An open letter addressed to the ‘curators and exhibition programmers of Manchester’ and signed by 88 artists, is calling on the city’s galleries to do more to ‘increase participation by the region’s artists in the work they do’.
The letter, whose signatories include Jenny Core, Mike Chavez-Dawson, Hilary Jack, David Gledhill, Rebecca Sitar and Liz West, says that artists who live and work in the city are under represented in its major publicly-funded venues and the biennial Manchester International Festival.
‘We believe that the abundance of emerging and established artists in the region deserve a wider public platform alongside the international artists who are invited to exhibit here,’ the letter says.
‘Everyone in the city will benefit from experiencing great art from all over the world side-by-side with the great work being made right here. A ‘globalised’ art world need not mean that the regional is overlooked. With committed and consistent support for Manchester artists, we can reverse the talent drain from the North.’
The letter goes on to ask why there has been no comprehensive survey show of Manchester artists since 2003’s Thermo 03 at The Lowry; why there is no Manchester Art Prize; why the city has no major open submission exhibitions; and why there are no purchase schemes or artist residency programmes at the city’s biggest galleries.
It continues: ‘Cities that have recognised the contribution of the visual arts to their cultural heritage, such as Glasgow, Leeds and Liverpool are celebrated as centres of creativity.’
In a statement in response to the letter, Maria Balshaw, director of Manchester City Art Galleries and Whitworth Art Gallery, said: ‘As curators we are constantly considering the balance in our programme and how we can represent the best work by great artists, whether they are Manchester-based, UK-based or international as well as showing our historic collections…
‘We have Manchester-based artists in our programme currently, and we are discussing ideas for working with others in future. We acquire work by Manchester-based artists regularly and will continue to do so whenever we can raise the funds to do so.’
Balshaw added that debate and discussion about the galleries’ programme was welcome, concluding: ‘The open letter raises the important point about how the whole arts ecology can support the development of artists in our city and region. This is what we have contributed over the past four years. We look forward to the continuing conversation.’
In full: An open letter to the curators and exhibition programmers of Manchester
Below is the open letter in full, signed by 88 Manchester-based artists:
Manchester’s football teams and musicians are celebrated all over the world. The city also has one of the most diverse and innovative visual arts scenes in the UK. Yet very few artists who live and work in the city have received any significant exposure in our major public-funded venues or the Manchester International Festival. Nobody is to blame for this, we are simply asking curators to have more confidence and pride in Manchester artists.
Culture brings wider economic benefits. When artists choose to live and work in a region they revitalize neglected urban areas, stimulate tourism, and boost the service, education and construction sectors of the local economy. Manchester galleries need to recognize the strength of the visual arts community in the region and to invest in its growth by doing more to support, promote and showcase its artists. Endorsement by our public institutions creates confidence amongst collectors and encourages more people to begin collecting, making it financially viable for artists to settle here.
We have to ask ourselves why there has been no comprehensive survey show of Manchester artists since 2003? (‘Thermo 03’ at the Lowry, Salford). Why don’t we have any open submission exhibitions on the lines of the London Open at the Whitechapel? Why isn’t there a Manchester Art Prize? Why is there no Biennial, and why have we never been in the running for European Capital of Culture?
Why are there no purchase schemes or artist residency programmes at our biggest galleries? Manchester isn’t even mentioned in the review of artistic innovation in the North in the Arts Council Plan for 2011-15. Manchester galleries need to increase participation by the region’s artists in the work they do. Cities that have recognised the contribution of the visual arts to their cultural heritage, such as Glasgow, Leeds and Liverpool are celebrated as centres of creativity.
While paying tribute to the exciting artist-led initiatives and first class art schools in Manchester and beyond, our legendary DIY spirit can only carry us so far. We believe that the abundance of emerging and established artists in the region deserve a wider public platform alongside the international artists who are invited to exhibit here. Everyone in the city will benefit from experiencing great art from all over the world side by side with the great work being made right here. A ‘globalised’ art world need not mean that the regional is overlooked. With committed and consistent support for Manchester artists, we can reverse the talent drain from the North.
