Group Exhibition at Workplace Foundation, Gateshead
22 June – 9 September 2018
Women Artists of the North East Library was an evolving exhibition and public programme presenting the work of women artists associated with the North East, exploring influence regionally and further afield.
Throughout the Great Exhibition of the North 2018 the library was in residence at Workplace Gateshead and available to the public as an evolving exhibition, library, and platform for events and discussions. The project aimed to use the premise of presenting artists work as an opportunity to explore the act of building such a library; In what ways do artists make work in relation to, or with, other artists? How can a library of women artists associated with a region, exist for a community? How do we find our role models? Can archival strategies contribute to intergenerational conversations and art making?
Building on previous public and private events initiated by the library, which include open library days, city walks and a one day residency at BALTIC Library and Archive, the project in Gateshead, for the first time, included exhibited work by artists at varying points in their careers alongside works by key historical figures. Throughout the project, artists and the public were invited to nominate women artists and donate material that could be added to the Library.
The project opened with works from Phyllis Christopher, Tess Denman-Cleaver, Kate Liston and Harriet Sutcliffe, and works by Sophie Buxton, Jade Sweeting and Janina Sabaliauskaite and Nicola Singh were added throughout the course of the summer.At the mid point of the project at Workplace key elements of the library were repositioned in the parallel exhibition The Everyday Political at CGP Gallery in London. Curated by George Vasey, The Everyday Political brought together artists and art collectives from the North East of England. It expanded on Holly Argent’s Women Artists of the North East Library exhibition alongside new work including audio, text, painting and photography.
Exhibition at Workplace curated by Holly Argent
Public Programme
To coincide with the library’s first exhibition, with work by Phyllis Christopher, Tess Denman-Cleaver, Kate Liston and Harriet Sutcliffe, a six week public programme at Workplace Foundation expanded on ideas brought about through conversations with the artists; exploring more broadly ideas of collective readership, methods of feminist practice and regional artistic legacies.
![Installation view including works by Phyllis Christopher, Tess Denman-Cleaver, Kate Liston and Harriet Sutcliffe at Workplace Foundation, Gateshead](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wanel_exhibition_workplacegallery_2018-768x453.jpg)
Women Artists of the North East Library Exhibition
22 June – 9 September: Curated group exhibition and public programme at Workplace Foundation, Gateshead.
![](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/the-everyday-political_imagetep-768x307.jpg)
The Everyday Political – Exhibition
18 July – 26 August 2018: A Group exhibition including the WANE library at Southwark Park Galleries. Curated by George Vasey.
![Research material related to Louisa Hodgson](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/wanel_workplace_becky_talk_5-768x512.jpg)
Louisa Hodgson: A Curator’s Perspective – with Becky Gee
4 August 2018: Workplace Programme – Curator Becky Gee talks about her research into Tynemouth born artist Louisa Hodgson (1905-1980).
![](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/wanel_workplace_sophie_17-768x512.jpg)
A Montage – Sophie Buxton in residence
6 – 12 August 2018: Workplace Programme – Sophie Buxton brings her studio practice of translation and reproduction into the gallery space.
![](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/thehumanmotif_zofiakulik_zonegallery_0712_2801_1996.jpg)
Zone Gallery – A talk with curator Michelle Hirschhorn-Smith
11 August 2018: Workplace Programme – Curator Michelle Hirschhorn-Smith shares experiences working at Zone Gallery in Newcastle in the 90’s.
![Key Study 1, image courtesy of the artists](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/final-e1589821854546-768x1603.jpg)
Lesbian Semiotics – Jade Sweeting and Janina Sabaliauskaite
15 – 21 August 2018: 23 August 2018: Workplace Programme – New collaborative print work enters the exhibition.
![](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/treatment-still2-768x480.jpg)
Living Organism – A Film Screening
20 August 2018: Workplace Programme – An evening of films from Kate’s Liston, Joyce Wieland and Ella Bergmann-Michel expanding on Kate’s work in the show.
![Image courtesy of Cinenova Archive](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/veronicaforrose-e1589820362867-768x523.jpeg)
Film screening: Veronica 4 Rose (1982)
21 August 2018: Workplace Programme – A showing of Veronica 4 Rose (1982) by Melanie Chait following the lives of young lesbians in Newcastle, Liverpool and London.
![](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/she-riffs_11-768x576.jpg)
She Riffs – A Performance Event
23 August 2018: Workplace Programme – Three presentations of re-worked versions of performance and drawing by artists in the Library’s programme at Workplace Gallery.
![Harriet Sutcliffe, Archival-Constructions (2018) in Women Artists of the North East Library, Workplace Foundation](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/harriet-sutcliffe_ar_3-768x512.jpg)
A Performative Lecture with Harriet Sutcliffe
1 September 2018: Workplace Programme – An event expanding on Harriet Sutcliffe’s work ‘Archival-Constructions’ in the exhibition.
![Still from Seescapes (2014) by Geetha J](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image_eyeliner-768x431.png)
Eyeliner: A Film Screening
3 September 2018: Workplace Programme – An eclectic film programme of works from documentary, animation to installation, by artists and filmmakers associated with the North East.
![Ghost cocoon](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ghost-cocoon-768x773.jpg)
Artist Talk with Sam Ainsley
6 September 2018: Workplace Programme – Sam Ainsley gives a talk about her practice and years of experience working in arts education.
![Newcastle rock and rollers of the 1960's courtesy of The Chronicle](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.womenartistsnelibrary.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/dancing.jpg)
Closing Party
8 September 2018: Workplace Programme – Join us for a closing event celebrating the Women Artists of the North East Library exhibition.