2 weeks Ago
An art exhibition featuring 23 original works is set to open across Bradford. The Yorkshire West Methodist District of the Methodist Church is bringing the exhibition, "Everything is Connected," to the city this autumn. The exhibition will be displayed across five venues in Bradford city centre, Ben Rhydding, Thornton, and Apperley Bridge.
It will open to the public on the first weekend of September, running from Saturday, September 6, until Sunday, October 12. Bars and cafes along North Parade in Bradford will also be displaying reproductions of the artworks. The exhibition will feature 23 original works from the Methodist Modern Art Collection, including "Preaching" by George Walsh and "Love Triumphant" by John Reilly, both new acquisitions to the collection.
Verity Smith, faith and arts development lead, and manager of the project, said: "MMAC Bradford 2025 is enabling opportunities for a variety of creative activity, and we are thrilled to be able to collaborate with an artist in residence and a creative writer in residence, appointed in spring 2025, with funding from the Gibbs Trust. "We are very grateful to the Gibbs family for their enthusiasm and encouragement in this project." The exhibition will explore various themes, including "peril," in relation to faith, the environment, climate change, and the impact of conflict around the world.
It will also focus on women artists from the collection, as well as what hope means to a school community with an international student population. The venues and the district as a whole aim to connect visitors with the artworks in innovative ways through the telling of new stories, exploring hidden and overlooked histories, considering contemporary global concerns, women’s history, and uncovering diverse and marginalised heritage. Professor Ann Sumner, chair of the Methodist Art Collection Management Committee, said: "We are delighted to be exhibiting works across Bradford as part of the City of Culture programming for Bradford 2025.
"It is hugely rewarding to see communities already responding to the collection and how differently our works speak to individuals. "It is also exciting for us to see our first artist and writer in residence programmes take shape. "A varied programme of events is being planned during the exhibition, and we look forward to the opening celebrations in early September.
" An Art Trail leaflet providing more information will be published and distributed in summer. More information is available at https://ywmethodist.org.
uk/bradford2025/ or via email at [email protected].
uk.