A recent independent report (Rebalancing our Cultural Capital: 2013) exposed a huge London-centric bias in arts funding and recommended investment in artistic production outside the capital. The Arts Council plan for 2011-2015 talks about ‘encouraging national and international recognition of the North’s artists’. At a time when there is ongoing public discussion about economic growth in the regions, the entire artistic community must come together and work to make Manchester an internationally recognised artistic centre. Let’s make it happen!
Signed by: (artists in alphabetical order)
Judith Atkin, Matthew Bamber, Darren Beatty, Bartosz Beda, Mike Black, Axel Bottenberg, Sandra Bouguerch, Hannah Leighton Boyce, Alan Buckingham, Lindsey Bull, Janette M. Byrne, Margaret Cahill, John Carroll, Annie Carpenter, Jane Chavez-Dawson, Mike Chavez-Dawson, Jan Chlebik, Sophie Nixon-Clarke, Jenny Core, Stacey Coughlin, Nicola Dale, Chris Paul Daniels, Kate Davies, Jez Dolan, Fiona Donald, Tracey Eastham, Abraham Emajaro, Sarah Feinmann, David Gledhill, Lily Greenwood, Evi Grigoropolou, Susan Gunn, Geof Hadfield, John Hamilton, Annie Harrison, Michelle Harrison, Ian Hartshorne, Lucy Harvey, Sarah Hindhaugh, Stuart John Hine, Len Horsey, Jacqueline Quinn-Howarth, Hilary Jack, Catherine Kaufman, Emmylou Kelly, Ilona Kiss, Helen Knowles, Michelle Leigh, Ivan Leudar, David Lowther, Lee Machell, Jo McGonigal, Sam Meech, Sheila Meeks, Adrian Moakes, Siobhain Moakes, Fiona Moate, Geoff Molyneux, Emrys Morgan, Brian Mountford, Martin Nash, Paula Nield, Steve Oliver, Eileen O’Rourke, Jen Orpin, Daksha Patel, Michelle Pouncey, Rosanne Robertson, Katy Rutherford (Untitled Gallery), Lauren Sagar, Bridget Schilizzi, Jo Scorah, Debbie Sharp, Rebecca Sitar, Andy Smith, Liam Spencer, Evangelia Spiliopoulou, Mary Stark, Emily Strange, Dylan Thomas, Darren Tolliday, Robert Walker, Cerise Ward, Liz West, Bex Wild, Penny Williams, Janine Williamson, Ged Young.
In full: Response from Manchester City Galleries/Whitworth Art Gallery
The letter from the galleries’ director, Maria Balshaw, and curatorial team:
As curators we are constantly considering the balance in our programme and how we can represent the best work by great artists, whether they are Manchester-based, UK-based or international as well as showing our historic collections. Our programme is increasingly dynamic and mixed, is reaching more and more people and is gaining a high national and international profile. All these things are good for the city and for the artists based here. We have Manchester-based artists in our programme currently, and we are discussing ideas for working with others in future. We acquire work by Manchester-based artists regularly and will continue to do so whenever we can raise the funds to do so.
We welcome conversation, debate and discussion about our programme and don’t see a great divide between artists in the city and ourselves as curators, so we’re always happy to talk to artists about their work and about our exhibitions programme – and we frequently do. We all visit studios and art spaces of all sizes across the city and enjoy participating in the varied arts ecology of our city. Some of us are artists as well as curators and we have friends, colleagues and partners who are artists working in the city or region. We know that there are always questions to be asked about the role of artists in any city’s arts scene, and consider ourselves part of that discussion.
We have worked with artists based in the city in a number of ways, from co-curation projects, to new commissions, solo shows, group shows and as part of our learning and public programmes as well as acquiring work for the collections. We purchase work by Manchester artists for the Patrons Loan Scheme at Manchester Art Gallery and have introduced patrons and supporters to artists, taken them to studios and encouraged them to support the artists in our city.
We also play a key role in the annual Manchester Contemporary art fair, which aims to grow and develop a collecting culture in Manchester and the north-west. As curators we work hard to make sure collectors come to the fair, we lead tours and do all we can to promote the Manchester artists and Northern galleries that show at the fair. It has included Manchester-based artists and artist-led organisations in its programme since year one, and includes collectors’ tours to Manchester artist’ studios each year.
The open letter raises the important point about how the whole arts ecology can support the development of artists in our city and region. This is what we have contributed over the past 4 years. We look forward to the continuing conversation.
