Hanging the Exhibition!

My exhibition opens on Saturday - Whoopee! It's come round so quickly. I was at the gallery yesterday afternoon, helping to make decisions (getting in the way??) about what to hang where.

As you can see, the walls have been painted bright green and blue, which really picks out the colour in the artwork.


We have hung the pictures very low on the walls, so it is child-friendly. To fill the space above, we have vinyl stencil enlargements of some of the animals. These will jump between the pictures, sit on the frame tops, or peek out from behind, like these giraffes from A Lark in the Ark:

We positioned the stencils, with masking tape, then stuck them down and cut round them - really fiddly and takes AGES!

While we were working, the monkey mobiles arrived, which look great:

The technicians have built the children's activity centre in the middle, but Marie has not filled it with all the images and props yet, so that will be a surprise for me on the day.

Do you remember how we lost the ark? Well, the publisher was so apologetic and tried so hard to persuade Marie to re-introduce it that, although it was too late by then to build the ark, we now have a Lark in the Ark dressing-up area instead, where children become the different animals.

As well as the Private View at 4pm, there is also a free children's Funday from 11am until 3pm in the gallery and library. I'll be doing storytellings at 11am and 2pm (suitable for 4 - 8yrs) and an illustration workshop at 12.45 (7yrs to adult). No tickets are needed, just come along. There is also face-painting, hula-hooping, a treasure trail and a Giddy Goat art session for kids to join in on, again as a drop-in.

If you are coming on Saturday, this map might be useful (click to enlarge). The nearest train & bus station is Ashton-u-Lyne: 5 mins walk, or Stalybridge: about a 20 min walk.

If you are driving, it's junction 23 off the M60. Follow signs for Ashton Town Centre and at the large roundabout, take the first exit, before Lidyl, onto Old Street. The Gallery is in the old Central Library building on the left, postcode OL6 7SG. Parking is behind the building.Any problems, ring the gallery on 0161 342 2650. See you there!