Leon Francois Dumont Archives - charleshutchpress

August 28, 2024August 28, 2024

How might a greener Piccadilly look in a ‘sustainable future’? Find out in this weekend’s exhibition at Spark:York

*Christopher West and his six-year-old son, Edison, who are both participating in Spark: York’s Envisioning A Greener Piccadilly art competition*

SPARK: York is hosting an art exhibition on Saturday and Sunday with a focus on Envisioning A Greener Piccadilly: Ideas For A Sustainable Future in the city centre.

The creative community venue, in Piccadilly, York, asked artists to respond to this theme with the aim of “cultivating community engagement and starting a dialogue about how the neighbourhood can evolve to better serve both the residents of today and future generations”.

This year’s exhibition builds on the success of last year’s competition at Spark, where participants imagined York in 100 years’ time and created a time capsule for the people of York in 2050, aligning with the United Kingdom’s net-zero target.

The time capsule is stored at the University of York’s Borthwick Institute and is registered officially with the Time Capsule Society in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Spark: York wants to “curate creativity and encourage visionary ideas for a more sustainable central street in York, especially in light of the significant developmental changes under way”. Sixteen artists have submitted work to the 2024 event, showcasing a diverse range of concepts, from lush green spaces teeming with wildlife to socially minded community areas and cutting-edge eco-tech solutions.

*How will Piccadilly look in a greener future?*

Various media will be showcased including watercolour, acrylics, lino print, digital art and mixed-media collages using natural and recycled materials. Submissions were made in two age categories: under 15 and 15+, highlighting collaborative efforts between parents and children, as well as contributions from artists across the region, including Leeds and Tadcaster.

The entries were evaluated carefully by an expert panel of Spark’s resident artists, including Leon François Dumont, Jessica Mallorie and Kat Olsson.

Leon said: “The judging panel were thrilled to see such imaginative entries. The artworks ranged from full street plans for a greener city, to abstract shapes and colours representing the moods and sensations residents might experience in a future Piccadilly, interconnected with nature. We’re excited for York to see them all exhibited together, to start conversations on a green makeover for the city.”

Envisioning A Greener Piccadilly: Ideas For A Sustainable Future, on show at Upstairs SHOW space, Spark: York, Piccadilly York, August 31 and September 1, 12 noon to 10pm. Entry is free and everyone is invited.

July 11, 2024July 11, 2024

SPARK: York competition invites artists to give Piccadilly green makeover for eco-friendly future. Entry deadline: August 4

*Give Piccadilly a green makeover: SPARK:York’s poster for this summer’s art competition*

SPARK:York is launching an art competition to transform Piccadilly into an eco-friendly haven in York.

“Let your imagination soar, paint a sustainable future and win eco-friendly prizes, with the chance to star in an exhibition this summer,” says Paulina Lewicka, marketing coordinator for the creative community venue in Piccadilly.

Artists and creatives of all ages and abilities are encouraged to paint, draw or craft a sustainable, green paradise in the heart of York. Alongside prizes, participants have the opportunity to inspire others to consider the role of environmental sustainability in urban design.

Competition details:

Prizes:

20 finalists: Artwork showcased in an exhibition in the SPARK:York events space in late- August.

Ten shortlisted artists: Exclusive art masterclass with one of SPARK’s resident artists.

Winners of 15+ category and under-15 category: £50 SPARK gift voucher, £50 gift voucher for Heima (the eco-friendly homeware and hardware shop in Gillygate) and an exclusive art masterclass with a SPARK resident artist.

Submission deadline: August 4.

*Last summer’s York In 100 Years art competition exhibition in the SPARK:York events space*

Finalists and winners will be announced on SPARK’s social media channels by August 15.

Entries will be judged by an expert panel of SPARK’s resident artists, including Leon François Dumont, Jessica Mallorie and Kat Olsson.

Paulina says: “As our neighbourhood undergoes change and redevelopment, we’d like to imagine a greener, more sustainable Piccadilly. With this art competition, we hope to inspire a dialogue on what this part of York could transform into in order to best serve the local community.

“We invite local artists of all ages to participate and we’re looking forward to seeing how they will blend creativity and sustainability in their creations.”

SPARK hosted its inaugural art competition last summer with a theme focused on the future of York. The competition attracted 19 submissions from York artists and young talents who shared their visions of this history-steeped city in 100 years.

The event culminated in an exhibition showcasing all the entries. Visitors were invited to participate in creating a time capsule, where they could leave messages and mementos for the people of York in 2050, the year of the UK’s net-zero target.

SPARK collaborated with the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York to ensure the safekeeping of the time capsule.

For more information and to submit artwork, visit www.sparkyork.org/thoughts/art-competition.

SPARK: York: the back story

HOUSED in shipping containers in Piccadilly, SPARK champions the creative and independent community, providing a home for the next generation of entrepreneurs in York.

Discover food, drink, retail, events and entertainment with a Yorkshire flavour. The all-access facilities provide a comfortable space for individuals and groups to meet and relax.

May 18, 2023May 27, 2023

Project: Thursday life drawing classes at St Olave’s Church Hall. Result: Donderdag Collective exhibition at Pyramid Gallery

*Tranquillity, chalk and charcoal, by Diane Cobbold*

THE Donderdag Collective will be exhibiting at Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York from Saturday to June 25.

Founded in 2011 by a group of artists in York, they meet at St Olave’s Church Hall, in Marygate Lane, on Thursday evenings to sketch or paint from a life model (‘Donderdag’ being Dutch for ‘Thursday’).

The group comprises both professional artists and keen amateurs who want to hone their technique or explore new ideas by working freely with a life model.

*Comfortable In Your Own Skin,* *life drawing artwork, by Donderdag Collective member Carolyn Coles*

“This exhibition is a celebration of the art of life drawing and an opportunity for the collective to show together the art that they make for pleasure or as a means of earning a living,” says Pyramid Gallery owner and curator Terry Brett.

Fifteen members will feature in the Artists And The Human Form show, exhibiting both life drawings made during the Thursday sessions and other artworks for sale.

Taking part will be: Julie Mitchell; Rory Barke; Bertt deBaldock (aka Terry Brett); Diane Cobbold; Carolyn Coles; Leon Francois Dumont; Jeanne Godfrey; Anna Harding; Adele Karmazyn; Michelle Galloway; Andrian Melka; Kate Pettitt; Swea Sayers; Barbara Shaw and Donna Maria Taylor.

The artists will attend Saturday’s official opening from 11am to 2.30pm, when wine, soft drinks and nibbles will be served. Gallery opening hours are 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday; closed Sundays.

*Ring Of Fire, oil, by Leon Francois Dumont*

May 5, 2023May 5, 2023

Spark Studios’ makers exhibit works of colour and community – or its loss

*Kai West’s poster for the Spark* Studios Makers exhibition*

SPARK* Studios Makers’ resident artists Dominic Brooks, Leon Francois Dumont, Jake Moore, Lucy Topham and Kai West are exhibiting at Spark:York, Piccadilly, York, this weekend.

Based in Spark’s MAKE space for the past 18 months, the York artists are showcasing their distinctly individual styles and talents.

On display in the SHOW space upstairs on Saturday, from 12 noon to 10pm, and Sunday, from 12 noon to 8pm, are a collection of 2D artworks in oils, acrylics, mixed media, pen and digital.

“You’ll see a conscious emphasis on colour, themes on community, and the absence of it in the pandemic years we’ve lived through,” says artist Leon Francois Dumont. “There’s plenty of figurative work and a mixture of realist works, alongside the more fantastical, abstracted and imagined.” Admission is free.