Harrogate's Mercer Art Gallery will not reopen for weeks

In a sign of the tricky demands of the guidance in the latest phase of the Government's reopening of the hospitality and leisure sectors, the Mercer Art Gallery is set to remain closed until August at the earliest.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said: "The Mercer will not be opening until August at the earliest, but it may end up being later than that.

"Yes, there are practical considerations involved which make it difficult to reopen quickly in a safe and responsible manner but but it's also an issue of resources.

"Colleagues from across the culture, tourism and sport terms have been redeployed to support front line services and they are still required."

In the meantime, while the Harrogate Borough Council-owned public gallery is closed, a new online exhibition is in the pipeline with an open invitation to Yorkshire artists.

Called “RE:ACT COVID19” (Responsive Exhibition: Art Created Through Covid19), it's been devised by Friends of Mercer Art Gallery.

Deputy chair of the Friends of the Mercer Art Gallery, Catherine Wright said: "The project aims to capture and celebrate the creativity that has come out of the past few months, allowing us to gather a snap shot of history and a celebration of creativity.

“We are inviting artists to send us your creative responses to the experiences of living through lockdown and Covid19, perhaps, inspired by how our streets have transformed; how communities have come together; how the environment has bloomed; how life has changed or how we are adjusting to the transition out of full lockdown.

"The exhibition is open to all and the artworks can be in any form, painting, sculpture, embroidery, poetry, prose, etc... there are no limits.”

Artwork categories will provisionally be as follows: painting and drawing, ceramics and sculpture, textiles and embroidery, photography, the written word, other and Students Yr10 to Yr13 (GCSE and A Level).

When the exhibition opens on Yorkshire Day, August 1, the general public will be invited to vote for their favourite pieces in each category and the Friends of the Mercer Art Gallery will donate prizes for each winner.

The Friends Committee and the curator of Mercer Art Gallery will then make a selection from all works and a small exhibition will, hopefully, take place in the gallery once things return to ‘normal.’

The deadline for artistic submissions is 5pm on July 25.

For details please email ReactExhibition@gm

For more information, visit www.friendsofthemercerartgallery.co.uk

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