Emerging artists from the University of Sunderland have become the first to exhibit their work at a new gallery situated at the heart of the city’s evolution.
Located in the new Riverside Maker Building, the Maker Meanwhile Gallery is hosting its inaugural exhibition, Emerging, which showcases work from the University’s recent Fine Art BA (Hons) and MA Visual Practice: Fine Art Pathway graduates and postgraduate students.
The Maker Meanwhile Gallery is on the Ground Floor of the Maker Building on Plater Way, part of the new Maker & Faber development transforming the Sunderland city centre skyline.
Maker & Faber reached completion in March 2025 and – together – deliver 160,776 sq ft of high-end office space in the heart of Riverside Sunderland as part of a massive regeneration plan for the city. Just Eat confirmed plans to move into Maker earlier this year.
Fine Art academic and Lecturer in Digital Arts and Enterprise at the University of Sunderland, Suzy O’Hara, is one of the curators of the Emerging exhibition.
She said: “The Fine Art team are delighted to be collaborating with the Maker & Faber development and secure a high-impact opportunity that showcases the contemporary artworks of our Fine Art graduate and postgraduate students at the heart of Sunderland’s city transformation.
“This partnership not only supports positive graduate outcomes but also enriches the development site with the city’s emerging creative talent, embedding the University of Sunderland and its work within the wider regeneration of Sunderland.”
Among the 16 artists showcasing their work is MA Visual Practice: Fine Art Pathway student Dean Gooch, who said: “Taking part in the Emerging exhibition in the Maker building has been a fantastic opportunity to engage with a public audience right in the heart of Sunderland’s riverside development.
“The space – named to honour the city’s heritage of making things – is impressive and provides a dynamic setting to showcase our work, while also giving us valuable professional experience in exhibiting and promoting our practice.”
Emerging is now open to the public until December 8, 2025.
James Silver, Managing Director of Landid, the development manager that delivered Maker & Faber on behalf of Legal & General, said: “Sunderland’s heritage as a city of makers is still very much alive today, with some fantastically talented emerging creators. Our buildings were named to honour that, but to be able to bring that to life and showcase their skill through this exhibition is wonderful.”
The exhibition is first in the Transitions series showcasing Contemporary Fine Art and Creative Practice Research at the University of Sunderland.
The Transitions exhibition programme consists of three co-curated exhibitions, an associated programme of events, talks and final publication.
The Emerging, Originality, Significant, Rigour and Transformative exhibitions will all be delivered during 2025 – 2026.
For more information on studying Fine Art at the University of Sunderland, visit: https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/study/art-design/undergraduate-fine-art/
For MA Visual Practice, visit: https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/study/art-design/postgraduate-visual-practice/