Past Exhibitions & events
From February 4th until the 22nd of April The Dip Into Pride Bath took pride of place in the main entrance window of The Museum of Liverpool.
The museum is home to an eclectic range of displays that document the heritage and culture of the region. Having the DIP bath on display there was an honour and we are hugely grateful to all the staff and particularly Kay Jones who supported this project in such a positive way.
You can find out more about the ongoing Dip Into Pride Project here.
Photo by Laura McCann
"In One Place" was the first ever exhibition by Liverpool Street Artist Paul Curtis.
The exhibition launched on the 8th of February in the very building that inspired Paul's now iconic wings mural, The Royal Liver Building.
The exhibition was extended twice and was the most well attended event in the buildings history, with well over seven thousand visitors coming to see Paul's work over a three week period.
The exhibition was interactive and featured live painting, Q&A sessions, as well as workshops led by the artist. Work created during the event was sold and raffled to raise money for two local charities and you can read more about it on Paul's page here.
The Many Faces Of HIV
Last year Sahir, Liverpool's largest and longest established HIV charity asked Laura McCann produce a project about The Many Faces of HIV.
In December 2023 Laura had the honour of exhibiting her work at The Museum Os Liverpool as part of an event to mark the 35th World AIDS Day.
You can read more about the project here.
Photo - Arthur Britney at the Lisbon by Laura McCann taken at the iconic Lisbon in Liverpool
"Dip in to Pride" was the launch event for the Dip Into Pride Bath which took place in July 2023.
The DIP Bath was conceived by Laura who wanted to have an interactive installation on display that would encourage people to immerse themselves in the idea of equality for all.
The bath was created by Natasha Ellis aka Titsupartistliverpool and went on to be displayed in the biggest Lush store in the world.
The DIP Bath will soon appear in the main entrance window of Museum of Liverpool and will eventually be sold at auction with all profits going to Sahir. Find out more information about the artist here.
Poster credit: Seirian Williams
"Pride in hope" was a collaborative event featuring the work of four artists, Anthony O'Connell, Seirian Williams, Tasty Jazz and Severus Hey.
The eclectic range of work featured illustrations, paintings, animations and installations.
You can read more about all of the artists below.
Poster credit: Seirian Williams
Anthony O'Connell
Anthony, aka Toc (He/him/his), is a queer artist and tutor whose work deals with challenging spiritual hierarchies, which he feels have historically alienated anyone not straight and cis gendered. He reclaims and subverts halos, relics and saints to redress and force open conversations he believes queer community have too often been excluded from and condemned by. Toc’s religious work examines structures he feels have often been the basis for spiritual and physical violence against queer people but that art can confront that directly. This direction began as a secular critique on religious bigotry but has evolved a nuance of genuine spiritual catharsis and investigation on a small and intimate scale. The language may also be accessible to anyone who has experienced post religious trauma and rejection on account of their sexual or gender identity. His recent work also deals with loss, grieving and the imagery of martyrdom as a queer analogy for the experience of oppression and violence, such as the attack on the Pulse Nightclub. (Photo by Laura McCann)
You can see more work by the artist @jon_barleycorn_reborn
Seirian William's
Seirian (she/her, they/them is an artist from North Wales who studied Fine Art at Liverpool Hope University. Seirian loves to create through drawing, painting, installation, and animation.
Her art is driven by a fascination with nostalgia, the interplay between nature and technology, and the human experience. One significant turning point in Seirian's life occurred in 2021 when she experienced sepsis while in the hospital. This brought about a shift in her outlook on life, leaving a mark on her artistic expression. It influenced not only the themes of her work but also the aesthetic
choices she makes. While tackling weighty themes, Seirian's work explores the use of seductive colours and a dream-like atmosphere. She aims to evoke emotions in viewers, drawing them into narratives that tell stories and offer a fresh perspective on the world around us. Gender identity is an important focus in Seirian's art. Through her work, she aims to challenge societal norms and expectations, opening up conversations and encouraging a better understanding of the complexities of gender. Seirian aims to inspire viewers to question preconceived notions and celebrate individuality.
You can see more work by the artist @artsei
Photo by Laura McCann
TastyJazz
TastyJazz (she/her) is a multimedia artist, born and raised in North Wales. She's always loved art, but stopped doing any form of it after leaving school. Then in 2020 when covid hit, she started working with resin, making many strange and unusual items. This culminated in making huge resin windows that formed part of an award winning garden at Tatton Hall Royal Flower Show in 2021. That then led to her picking up pencils and paints again, with watercolours being her preferred medium . Her inspiration comes from many things; from mental health issues, macabre fantasies and taboo subjects, to liminal spaces, political issues, and anything in between
You can see more work Instagram @tastyyjazz
Photo courtesy of TastyJazz
Severus Heyn
Severus Heyn, (he/him/his), has been an illustrator and artist since 2012. Born in Germany, he lived in London, Australia, the Netherlands before moving to Liverpool 2018, Sev believes ‘Visibility is Power’ and he actively participates in the queer arts community, seeking out opportunities and collaborations that empower artists. Since 2021 Sev has been performing as his drag king alter ego Franz Genau who you can see visiting the "Dip into Pride" event at here
Sev also co-hosts "Drag Dings" on Melodic Distraction radio with Dan Chan, where the pair discuss LGBTQIA+ issues from a comedic drag perspective. In February 2023 Sev had his first solo art exhibition at Arts Bar Hope Street. This further raised his public profile as an artist and resulted in his work being featured both online and in print for the iconic magazine, "Attitude".
You can see more of Sev's work @queerartisan
Photo by Laura McCann
Invert by Krystan-Grace Art
Krystan-Grace is a chiaroscuro and inversion artist based in Manchester, UK. She connects to and addresses her emotions by making art that explores light and shadow. Connection to our emotions is a topic she is incredibly passionate about, so she makes her art to speak about those emotions she can’t verbalise.
Discovering art as a form of meditation and therapy at 22, Krystan-Grace initially turned to art to connect to her late father, who was also an artist but didn’t live to see Krystan-Grace’s practice bloom. Since then she has developed a passion for light and shadow and explores this in all forms. Her inversion work comes with a custom-made filter that re-inverts the artwork. The filter turns light to dark and vice versa, revealing a secret detail and depth hidden in the paintings.
You can see more work by the artist on her Instagram page @krystangraceart
Photo by Laura McCann
World Refugee Day
The artists showing work at this event had one thing in common, the desire to show unity through art.
The event also included a pop up stand ran by Sahir House who run a life-saving LGBTQ+ Refugee & Asylum Service, which the charity currently receives no funding to operate and money raised from the day was pledged to that cause.
There's more about each of the artists below.
Marzieh
Marzieh, is originally from Iran where she was an art teacher for over 25 years. Marzieh takes a lot of inspiration comes from Henri Matisse, whose Eastern art style she feels connects her to her roots. Her artworks are typically abstract, portraits, and self-portraits, with sharp and flat colours using materials like acrylic and watercolour. Persian calligraphy is also an essential aspect of her work, reflecting her identity and deep connection to her Persian roots. Marzieh is also a photographer and says she tries to capture reality and turn her camera into another tool for painting.
You can see more of Marzieh's work on Instagram @perarchive
Photo By Laura McCann
Mariana Po
Mariana is a self-taught artist originally from Kyiv, Ukraine. Now based in Liverpool after relocating in June 2022 because of the war, her passion for drawing began in 2011, when she discovered her love for capturing the intricacies of human faces and emotions on paper. She uses a variety of mediums, including coloured pencils, graphite pencils, pastels, oil, and acrylic paints.
You can see more of Mariana's work on Instagram @Marianapoart
Photo By Laura McCann
Katie Pinch
Katie is a commercial freelance graphic Illustrator. Her personal work focuses on narrative images created using traditional inking techniques and modern digital colouring. Katie has previously worked with clients such as Radisson, Ancestry UK and Eureka! Science and Discovery. Having previously exhibited at Arts Bar Hope Street in March in support of International Women's Day Katie was keen to come back to support this important cause.
You can see more of Katie's work on her website katiepinch.com or via Instagram @Katie_pinch
Photo by Laura McCann
Eileen Nicholson
Eileen loved art as a child but after singing in a band in her teens and early twenties she then married and started a family so she was in her fifties before she picked up a paintbrush again. Now in her seventies, Eileen is living proof that age is only a number. This will be the second time Eileen also exhibited at the International Women's Day event but was passionate about showcasing her work again to support World Refugee Day..
You can see more of Eileen's work on her Facebook page and on Instagram @eileen.nicholson
Photo by Laura McCann
Kathleen Charters
For the last 35 years Kathleen has worked for a local health and wellbeing charity, with a focus on HIV. Kathleen is a lover of the arts and a keen traveller, so when Covid hit she needed to find another artist outlet and started to create her own work. Kathy exhibited some of her work as part of our wellbeing weekend and she was very keen to come and show more work to support World Refugee Day.
You can see more of Kath's work on her instagram @kathybirdtribe1
Photo by Laura McCann
Steph from Foru Plants
Steph specialises in growing edible plants and she has become a regular and much loved feature at a few of our events. However, this time, instead of bringing her amazing edible plants, Steph gave us some of her beautiful hand drawn artworks to display and sell, in order to support this very important cause .
You can see more of what Steph does at @foruplants
Photo by Laura McCann
TastyJazz
TastyJazz is a multimedia artist, born and raised in North Wales. She's always loved art, but stopped doing any form of it after leaving school. Then in 2020 when covid hit, she started working with resin, making many strange and unusual items. This culminated in making huge resin windows that formed part of an award winning garden at Tatton Hall Royal Flower Show in 2021. That then led to her picking up pencils and paints again, with watercolours being her preferred medium . Her inspiration comes from many things; from mental health issues, macabre fantasies and taboo subjects, to liminal spaces, political issues, and anything in between
You can see more work Instagram @tastyyjazz
Photo courtesy of TastyJazz
Celebrate Summer
What a weekend it was at Arts Bar Hope Street.
Art, music, nature and drinks, all inspired by the season which saw us basking in sunshine and sheltering from a pretty spectacular tropical thunderstorm all within the space of an hour!
See more about the artists who took part below.
Danielle Sexton
Danielle has worked in professional floristry for 15 years. Recently she has moved in a more artist direction, creating installations, using flowers as her medium. For the Celebrate Summer event Danielle created wearable floral art as modelled by her mannequin "Earl". You can see more of her work at @apex_floral
Kate Hornby
Kate is currently studying Fine Art at Liverpool John Moores University and for the Celebrate Summer Exhibition she produced etchings inspired on the countryside where she grew up in Cumbria. See more of her work at @katehonrbyart
Dave Turner
Dave is wearing a t-shirt he created, yet he's about to graduate in Real Estate. Dave is living proof that you don't have to study art to forge a career in it and following your dreams can pay off. See more of his work at @daveturnerart
Ilona Walker
Ilona started taking photography seriously in 2016 when a trip to Scandinavia inspired her to buy a professional camera. For the Celebrate Summer event Ilona presented works that illustrated the juxtaposition between nature and urbanisation. For more information go to Ilona.takes.photos
Steph from Foru Plants
Steph has become a regular at our events but this time not only did she bring along her edible plants, Steph also brought along her own sketches. You can see more of what Steph does at @foruplants
Wellbeing Weekend marked the end of Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK and brought together a collection of creatives who all believe in the importance of looking after our mental health. Kathleen Charters, Alisha Friday and Amy Cummings and are all visual artists and who work in very different ways and use their practice to help their mental wellbeing. Steph from Foru Plants grows edible plants and feels that being in nature is hugely beneficial to her positive mental attitude. Last but not least, Joe Dillion, guitarist with Hushtones believes that music is key to his own mental state. Further details below.
