South Shields Museum & Art Gallery introduces a new exhibition called Inspired By The Lindisfarne Gospels.
The exhibition has been created by a group of talented amateur calligraphers, who are part of two groups who meet weekly at Mortimer Community Centre in South Shields. The groups were given the opportunity to attend the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery in September last year, and then spent several weeks creating individual responses to the exhibition, based on the question: What do you take as Gospel?
The Lindisfarne Gospels, the most spectacular surviving manuscript from Anglo-Saxon England, were written on Holy Island, Northumberland in the early 8th century and are now part of the collection at the British Library. The exhibition at South Shields Museum features calligraphy, illuminated lettering, Celtic knotwork, handmade books, photographs and draft pieces, to demonstrate some of the features of the Lindisfarne Gospels. The groups worked with two guest artists, Yvette Ja and Carrie Dennison, who taught them traditional bookbinding and Celtic knotwork.
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Angela Reed, leader of Creative Calligraphy, said: “The groups have thoroughly enjoyed working with Yvette and Carrie and taking inspiration from their workshops, as well as the manuscript itself. We hope the exhibition inspires other people to take up a creative pursuit - you never know where it might lead.”
South Tyneside has been identified as a Priority Place by Arts Council England (ACE), whose Let’s Create strategy aims to encourage the creativity of every individual in the country. Nicholas Baumfield, senior relationship manager at Arts Council England, described the exhibition as “a very genuine response to the Lindisfarne Gospels".
Creative Calligraphy was established by Angela Reed in May 2014, with the aim of teaching the art of calligraphy to beginners, as well as those with more experience. In 2022, Angela received funding from the National Lottery Project Grant awarded by Arts Council England, for a three-month project to mark the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the North East in Autumn 2022.
Angela said: “It has been a year since I first started looking into funding for a project that would coincide with the return of The Lindisfarne Gospels to the region, so it’s extremely rewarding to see the culmination of all our hard work.”
Geoff Woodward, Museum Manager, said: “Through the monastery at Jarrow the borough played a significant role in the Anglo-Saxon golden age that produced the Lindisfarne Gospels. We’re delighted to be able to host this exhibition that presents a response by a very talented group of local people to this great artistic and cultural milestone.”
The exhibition opens to the public this Saturday, April 22, and will be displayed at the museum until September 30, 2023. South Shields Museum & Art Gallery is situated in South Shields Museum, Ocean Road, South Shields. NE33 2JA. Find out more about the museum on its website: www.southshieldsmuseum.org.uk
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