Founded in 2002, the Biscuit Factory first opened its doors in Newcastle, Ouseburn. As a previously established biscuit factory, it got refurbished, keeping the Victorian style of a factory, keeping the character and the essence of the building intact. The idea behind the making of the Biscuit Factory is to provide some space for creativity for artists while providing more than 20 studio spaces for artists that want to elaborate further on their work. The gallery and workspace extend to two large floors and can display the work of more than 250 artists simultaneously. The curators’ team works extensively to find new talents and promote their work. It also includes different mediums of art, from photography to paintings, sculptures, handmade prints, and ceramics. As art becomes more accessible to everyone daily, the foundation receives more than 50,000 visitors yearly.
During the year, the organisation coordinates numerous exhibitions. It hosts four main seasonal shows combined with some collection visits. Launching on the 13th of November, you will be able to experience the Winter collection. By adding numerous new artists to the list of exhibitions, the Biscuit Factory will have a chance to celebrate its artists while they will bring the curators’ favourite works back. For example, Artists Tony Marshall, Gordon Wilson and Deborah Grice will be part of this years’ exhibition.
At the same time, you will have the opportunity to check out ‘Light Up North’. This exhibition will be hosted in a different space, Artisan, and interacts with the idea of neon lights as art. Using electroluminescent wire taken by their workshops in North Yorkshire, they are producing an innovative game full of light and humour. One of my favourite paintings from this exhibition would be a portrait of George Michael in a light renaissance style with carved neon letters writing ‘father figure’ on the top of the canvas. The combination of these two elements, painting and neon signs has to be one of my favourites to mention.
Starting on the 13th of November, you will also have the chance to visit the gallery show of Deborah Grice. Grice is a British artist focused on landscape paintings. The theme of her paintings is mostly associated with wild landscapes and weather. What is unique is that Grice also holds a Private Pilot License, which has influenced her work on a large scale, as she became inspired by the geometric lines and the structure of navigational charts. By using this research, she found a way to give new meaning to her paintings. What is created is truly captivating.
These three gallery shows, the ‘Winter Exhibition’, the ‘Light Up North’, and the exhibition on Deborah Grice, are a must for every art enthusiast.
If you are still not sure regarding the gallery space, you could always book a table and enjoy a nice cup of afternoon tea or tasty food in the all-day large cafe curated by Michael Waugh. A fantastic brunch idea with a view.
If you want to learn more about the gallery shows and in what way they will be affected by the national lockdown, you can follow this link: