grundy art gallery Archives - Blackpool Social Club

05 Aug

Exhibition Review: Linder – the return of Linderland

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, blackpool art scene, grundy art gallery

Internationally-recognised artist Linder has chosen The Grundy for her summer exhibition. David Simper hopped on a bus to the Queen Street gallery to see what it had in store The guard at the Grundy Art Gallery has recently changed, and there was a bit of a buzz about the place as I took my usual service 61 bus to the Talbot Street stop and strolled down to Queen Street. Linder: The Return of Linderland is a reconceived version of the artist's landmark show 'Danger Came Smiling', which premiered at the Hayward Gallery in 2025 and has been touring the UK…

09 Jul

Exhibition review: Donkey Work – Grundy Art Gallery

David Simper0 CommentsGuide, Visual Arts & ExhibitionsArt, art exhibition, donkeys, Film, grundy art gallery, horses, painting, sculp

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""] The Grundy Art Gallery's new summer show is now open. Donkey Work and Horse Power are two exhibitions that examine artists' representations of the humble donkey and horse, inviting visitors to see our equine companions in a new light. David Simper caught the service 61 bus to Talbot Road to explore the exhibitions. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""]These exhibitions set out to show how artists have used donkeys and horses as symbols of labour, leisure, value and wealth. It features a number of renowned contemporary artists, including Sir Peter Blake and Marina Abramovic on loan from regional and national institutions, supported…

18 Nov

Exhibition Review: Grundy Art Gallery autumn exhibitions

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsdisabled artists, Exhibition, grundy art gallery, neurodivergent artists

The current show at the Grundy Art Gallery focuses on light, the moving imge and the work of neurodivergent and disabled artists. David Simper popped in on Saturday to see what this work was about. This show features a number of sub-exhibitions and different artists, spread between the foyer, main and two side galleries. These are based around the concept of STIM cinema, established by the Neurocultures Collective with aims to provide opportunity for neurodivergent creatives. The collected works explore light and the moving image. The pieces focus on the concept of stimming. Stimming can be defined as the practice…

10 Jul

Exhibition Review: Garth Gratrix – Flamboyant Flamingos

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & ExhibitionsBlackpool, blackpool arts scene, contemporary art, grundy art gallery, queer art

Following coffee with friends at the weekly HIVEArts jive in the Church Street gallery, David Simper strolled over to the Grundy Art Gallery in Queen Street to catch the opening of the gallery's summer exhibition from local star artist, Garth Gratrix. Having caught Garth's Shy Girl exhibition in 2019, I had some idea of what to expect of their work, but this show is on a much larger scale and occupies the whole main gallery, this being transformed into an immersive space of pastel but vibrant colour that I think, successfully, aims for a resort-like atmosphere. By the time I…

27 Apr

Exhibition Review: RA Walden – Object Transformations Through the Coordinate of Time

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, grundy art gallery, ra walden

The Grundy Art Gallery's new show opened on the 20th April 2024. David Simper caught the service 61 bus to Blackpool town centre to see what was on offer. On entering the Grundy Art Gallery for this brand new exhibition, there was immediately a useful audio visual loop featuring the artist explaining their involvement in this project, which I sat and watched to get the feel of things. This is a very conceptual show and some did need explaining to a simple person like me. This solo exhibition by RA Walden is presented as part of the Hybrid Futures initiative…

27 Jan

Exhibition Review: The Grundy Open 2024

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, blackpool arts scene, grundy art gallery, jc robinson, open exhibition, schools' exhibition

This exhibition is Blackpool's annual opportunity for local artists to get their work in front the town's art-loving public. This year's display does not disappoint. After a pleasant coffee with friends at the HIVEArts jive meeting, I strolled over to the Grundy Art Gallery to catch this exhibition's opening day. Others had had the same idea and the gallery was well populated. At present there are three exhibitions to catch – the Open, the annual schools' display, and a collection spotlight display, based around the work of former borough architect JC Robinson. The latter was particularly impressive with drawings and…

12 Oct

Exhibition Review: Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2023

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, Blackpool, blackpool art scene, grundy art gallery

The Grundy continues its streak of hosting world-class and prestigious art exhibitions, this time showcasing 55 early career artists. David Simper went for a look around the Bloomberg New Contemporaries. My two-weekly trip to the supermarket had prevented me attending this show's opening, but 7th October 2023 saw me on the service 4 bus (after a hair cut) to the town centre to catch this excellent display. After having a coffee and chatting to HIVEArts friends in the Church Street cafe, I wandered over to the Grundy Art Gallery to view this exhibition. This is the first time this exhibition…

18 Jul

Exhibition Review: Artist Rooms – Louise Bourgeois

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, Blackpool, blackpool arts scene, grundy art gallery, louise bourgeois

One of the great figures of modern art, Louise Bourgeois’ embrace of duality is revealed in a posthumous exhibition that brings work owned by the Tate and National Galleries of Scotland to Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery. Louise Bourgeois' Artist Rooms exhibition is clearly a must see show, so Saturday 8th July 2023 saw me defer the two weekly trip to Tesco and catch my usual service 3 bus down to Blackpool and the Grundy Art Gallery to catch the first day of this magnificent exhibition. Stepping through the door, I was greeted by a video loop introducing me to the…

08 May

Exhibition Review: New Things and Still Life

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, Blackpool, contemporary art, grundy art gallery, still life

In between shopping trips, David Simper does two laps of the Grundy's new duo of exhibitions where he has an odd conversation with a mysterious stranger, and vows to practice drawing pears. The need to go to the supermarket had blocked me from attending the Grundy's new show's opening. However, with the coast clear a few days later, I got the service 3 bus down and was stood outside the door on opening. For spring 2023, the gallery is presenting two Collection Spotlight exhibitions as part of its ongoing work to explore its collection using different themes, styles and subjects…

20 Jan

Exhibition: Grundy Open 2023

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsart exhibition, Blackpool, blackpool art scene, Exhibition, grundy art gallery, grundy art gallery blackpool

My wife and I take the service 3 to our lovely Grundy Art Gallery to view the 2023 Open Exhibition, a wealth of Blackpool and the Fylde Coast talent. I have to declare the vested interest in that I have a piece in there; unfortunately it looks a bit poor against other exhibits - it's the taking part that counts. We entered to find the place buzzing. There were several familiar faces. The exhibition features 135 wall-mounted pieces and five sculptures on the floor plinths. There is an incredible range of techniques, genres and materials on display, from traditional scenes…