Art Matters Now
From the submission by Rory Williams and Christie Chan, curators of Art Matters Now:
We are Art Matters Now a curatorial initiative currently run by a two-person team passionate about supporting emerging artists in the Tyne and Wear area, in the North-East of England.
Our first public exhibition "Our Fragile Coexistence" was due to open on 20th March 2020 but, unfortunately, after 4 months of planning and work, we had to make the decision to postpone our exhibition and cancel our preview due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the past two weeks, we have been working hard to bring our exhibition online through photographs and virtual experiences. On Tuesday 31st March, we finally finished creating our 360° Virtual Tour and have just released it to the public.
Through the exhibitions we organise, we aim to address and educate about global issues that matter to the contemporary world, while encouraging emerging artists to reflect on their roles in society.
Our pilot exhibition, Our Fragile Coexistence showcases the artworks of five emerging artists based within the City of Sunderland, UK: Dale Hardy, Joanne Howell, Rachel Jefferson, Natsumi Jones and Abiodun Ogunfowora. Bringing together works of photography, painting, glass and ceramics, the exhibition creates a conversation that addresses the current state of our relationship with our environment. This conversation invites the public to participate and reflect on their place in all of this.
Featuring familiar landscapes and subject matters that local residents may share an affinity with, some of the exhibits confront us with ecological questions that are highly relevant to our community. The conversation continues and extends via various art media and materials, as artists explore possible relief to our fragile coexistence with the world surrounding us.
We would like to credit the exhibiting artists: Jo Howell, Dale Hardy, Rachel Jefferson, Abiodun Ogunfowora and Natsumi Jones. We would also like to credit Sunderland Culture for supporting us through their 2019 Creative Development Fellowship and Breeze Creatives for supplying us with the venue for this exhibition.
Website: http://artmattersnow.org.uk.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artmattersnow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artmattersnow/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/artmattersnowuk