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The Crack Magazine

Art

Charting the Course: Hartlepool’s Maritime Heritage

Discover the fascinating history of Hartlepool’s maritime heritage through an extraordinary collection of artworks, objects, and stories. This exhibition brings together ship portraits from the Under Steam Collection, featuring over a century of maritime history, alongside treasures from Hartlepool’s own collection.

Venue:
Hartlepool Art Gallery, The Tourist Information Centre, Church Square, Hartlepool, TS24 7EQ
Date:
Apr 12th 2025 - Jun 14th 2025
Opening Times:
Tue-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Alison Critchlow: Suspended on Air

In this exhibition Critchlow presents a new series of works – continuing her interest into both landscape painting and abstract mark-making, and informed by the work of late Romanian-American artist Hedda Sterne (1910-2011). In 2021 the artist undertook a research trip to the Hedda Sterne Foundation in New York. Sterne was an active member of the New York School, and moved back and forth freely between figuration and abstraction over the course of her career. On the final day of her trip, Critchlow opened a box of Sterne’s drawings made whilst studying a swarm of insects in 1967. It is these drawings that opened the door to a new body of work for Critchlow, taking influence from Sterne’s way of thinking towards creating work, and her practice of using painting as a methodology to study one’s own mind at work.

Venue:
Gallagher & Turner, 30 St Mary’s Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7PQ
Date:
Apr 25th 2025 - May 31st 2025
Opening Times:
Tue-Fri 10:30 - 17:00 , Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

In The Studio

Redcar Palace is delighted to present ‘In The Studio’ an approach to rethinking the presentation of solo exhibitions, through displaying works in progress, testing out new ideas, interchangeable installations and opportunities to observe the artist working. In the front spaces Kirsty O’Brien delves deep into the relationship between the industrial landscape of the Tees Valley and the natural landscape surrounding her hometown of Redcar, capturing the detritus from industrial sites that wash upon the shoreline, and the looming and decaying grey towers on the horizon through abstracted oil and mixed media paintings. In the back gallery space will be a two person exhibition by Numi Solomons and Charles O’Connor which is a testament to 40 years of creative collaboration where their own distinct work intermingles with objects made together and where conversations have sparked ideas in one another’s work.

Venue:
The Redcar Palace, Palace 28, 28-29 Esplanade, Redcar, TS10 3AE
Date:
Apr 5th 2025 - May 17th 2025
Opening Times:
Tue-Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

Tracy Bidwell - Shadow Light

There is light, pattern and texture even in the darkest places, and in this exhibition I seek to reveal these hopeful details in everyday objects and places.

Venue:
Wild & Free Gallery, 3A Ilfracombe Gardens, Whitley Bay, NE26 3ND
Date:
Apr 27th 2025 - May 17th 2025
Opening Times:
Wed-Sat 09:30 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Chroma

A group exhibition featuring five artists (Laurie Hutchen, Lothar Götz, Mike Collier, C-Dyer and Miria Miria), each presenting their work in a dedicated space. Through distinct practices and immersive enviroments, the exhibition explores how colour, emotion, and encounter five unique worlds, each reflecting a different sensory and emotional register, yet collectively forming a chormatic constellation of shifting perspectives.

Venue:
Redcar Contemporary Art Gallery, 13 West Terrace, Redcar, TS10 1DS
Date:
May 8th 2025 - May 31st 2025
Opening Times:
Wed-Sat 11:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

'exposure'

This year’s exhibition features the work of five BA (Hons) Photography students with widely diverse portfolios. The work includes, Architecture, Social Documentary, Portraiture and Abstract Photography, dealing with the topics of Urban Spaces, Communities, Children and Science. Each of the photographers have developed their own unique visual language to express their affinity with their subjects and provoke discussion. Exhibition Title: Exposure Location: Constantine Gallery, Middlesbrough Tower, Teesside university Campus, TS1 3BX

Venue:
Constantine Gallery, Middlesbrough Tower, Middlesbrough, Tees Valley, TS1 3BX
Date:
May 14th 2025 - May 22nd 2025
Opening Times:
14th - 22nd May 2025 TBC
Price:
Free

Jonny Bainbridge: Life Cycles

This series is inspired by thoughts, imagery and imaginings of life on micro and macrocosmic levels and how at their confluence, we find us. Part of a joint exhibition of abstract paintings and abstract collage art with Eric Mansfield.

Venue:
Bottleworks, 8 Riverside Walk, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE6 1LX
Date:
May 15th 2025 - May 20th 2025
Opening Times:
15th - 20th May 2025 TBC
Price:
Free

Eric Mansfield: Ghosts

Ghost people. Ghost memories. Ghost Trauma. Time and again. Part of a joint exhibition of abstract paintings and abstract collage art with Jonny Bainbridge.

Venue:
Bottleworks, 8 Riverside Walk, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE6 1LX
Date:
May 15th 2025 - May 20th 2025
Opening Times:
15th - 20th May 2025 TBC
Price:
Free

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People, Places & Paddling: An Exhibition by Anita Jasmin

Anita’s creations are all inspired by the incredible beauty found in nature. This exhibition explores a variety of subjects; from portraits that capture the essence of character through expressive lines, to her playful approach with mixed media. Anita builds Layers of history with driftwood, ashes from burnt diaries, tea leaves or various other recycled items. Delicious colours of paint also dance and sparkle across the canvas to express her emotions and experience of the world around her.

Venue:
Arts Centre Washington, Biddick Lane, Fatfield, Washington, NE38 8AB
Date:
May 16th 2025 - Jul 5th 2025
Opening Times:
Fri-Sat 09:00 - 16:00 , Wed 09:00 - 17:00 , Thu 09:00 - 21:00 , Tue 13:00 - 21:00
Price:
Free

Jim Moir: Knot Twister Prologue

Jim Moir (AKA Vic Reeves) returns to The Biscuit Factory this Summer with a brand new collection of original paintings. Those following Jim's career as an artist will be familiar with his breadth of work. From charming watercolours to expressive & bold oil paintings; his passion for nature is obvious in every composition, as are the unique characters of his subjects.

Venue:
The Biscuit Factory, 16 Stoddard Street, Newcastle, NE2 1AN
Date:
May 16th 2025 - Jul 20th 2025
Opening Times:
Daily 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

NHS Darkroom with Johannah Churchill: Come As You Really Are

Newcastle Hospitals Charity and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art have teamed up with renowned photographer Johannah Churchill for 2025’s edition of Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s NHS Darkroom. NHS Darkroom was launched in 2023 as part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s Arts Programme which aims to enhance the wellbeing and recovery of patients and staff across Newcastle Hospitals. For this iteration, inspired by the exhibition Come As You Really Are in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Main Gallery, Newcastle Hospitals staff have been invited to share their own hobbies, crafts or collections which bring them joy, keep them well and provide a creative outlet.

Venue:
Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, c/o National Glass Centre, Liberty Way, Sunderland, SR6 0GL
Date:
May 17th 2025 - Jul 5th 2025
Opening Times:
Daily 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Petra Ondrova: Too Much

Petra's work shows the suffering of humanity in remote places and in the next door neighbourhood. Petra's work is about self-reflection, the reality of acceptance of self, and the associated feelings that come with recognising our intrinsic mortality. Preview 17th, from 6.30pm.

Venue:
Gallowgate Gallery, Tyneside Irish Centre, Newcastle, NE1 4SG
Date:
May 17th 2025 - May 30th 2025
Opening Times:
Wed and Fri 12:00 - 18:00
Price:
Free

Newcastle University BA Fine Art Degree Show 2025

The Newcastle University Fine Art BA Degree Show brings together the work of emerging artists at the culmination of four-years of study on the BA in Fine Art. The exhibition displays a diverse set of contemporary voices, practices and media including painting, new media, film, video, sculpture, photography, print, sound and installation.

Venue:
Hatton Gallery, The Quadrangle, University of Newcastle, 6 Kensington Terrace, Newcastle, NE1 7RU
Date:
May 24th 2025 - Jun 7th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

+Fabricating My Own Myth – Red Threads & Silver Needles

Step into a world where myth, memory, and material collide. Newcastle Contemporary Art proudly presents +Fabricating My Own Myth – Red Threads & Silver Needles, an exhibition by artist Delaine Le Bas, who continues her exploration of linguistics, mythology, and Gypsy Roma Traveller narratives through the tactile power of textiles, language, and storytelling. Unfolding as a monumental installation that spills across NCA’s two vast gallery spaces and beyond, Le Bas’ work transforms the building into a living, breathing tapestry of interconnected stories. Created during her month-long residency at Newcastle Contemporary Art this spring, the exhibition culminates in an immersive environment where fabric and thread become instruments of rebellion, resistance, and revelation.

Venue:
Newcastle Contemporary Art, High Bridge Works, 31-39 High Bridge, Newcastle upon-Tyne, NE1 1EW
Date:
May 31st 2025 - Aug 2nd 2025
Opening Times:
Thu-Sat 12:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Brick Flicks

From Wayne’s World to West Side Story, The Matrix to Mary Poppins, and Laurel & Hardy to Life of Pi, see classic movies in LEGO bricks in this exhibition of some of the most iconic and memorable film moments of all time recreated by Warren Elsmore, the well-known artist in LEGO bricks. Each familiar scene has been carefully photographed to mimic the staging and lighting of the original movie, but with the scenery, actors and actresses recreated with everyone’s favourite building blocks.

Venue:
Bishop Auckland Town Hall, Market Place, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7NP
Date:
Jun 2nd 2025 - Aug 30th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

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Cedric Morris: Artist, Plantsman & Traveller

Cedric Morris (1889 – 1982) was one of the most talented painters of the natural world in twentieth-century British art. Morris met his partner the artist Arthur Lett-Haines on Armistice Day in 1919 and in 1939 they established the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing at Benton End, a rambling Tudor cottage in the Sussex countryside. Notable students at the school included Lucien Freud and Maggi Hambling and it was in the cottage’s gardens that Morris developed his lifelong interest in horticulture, subsequently becoming famous for breeding exotic varieties of Irises. This new exhibition explores Morris’ relationship with Lett-Haines and Benton End, his travels across Europe to find and paint new plant species and his lifelong affinity with the natural world.

Venue:
Granary Gallery, Dewar’s Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1HJ
Date:
Jun 7th 2025 - Oct 12th 2025
Opening Times:
Sun and Wed-Sat 11:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists

A family-focused exhibition which celebrates the art of the Ladybird book artists from the 1940s to the 1970s. The display includes original art, audio visual elements and the centrepiece Wall of Books featuring hundreds of original volumes from the period. The exhibition is designed to engage younger visitors and to provide a dose of reminiscence and nostalgia for those who grew up with these classic works. A touring exhibition curated by Helen Day, Ladybird book specialist and enthusiast.

Venue:
Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH
Date:
Jun 28th 2025 - Aug 31st 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00
Price:
£10/under 18s £6/under 5s Free

Dinosaur rEvolution

Coming this summer, the blockbuster Dinosaur rEvolution exhibition will bring animatronic dinosaurs to Carlisle. The show will also feature replica fossils, skeletons and detailed illustrations by acclaimed artist Luis V. Rey. Dinosaur rEvolution will turn your idea of dinosaurs upside down. The exhibition draws upon recent research and presents dinosaurs with all the spikes, quills, horns, feathers and bright colours we now believe they had. No more drab dinosaurs, these exciting appearances will be presented through amazing visual representations of these incredible creatures.

Venue:
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 8TP
Date:
Jun 28th 2025 - Sep 14th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Adult admission (valid for 12 months) £15/Under 18s Free

Hartlepool Mural Festival

Get ready to be inspired by Hartlepool Mural Festival! Watch as community spaces come alive with breathtaking murals created by talented artists, and dive into the vibrant world of street art brought indoors at Hartlepool Art Gallery.

Venue:
Hartlepool Art Gallery, The Tourist Information Centre, Church Square, Hartlepool, TS24 7EQ
Date:
Jun 28th 2025 - Sep 6th 2025
Opening Times:
Tue-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Saelia Aparicio: A Joyful Parasite

A major new commission and solo exhibition by London-based Spanish artist Saelia Aparicio. For her presentation at Baltic, Aparicio will develop an ecosystem of characters and situations through a speculative universe dwelling on ideas of the organic by establishing analogies between corporeal and social mechanisms. Inspiration will come from classical mythology and the transformative forms found in Ancient Egypt and pre-Columbian Mesoamerica – blended between animals and humans such as the sphinx, Anubis or the Mayan Camazotz. Her installation will shape a fictional world, presenting hybrid bodies, built upon semantically loaded material where what is human or not blurs. These forms will be imagined through their gender fluidity, drawing from the ‘two-spirited’ idea that comes from indigenous North American culture.

Venue:
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
Date:
Jul 5th 2025 - Feb 1st 2026
Opening Times:
Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
Price:
Free

Like Ships in the Night: A Solo Exhibition of Rory Williams

Have you ever stopped to think about the people you encounter every day? The stranger on the bus, the shopper disappearing down another aisle, people in the street you catch as a fleeting glimpse as you walk by. These figures enter your life for a fraction of a moment only to disappear just as quickly, leaving nothing but a fuzzy afterimage of an idea. Yet, these people live complete lives, and in doing so they complete others’. This exhibition features paintings as candid observations of these characters, portraying encounters with individuals in Rory's everyday life.