Kathleen Charters
For the last 35 years Kathleen has worked for a local health and wellbeing charity, with a focus on HIV. During that time, she has experienced a lot of loss but with each passing she has tried to remind herself of the importance of living. Kathleen started creating art in the midst of the 2020 lockdown. She found the ritual around art, readying surfaces, choosing materials and colours, to be as satisfying as creating the art itself. Kathleen finds her creative practice gives her a sense of balance and enjoys the fact she has no traditional formal training, as it has allowed her to find her own way and experiment freely without any rules. Kathleen gradually shared work online and found that her art helped her to connect with others, particularly during the pandemic, when physical contact was impossible. This will be Kathleen’s first public exhibition and her work will be an eclectic collection of pieces that have offered her comfort and a sense of peace.
You can see more of Kath's work on her instagram @kathybirdtribe1
Photo by Laura McCann
Alisha Friday
Alisha Friday is a freelance visual artist from Stoke on-Trent. She moved to Liverpool to study Fine Art at LJMU and since graduating in 2016 she’s
worked as a community artist, running events and workshops for vulnerable and marginalised individuals. Her own work includes illustration and portraiture, often informed by race, identity and mental health, the latter becoming even more important after facing her own experience with psychosis, which surfaced during her first pregnancy in 2020. Alisha gave birth prematurely at 32 weeks and her baby was taken to intensive care for a month. Twelve weeks later, Alisha and her husband discovered they were pregnant again. The psychosis returned and as their first baby turned one, the second baby arrived, along with post-natal depression. Art has undoubtedly helped Alisha and she hopes the wellbeing weekend will encourage people to talk more about their own mental health.
You can see more of Alisha's work
Photo by Laura McCann
Amy Cummings
Amy is an illustrator from Cardiff, who is currently based in Liverpool. Her main body of work consists of abstract illustration featuring geometric patterns and bright colours but she also creates tonal landscape and seascape drawings, which she's recently been combining with more urban environmental settings.
Amy finds her artistic process very therapeutic and although her abstract work primarily explores colours and pattern, she says it also seeks to communicate themes that are important to her, such as mental health. For this exhibition Amy will be presenting pieces she's found to particularly beneficial to her own mental wellbeing and whilst her work loosely represents mental states, her hope is that her use of vibrant colours and pattern will spark joy, positivity and maybe inspire others to give creating their own art a try.
You can see more of Amy's work on her instagram page @amycummings_illustration
Photo by Laura McCann
Steph from Foru Plants
For this exhibition we were delighted to welcome back Steph, founder of Foru Plants for a second time. Steph has spent years learning about restorative gardening practices and has dedicated this year to generating interest in edible and environmentally friendly plants that not only provide food for humans but also benefit the soil and make safer habitats for all kinds of species. Most people agree that getting out in to nature and eating well helps our metal state and Steph is a brilliant advocate for that practice. Steph is currently training with Seed Sovereignty Network and she's also training to co-facilitate Climate Cafes with the Climate Psychology Alliance and Zero Carbon Liverpool’s Carbon Literacy Training. Steph will be on hand all weekend selling plants, books and offering practical advice to anyone interested in cultivating their own edible gardens.
You can follow Steph on Instagram @foruplants or sign up for her monthly plant sale by registering at foru.plants@proton.me
Photo by Laura McCann
Joe Dillon
Joe Dillon, guitarist with the band, "Hushtones" joined us at the Wellbeing Weekend on the Sunday afternoon of the event to play some Vinyl and provide us with the perfect musical soundtrack.
Joe, who started playing guitar aged 10, discovered record shops in his mid-teens and describes them as "magical places". He soon found that other people felt the same way and started having vinyl parties with likeminded friends. Now Joe hosts public "open deck sessions", where he plays his favourite vinyl and encourages other people to bring along their favourite records, which he plays out for them.
