Harrogate's Mercer Art Gallery

A visit to Harrogate, on a frigid day before Christmas, meant that I was more than happy to seek out warm spaces, like the Mercer Art Gallery. Harrogate is quite a 'cultured' town so I might have expected a fancier municipal art gallery than it turned out to be. The building itself was originally the Promenade Rooms, a space for the Georgian gentry visiting the spa baths to socialise and listen to music. It later became a library, a theatre and then the Town Hall until it was repurposed as a gallery in 1991. Its leaded glass doors speak of the 1930s when these panels became fashionable, but they may be older. 

There was an Open exhibition for Yorkshire artists on display, incorporating a wide variety of work. I saw paintings by Nina Hunter who has a studio in Saltaire (see HERE) and by print maker Sarah Harris (see HERE), who is a favourite of mine. My daughter has a couple of her prints.   

There were many others I'd not come across before. Mark Butler is, I think, a sculptor first and foremost. I enjoyed his collage of small drawings, done in ink and wash with a trail of 'burning and gunpowder', that referenced a walk through the Yorkshire countryside. It occurred to me that a similar display could be made with photos ... maybe something I'll attempt one day. 

I also loved this colourful piece by Kimbal Quist Bumstead, oil and varnish on a panel. Or maybe it was the pink wall I liked... Either way, eye-catching!