Venue:
The Customs House Gallery, Mill Dam, South Shields, NE33 1ES
Date:
Jul 5th 2025 - Aug 11th 2025
Opening Times:
Daily 10:00 - 18:00
Price:
Free

Magna Carta and the North

Durham Cathedral is fortunate to possess three issues of Magna Carta, including the only surviving 1216 issue and further engrossments from 1225 and 1300, along with three Forest Charters including one of only two surviving 1217 issues, and further issues from 1225 and 1300. Recognised as being one of the most important documents in history, Magna Carta was first issued in 1215. It established the principle that everyone is subject to the law, even the King himself, and guaranteed the rights of individuals, the right to justice and the right to a fair trial. With three clauses from the 1225 Magna Carta still in force today, the document remains a cornerstone of British democracy. 800 years after the 1225 Magna Carta was issued, this exhibition will feature all six documents, exploring why Durham Cathedral came to have them, what they meant for life in the north of England, and their continuing importance today.

Venue:
Durham Cathedral, Chapter Office, Palace Green, Durham, DH1 3EH
Date:
Jul 11th 2025 - Nov 2nd 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00 , Sun 12:00 - 16:00
Price:
£7.50/under 18s Free

Sci-Fi Monsters Exhibition: Seek, Locate, Restore!

Ten years ago, multi-media artist and author Neil Cole swapped life in the classroom for that of curator and creator of The Museum of Classic Sci-Fi in Allendale. For some 25 years, Neil has amassed and restored an eclectic collection of screen-used props, costumes and production material from classic films and TV series. This exhibition celebrates both the work of countless creatives who have sought to make real the impossible - and Neil’s work ensuring the survival of this legacy for future generations to enjoy.

Venue:
Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, NE46 3LS
Date:
Jul 14th 2025 - Sep 6th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

Where Were You Last Summer?

This exhibition examines women’s hidden voices of dissent from a South Asian perspective. Sehr Jalil and Padma Rao, two visual artists collaborate and explore the underlying currents of a post-colonial identity through personal stories and archival enquiry. In the context of the recent unrest in the summer of 2024, the artists investigate the tension and space between colonialism and women’s activism, unpacking the notion of conflict, violence and resilience; and how they are interpreted in the current climate.

Venue:
Arts Centre Washington, Biddick Lane, Fatfield, Washington, NE38 8AB
Date:
Jul 18th 2025 - Aug 30th 2025
Opening Times:
Fri-Sat 09:00 - 16:00 , Wed 09:00 - 17:00 , Thu 09:00 - 21:00 , Tue 13:00 - 21:00
Price:
Free

Harvest from the Deep

Pete Robinson is a North Shields-based award-winning wedding photographer but for the past 10 years has been on a mission to record the working and home lives of local fishermen engaged in one of the UK’s most dangerous industries. This exhibition includes a selection of photographs that capture the heart and soul of the North Shields fishing industry.

Venue:
The Old Low Light, Clifford's Fort, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE30 1JA
Date:
Jul 22nd 2025 - Aug 30th 2025
Opening Times:
Tue-Sat 10:00 - 15:00
Price:
Free

Pippa Hale: Pet Project

Showcasing a solo commission by acclaimed artist, Pippa Hale, Pet Project sees the museum’s renowned ceramic collection re-imagined into a vibrant and interactive experience for all ages. With larger-than-life, soft recreations of animal figurines that can be played with, art and animal lovers can explore a display of the original ceramics that inspired them and share their own cherished items with the community. Be inspired as you learn about the traditional decorating and manufacturing techniques, as well as the cultural stories behind the collection, and create your own charming figurines to take home.

Venue:
The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8NP
Date:
Jul 26th 2025 - Mar 1st 2026
Opening Times:
Daily 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
£19.50/under 18s Free

Ro Robertson: The Ribs Begin To Rise

The first institutional solo show by contemporary artist Ro Robertson presenting a newly commissioned series of sculptural works alongside large-scale drawings and a video installation. Staged on the banks of the River Wear in Robertson’s hometown of Sunderland, The Ribs Begin to Rise takes inspiration from its location. It draws on the mouth of the River Wear, Sunderland Docks, Hendon Paper Works, the ropeworks and the 700 female shipbuilders who lived and worked in Sunderland. The exhibition reflects on Robertson’s family working-class history and the materials key to the industries which came to define Robertson’s upbringing and the region.

Venue:
Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, c/o National Glass Centre, Liberty Way, Sunderland, SR6 0GL
Date:
Jul 26th 2025 - Jan 10th 2026
Opening Times:
Daily 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Newcastle University MFA Fine Art Degree Show 2025

The Newcastle University Fine Art MFA Degree Show brings together the work of emerging artists at both the mid-point and the culmination of two years of study on the MFA. The exhibition includes a diverse set of contemporary voices, practices and media including painting, new media, film, video, sculpture, photography, print, sound, and installation.

Venue:
Hatton Gallery, The Quadrangle, University of Newcastle, 6 Kensington Terrace, Newcastle, NE1 7RU
Date:
Aug 9th 2025 - Aug 30th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free