Visual arts

Four artists have been commissioned to create new works as part of reopening plans for Bristol Beacon following its £132m redevelopment.

Artists Rana Begum, Linda Brothwell, Giles Round and Libita Sibungu will create new works for the city centre concert hall.

Bristol Beacon Chief Executive Louise Mitchell said the venue's public art programme "will help us to ensure we make the most of and celebrate this special space, reflecting the 150-plus years of history whilst also looking forward to the future".

She added: "The four artists that were selected to deliver these commissions have proposed exciting new works that are sympathetic to their surroundings and will help to create an uplifting and joyful space that enhances the music and welcomes people in".  

The Grade II listed venue, which changed its name from Colston Hall last year to "distance itself from any association" with its namesake, 17th Century slave trader Edward Colston, is set to reopen in November.

An independent art school is relocating to a new building adjacent to Tate Modern as part of plans to increase access to art education.

The Art Academy London has announced that it will be moving from its current home on Borough High Street to the new Triptych Bankside building in Southwark.

The new site designed by Squire and Partners architects will provide 13,940 square feet across two levels.

It will include nine studios, two galleries, an auditorium, and workshop spaces for local artists and communities.

There will also be a cafe and art supplies shop that will be open to the public.

Art Academy principal Rob Pepper said: "This move will enable us to create many more free places for local children on our Young Artists courses, to scale our support for art teachers nationwide through free professional development courses and to extend our open-access tuition to local charities working with disabled artists.

“On top of all this, we will be able to provide subsidised exhibition spaces and low-cost studios for artists in Zone 1.”

Dr Frances Morris, outgoing director of Tate Modern, added: "What Rob and the team have done with the Art Academy is to take the art school model, which has in many ways become tired and conventional, and create something with enormous potential for lifelong learning that is open and inclusive."

The University of Brighton is set to close the Brighton Centre for Contemporary Art (BCCA).

It has attributed the closure to “very significant challenges” impacting income and expenditure, such as frozen tuition fees, rising inflation and soaring energy costs.

The gallery opened in 2019 and is one of the only ones to focus on visual art in Brighton.

According to the Art Newspaper, BCCA Director Ben Roberts said the decision had “come out of the blue” following a “very positive” internal review a year ago.

A spokeswoman for the university says the review “explored the future of the BCCA and the need to grow income to ensure financial sustainability”. 

“However, the unprecedented inflationary pressures has meant that the university is no longer able to invest in the gallery,” the spokesperson added.

A former amusement arcade in Bournemouth will be turned into a new centre for art, food and wellness under plans unveiled this week.

The proposals for the Art Deco 'Happyland' building, which originally opened as a bathing station in 1939, have been put forward by Bournemouth-born artist Stuart Semple and architect Madeleine Kessler.

Semple, who in 2021 launched the 15,000 square foot artist-led gallery, Giant, in the town, intends to create two ground-floor art gallery spaces, a first-floor health and wellness centre, and a roof-top restaurant and bar.

Partners for the project include The Meyrick Estate – which already has two wellness retreats in The New Forest and Anglesea – and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. 

Semple said: "Happyland is at its heart a beautiful building, but the beauty is hidden in plain sight. I love the idea of bringing it back to life, repurposing it and giving it a new use for the people of Bournemouth and our visitors.

"It’s incredible how the town has embraced art, and for Giant to be expanding into another space where we can take the art to more people is wonderful."

A community arts space in Coventry has reopened after being given a free use lease by the council.

LTB Showrooms (LTB) had occupied rooms over the Litten Tree since 2021, but when the pub closed in February it was forced to leave.

Coventry City Council is now allowing the space to be used by LTB until November, prior to the building being demolished to make way for new development.

Alan Denyer, who runs the venue along with other volunteers, said the venue had worked with 700 artists and musicians since 2021.

More than 15,000 people had visited the space in that time, he added.

Denyer said: "We’ve also now been able to include the ex-pub ground floor space too – which is really exciting as it gives us some great new exhibition areas, with disabled access."

A UK charity for young wheelchair users is creating the country's first step-free art trail this summer.

Whizz-Kidz will present Morph’s Epic Art Adventure, featuring more than 50 "super-sized sculptures" of the plasticine children’s TV character, who first appeared in 1977 in the BBC programme Take Hart.

Taking place from 19 June to 20 August 2023 in Central London, each Morph sculpture will be uniquely designed by well-known and emerging artists.

A series of ‘Mini Morph’ sculptures adopted and created by schools will also be displayed, and a trail map and app will help wheelchair users find their way.  

A statement from Whizz-Kidz said: "The Morph sculptures will be canvases for conversations about diversity and inclusion for wheelchair users.

"As part of Morph’s Epic Art Adventure in London, Whizz-Kidz will use the art trail to encourage the public, business community and young people to envision what a more inclusive world might look like for young wheelchair users, and what role they might wish to play in making this a reality."