BAR Convent Living Heritage Centre is sparkling with dazzling tree decorations and a new exhibition on this year’s festive theme of Gifts of Christmas, organised in conjunction with York arts charity New Visuality.
On show at Britain’s oldest-surviving Catholic convent, in Blossom Street, York, is a collection of digital art inspired by Viborg, York’s fellow UNESCO City of Media Arts, where heritage intersects with cutting-edge technology, while young creatives from Blueberry Academy, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, St George’s RC Primary and York College (ESOL students) are exploring the theme too.
In addition, glass cabinets showcase pop-punk tributes to the Book of Kells and the works of William Blake.
“Gifts of Christmas provided just the glittering gauntlet our cohorts of young artists would enjoy,” says New Visuality co-director Greg McGee, “It became obvious throughout the sessions that the young people were responding to the theme with the idea that we can all be gifts, or, as one of our advocates, Hope Fomekong, put it, ‘your presence is a present’.”
Working in creative sessions that engaged with Blueberry Academy and young people from across York, New Visuality oversaw the production of drawings, paintings and even small ceramics.
Greg knew that a diverse display might not be the kind of exhibition that would most suit the space at Bar Convent, “Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre is just that. It is ‘living’. It encapsulates what York does best and intersects the past and the future,” he says.
“Our advocates, led by Hope and Isla McGee and Rowan McGee, distilled the artwork created into digital compositions. We were left in an exciting position where our young people were experimenting with the latest in innovative AI software and bringing a new type of energy to creating art.”
Co-director Ails McGee agrees: “AI is at such a fascinating juncture, we were in many ways relieved of our artistic duties. The young people evolved their reverential cityscapes into Pop Punk Heritage, and we all had a lot of fun whilst they did it.
“However, New Visuality has at its heart the human touch, and so we ensured the art was unified and shared a top-quality aesthetic. The individual compositions, the huge collage incorporating the art, the artists, the theme as well as a depiction of Bar Convent in a wintry landscape, all have coalesced into making an unmissable exhibition.”
To help ensure the output remained on brand, New Visuality collaborated with York design agency Mode, whose director, Doug James, says: “The Gift of Christmas provided a springboard for York’s young artists to express their ideas, sometimes via poetry. We had a homage to William Blake from Isla and Rowan created a wittily dystopian diatribe on the day when robots will take over York’s All Saints Catholic School.
“It was important to stay true to the initial idea of the young people, so I prioritised ensuring that the designs actually looked like the Book of Kells or had the contemporary feel of a William Blake pamphlet. Rowan’s futuristic poem needed a touch of a jaded Space Age, so we utilised a vintage Apple Mac. It was a lot of fun.”
Greg adds: “Like all of our most successful exhibitions, it’s multifaceted. It’s a tribute to Bar Convent, but it’s also a celebration of York, and indeed counterpart UNESCO City of Media Arts member Viborg.
“What seemed to galvanise our young artists was the opportunity to reinvent previously monolithic icons and bring a bit of digital steampunk. Their trips to Bar Convent, as well as the chance to exhibit here, helped make that happen.”
Gifts Of Christmas, Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, Blossom Street, York, until December 19, open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday; last admission 4pm. Tickets: Exhibition: adult £7, concessions £5, children £2, under 6s free. Family £14; Chapel and Georgian Parlour. free. Box office: barconvent.co.uk. Check out Greg McGee’s video at https://fb.watch/wiR8lMADhV/
Did you know?
GREG and Ails McGee’s charity New Visuality raises funds to empower youth in York through eco-art projects, conserving green spaces and boosting biodiversity.