Visitors to The Auckland Project will have the unique opportunity to meet the founders of the Mining Art Gallery at a special talk on Wednesday 14 June.
Dr Robert McManners OBE and Gillian Wales will discuss their art collection, the Gemini Collection of Mining Art, which forms the centrepiece of the Mining Art Gallery’s latest exhibition Coal: Mining the Gemini Collection.
Coal: Mining the Gemini Collection features some favourites from the Gemini Collection as well as works of art that have not been displayed in the gallery before, including artworks by four female artists: Marjorie Arnfield, Janet Buckle, Tisa Hess and Gill Holloway.
Robert and Gillian gifted the Gemini Collection to the Mining Art Gallery in 2017. Since then, the collection has been enhanced and expanded to include over 460 works and continues to grow.
The talk begins at 11am on Wednesday 14 June and will be held in the Spanish Gallery in Market Place, Bishop Auckland. Tickets cost £6.50 (free for Friends of The Auckland Project), including tea or coffee, and should be booked in advance at www.aucklandproject.org
Coal: Mining the Gemini Collection is on display in the Mining Art Gallery until Sunday 1 October. Tickets for the exhibition, which is included with Mining Art Gallery admission, cost £5 for adults and £2.50 for children, with family tickets and annual passes available.
The Mining Art Gallery is part of The Auckland Project, a unique collection of heritage attractions at the heart of Bishop Auckland. The Mining Art Gallery takes visitors on an exploration of the art, culture and context of the mining industry and its place in the history of County Durham, and includes work by prominent local artists such as Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish.
To find out more or to book tickets visit:
www.aucklandproject.org