Joe is a big believer in the power music and when asked about how it's helped him Joe said, "Absorbing myself in things I enjoy and sharing my love of music has been instrumental in my recovery. Creating a safe space and a positive environment for others to join in is something I'm very proud of"
You can find out more about the band Joe is part of on their Instagram @hushtones_liverpool
Photo by Laura McCann
Aram Manukyan - Inspired by Instinct
Aram Manukyan
Aram was born in 1964 in Tbilisi, Georgia. His father, Alexander was a metal artist and supported Aram’s talent from an early age, initially helping him to draw, then later going on to teach him how to create his own metal artwork, something that still influences Aram today. After studying at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts, Faculty of Painting in 1980, Aram then moved to the Stieglitz Academy in St. Petersburg, where he stayed for seven years. During that time his social circle included the visionary film maker Sergey Parajanov and the most famous writer and painter in the region at that time, Gayane Khachaturyan, both of whom had a huge impact of Aram’s creative practice. The main feature of Aram’s experimental painting now focuses on the abstract form and describes himself as an instinctive artist who is guided by ideas that happen in the moment. Aram has exhibited many times and is featured in private collections all over the world. The collection that Aram showcased at Arts Bar Hope Street is an eclectic mix of paintings and sketches spanning his entire career, including new pieces created specifically for the event.
You can see more of Aram's work on his website
Photo by Laura McCann
This April Laura curated a collaborative exhibition at Arts Bar Hope Street to celebrate Earth Day. The event featured artists who are inspired by the natural world around them.
The creatives included were Lena and the Sea, Andreea Mate, Suzanne Grace and Steph Aldwinckle.
In addiction to visual artists the event also introduced Steph, founder of Foru Plants who attended on Friday 21st selling a range of edible plants.
See below for more information on everyone who took park and their social media links.
Lena and the sea
Lena is an artist based in Liverpool. As a wild swimmer, she is eternally drawn to the sea, and her work depicts the energy of water through semi-abstract expression. Lena believes wild swimming is a metaphor for life, as it requires a certain level of courage, adaptability, and resilience to take on challenges and unknowns. Lena seeks to convey this through her art. As a mixed media artist Lena uses tools that scrape, slide, roll, spread and push. Sometimes working intuitively and dynamically; other times delicately and carefully, each mark informing the next. In the collection painted especially for Earth Day, Lena displayed a series of vibrant paintings exploring the connections we feel when near to the sea.
You can view more work @lenaandthesea
and on her website lenaandthesea.co.uk
Photo by Laura McCann
Andreea mate
Andreea Mate is a Liverpool based artist studying for an MA in Exhibition Studies at LJMU. Her work explores her personal life experiences with her Christian faith, her childhood and trauma often being major themes. Some inspiration also stems from her Romanian identity and growing up experiencing two different cultures.
The paintings for this exhibition started in lockdown. Being in nature was something that Andreea found particularly therapeutic and the process of creating artwork helped her mental health during such a difficult time. From there the series continued, with each piece being inspired by a personal experience or aspect of her life, even if not directly shown to the viewer. The intention was to show that something that can appear to be one thing at surface level but can actually have a much deeper and personal meaning, whether to the artist or perhaps to the viewer.
You can view more work @amate.artwork
Photo by Laura McCann
Suzanne Grace
Suzanne is a mixed media visual artist based in South Liverpool. Since studying at Liverpool Art College and UCLAN back in 2012, she has been volunteering at Liver Sketch Club and experimenting with new ways to develop her artistic practice. A qualified teacher, zoologist and management conservationist, her interest in the world around us is reflected her work, which mostly focuses on nature and the environment . The pieces featured at the exhibition feature endangered species and semi-abstract natural ecosystems.
You can view more work @wild.art.liverpool
or via her website wildart.studio
Photo by Laura McCann
Steph Aldwinckle
Steph received a BA Hons in Animation and Illustration many years ago but it wasn't until moving to West Kirby on the Wirral that she felt inspired to pick up a paint brush again. Unlike many other artists who started to paint in lockdown, Steph didn't have time as she had two young children, so it was after schools, went back and she started to paint abstracts. Moved by her surroundings Steph tries to capture the beautiful local coastline and dramatic rolling Welsh Hills in her work. Constantly inspired by the changing colours of the sky, sea and the land, Steph is now a full time artist keen to exhibit her art more often.
