing is about developing a relationship between myself and other people – connecting through the medium of art. I realised there was so much division, racial and in other ways around the city and drawing helped to break down some of the barriers, helped me to relate more and to feel safer. Later, drawing at live music performances, I began to use the rhythm of music to guide the mark making process, for me, art is about feelings, expression and connection” Akinyemi Oludele
Oludele’s work will be for sale at the exhibition. See www.onashileart.gallery