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Mining Art Collection Gifted to New North East Gallery Gallery Opening: October 21 2017

Two Mining Art enthusiasts from County Durham are donating almost their entire collection to a new public art gallery being created by a North East charity, opening on October 21 2017.

Dr Robert McManners OBE and Gillian Wales have spent the past 20 years amassing a wide range of paintings, prints, and drawings showing life in the mines and the communities surrounding them.

Now, to ensure this unique aspect of the North East’s industrial heritage can be preserved and enjoyed more widely, the duo are donating more than 420 pieces from their Gemini Collection of Mining Art to regional charity, Auckland Castle Trust.

The Trust, which is investing £70m to revitalise Bishop Auckland, is creating a dedicated Mining Art Gallery in the town’s Market Place, exploring how miners expressed themselves through art, depicting both their difficult working conditions and the sense of community felt above ground.

At its heart will be works from Bob and Gillian’s extensive collection, many from the Great Northern Coalfield, including the Spennymoor Settlement.

These works, by artists including Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish, will be complemented by examples from The Ashington Group, based in Northumberland, as well as mining artists working across Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Wales.

Together, they will highlight how coal mining shaped the values and landscapes of the North East, proudly putting the region at the centre of the Industrial Revolution.

“The art represents a visual diary of an industry now consigned to history,” said Gillian Wales, “emotively expressing, not merely how it looked, but how it actually felt to work in the coalmines from the mining artist’s own perspective.”

“This aspect of coalfield heritage was about to disappear from living memory and to be lost forever,” said Bob McManners.   “It was only when we began to research and record mining art that we realised how vital it was to preserve the actual art itself. This was the catalyst that inspired our Gemini Collection now numbering more than 420 items.

“We are overjoyed to be involved in this exciting project as it’s always been mine and Gillian’s ambition to see the collection permanently on display for all to enjoy. The former Old Bank Chambers in the heart of the Bishop Auckland Market Place is such a fitting venue for this collection.”

Alongside the art on display, overseen by Auckland Castle Trust’s Curator, Sara Fortune and Curatorial Director, Dr Chris Ferguson, the new Mining Art Gallery will also offer a strong learning and engagement programme, designed to help visitors engage with the works and the heritage behind them.

Auckland Castle Trust is currently recruiting for volunteers to help within the gallery and has already received interest from those living in former mining communities who are keen to share their stories.

Auckland Castle Trust’s Curatorial Director, Chris Ferguson, said: “Mining Art is a subject close to the heart of many people in the North East, and one I am personally very passionate about. Creating a new home for the Gemini Collection will make these moving artworks widely available and accessible for everyone to enjoy and study.

“Moving forward we will be working closely with Bob and Gillian, and the Auckland Castle Trust’s Engagement Team, to ensure the stories of the region’s mining heritage and those who artistically depicted it can be told and understood for generations to come.”

The Mining Art Gallery forms part of Auckland Castle Trust’s wider £70m project, designed to revitalise Bishop Auckland and transform Auckland Castle into an arts, faith and cultural destination of international importance.

For more information please visit Auckland Castle Trust’s stand at the Durham Miner’s Gala on Saturday July 8 or log on to www.aucklandcastle.org

Anyone interested in volunteering at the new gallery can also email michele.armstrong@aucklandcastle.org or call 01388 743750

By Emily