A wealth of creativity from across the University of Leeds is celebrated in ‘Making Space’, the first exhibition of art to be selected from an open call to the entire student community.
Running from Tuesday 30 June – Saturday 29 August in The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, the exhibition has also been curated by a team of students, working with freelance curator Courtney Spencer.
From almost 300 submissions, Ellie Boyce, Lucy Cameron, Zofia Gmurek and Rosanna Martin have selected 28 works in media ranging from painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography to sound installation, assemblage and moving image.
Their creators are currently studying on 16 different courses at the University, with Fine Art, Design and related subjects well represented. But there are also works by students of Mechanical Engineering, Psychology, English Literature and Politics, who sustain artistic practices alongside their academic studies.
Participating artists are: Bex Blayney, Ella Brereton, Kelly Cumberland, Emma Godwin, James Goodchild, Ava Gray, Tess Hardy, Marcus Hills, Izzy Jones, Adrian Lam, Francesca Lynes, [Name withheld], Maya Neill, Melissa Nesbitt, Molly Newham, Caitlín O’ Doherty, Emily Ritchie, Maryam Shakir, Robin Stones, Janelle Villahermosa, Emily Wadsworth, Yun-Ling Wang.
Respecting the integrity and variety of the work on show, the curators have resisted imposing any themes on the exhibition, but a number of shared concerns have emerged, including nature, domesticity, identity, activism and movement. Evading predictability or unity, ‘Making Space’ demonstrates the many ways in which art can explore, process and communicate ideas that traverse the boundaries of academic disciplines.
Bex Blayney’s Electric Sink and Marcus Hills’ Soil Gazing Bench might share a playful, disorienting sense of the uncanny, but they arise from very different preoccupations. Ella Brereton’s enigmatic hanging sculpture in latex, coal and textiles and Molly Newham’s exhilarating mixed-media collision of cartography and luscious abstraction have common origins in the observation and experience of northern landscapes, yet take fascinatingly divergent paths towards their realisation.
The curators reflect: “It’s been a very rewarding experience to work with the University Galleries on
‘Making Space’. It’s given us a real insight into the curatorial process, from the call-out through to the installation of the exhibition.
One of the standout moments was the selection panel itself, where we saw the huge range of work submitted by students across different courses and disciplines. It was a reminder of just how much creativity and talent exists across campus, and what a privilege it is to be able to share some of this with the public.
It’s been especially valuable to work collaboratively from the start, and see the exhibition gradually coming together. As a team, everyone has brought different skills, ideas and perspectives to the process, and the guidance and support from Courtney Spencer has been invaluable.
We’re really looking forward to the installation process and seeing how the works sit with each other within the gallery space. Most of all, we can’t wait for the launch: to see the artists share their work with friends, family and the wider University community and to celebrate everything ‘Making Space’ has become.”
Freelance Curator Courtney Spencer: “It has been an absolute joy to work alongside Ellie, Lucy, Rosanna and Zofia on ‘Making Space’. Each has brought their own strengths, perspectives and areas of expertise to the project, and it has been inspiring to see ideas from their studies translated into curatorial practice.
The exhibition is stronger because of their collaborative approach, thoughtful discussions and willingness to learn from one another. What has stood out most is the genuine sense of teamwork that has developed throughout the process, creating an experience from which we have all learnt and grown.”
All are welcome to join the celebrations at the exhibition opening in The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery in the University’s Parkinson Building from 5.30pm on Monday 29 June. ‘Making Space’ runs until Saturday 29 August. Admission is free and open to all, with no booking required. The gallery is open from 10am – 5pm, Tuesday – Saturday.