You can view more work on Steph's website
stephaldwinckleart.co.uk or on her Instagram @stephaldwinckleart
Photo by Laura McCann
Foru Plants
After years of learning about restorative gardening practices, Steph started FORU Plants in March 2023. She has dedicated this year to generating interest in edible and environmentally friendly plants that not only provide food for humans but also benefit the soil and make a safer habitat for all kinds of species. Her practice is creative with a focus on heritage variety plants and the domestic apple. Steph is currently training with Seed Sovereignty Network and she's also training to co-facilitate Climate Cafes with the Climate Psychology Alliance and Zero Carbon Liverpool’s Carbon Literacy Training. Steph was at our event on Friday the 21st of April, selling plants and chatting to anyone with questions about her work. Steph also sells plants and shares seeds at Granby Market and also via email. There is a monthly plant sale list and you can register your interest here foru.plants@proton.me
or see Instagram for more information @foruplants
Photo by Laura McCann
International WOmen's Day
One day, five artists
This was a one day pop up event to celebrate International Women's Day 2023. Featuring work by. Katie Pinch, Eileen Nicholson, Sarah Armstrong, Katie Gerrard and Steph Jones.
See more about the artists and their work below.
Katie Pinch
Katie Pinch is a commercial freelance graphic Illustrator. Her personal work focuses on narrative using traditional inking techniques and modern digital colouring.
You can see more of Katies work on her website katiepinch.com or via Instagram @Katie_pinch
(Photo by Laura McCann)
Eileen Nicholson
Eileen was in her fifties before she picked up a paintbrush and 70 when her husband paid a company to help her put on her first exhibition. When that company let her down, Eileen wondered why she bothered. When Laura attended the exhibition she promised Eileen that they'd do a bigger and better event together and the project with the Arts Bar was born.
You can see more of Eileen's work on her Facebook page and her Instagram @eileen.nicholson (photo by Laura McCann)
Sarah Armstrong
Sarah Armstrong is a mixed media artist who first started painting during lockdowns a way to support her mental health. Sarah gave birth to her third child just six weeks the exhibition and focused on the nude female form in all its guises.
You can see more of Sarah's work via Instagram @saraharmstrongart_
(Photo by Laura McCann)
Katie Gerrard
Katie Gerrard a North West based artist and founder of the gift company Nevaeh Nine. She captures real and imagined landscapes, focusing on wildlife and sexuality.
You can see more of Katie's work on her website nevaehnine.co.uk and on Instagram @nevaeh_nine
(Photo courtesy of Katie Gerrard)
Steph Jones
Steph Jones is a self taught digital artist who authors pieces designed to help promote self care and bolster self-esteem.
You can see more of Steph's work at www.selfcarevisuals.com or on Instagram @selfcarevisuals
(Photo courtesy of Steph Jones).
Severus Heyn - Consuming Me
The Artist
Severus Heyn, (he/him/his), has been an illustrator and artist since 2012. Born in Germany, he lived in London, Australia, the Netherlands before moving to Liverpool 2018,
Sev's believes ‘Visibility is Power’ and he actively participates in the queer arts community, seeking out opportunities and collaborations that empower other artists. .
The Performer
Since 2021 Sev has been performing as his drag king alter ego Franz Genau and as such, he is the co-founder of the international drag collective "House of Moustache". He hosts two bi-monthly events in Liverpool; the Queer scratch night "Spew" that promotes young performers, and "Quiz with the Queers", a gay pub quiz night Sev has also presented radio shows under the title of "Drag Dings". The show, produced via Melodic Distraction, featured Sev and his co host Dan Chan discussing LGBTQIA+ issues from a comedic drag perspective.
The Art
Sev's work subverts typical expectations of erotica by marrying it with the pop art style. His first solo exhibition, "Consuming Me" explored how we all consume and are consumed in a capitalistic society and the idea of making oneself palatable to the world around us. While the collection focuses on Queer people and their bodies, the themes are universally relevant to all.
You can view more of his work on his Instagram @queerartisan
Drink or draw Exhibition
