United Kingdom: England: Tyne and Wear: Gateshead: Baltic Centre For Contemporary Art

Lucyann
Newcastle

Worth visiting!

Untitled

When you visit the Baltic you find that there is a very ecclectic mix of visitors, from students and critics of contemporary art, to tourists, to just regular working class Geordies who have decided to pop in during a stroll along the Quayside. This is what I like best about this place as you can hear all different kinds of comments as you walk round. You might over hear very informed and ‘deep’ comments from some people like “oh, the resonance of the yellow shades are so thought-provoking” and you might also hear “Well, it all looks like a load of squiggles with a banana on top to me.” I think this is where the value of Baltic lies, as both comments are can be valid. Art isn’t just for people educated about art, it’s for everyone interested in art. You don’t have to understand something to like it and you don’t have to like it if you understand it. I think the Baltic does try hard to be inclusive, something at which the Sage has failed miserably.

Comments:

Paper
Newcastle

I have to disagree

that the Baltic is inclusive, I think it could do a hell of a lot more for the region, like get local artists in, not just for the workshops but to exhibit. They also have a library which is open to the public, but no one seems to know about it, you also have to book to go along. AND when they had the British Art Show opening, there was a separate area just for the lucky artists, friends of artists and other people in the exclusive circle, all of which who had coloured wristbands to go, which involves a hot buffet and drinking area, and aftershow party, not very inclusive if you ask me. Opus Gallery on Shakespeare street however had scones and tea on for a private function but shared them with the public. When I went to see their current exhibition, I saw loads of lovely grannies, helping themselves quite willingly to them, they didn’t really look at the art though.

Lucyann
Newcastle

Fair point

But I meant day to day viewing rather than for special events that will mostly be attended by arty people anyway rather than just anyone off the street. I don’t think any public gallery will ever fulfill the criterea of being truly inclusive unless it stops being a gallery and becomes an outreach project. In contrast to other arts venues in Newcastle I think it does a lot more.i.e. I didn’t even know that there was a gallery on Shakespeare street, so how can the gallery be inclusive if it has such a low profile, especially in a small city such as Newcastle where rasing it’s profile would be quite inexpensive. I think quite a lot of people are aware that you can visit the art library at the Baltic, they might feel a bit intimidated about asking to go in but if you really we’re interested in visiting it you would get over that. Having to book before you attend is because they then don’t have to spend so much money on staffing it as they would if anyone could just wander in. Did you know that the Sage has a music library too?!
Maybe the Baltic should do more for local artists, but then they have done a few regionally based art exhibits and although the buiding is based in Newcastle it’s meant to be a National Centre and therefore just as London Galleries should not be London-centric so should the Baltic not be Northeast-centric.

Paper
Newcastle

hmmmm

I never said that it wasn’t a national centre of art, just that along with endless other reasons, it was built to create relationships with local artists as well, and I think it has a long way to go, but they are trying, the MA they have in partnership with Newcastle University is one, and I believe this is due to the initial negative responses local artists and students gave the gallery.

On the library front, they have the money to exhibit artists all over the world, but not enough to fully staff a library? I had no idea they had a library, and now consider it a main attraction for the gallery personally. It has the potential to really be the centre for art books in the city, something that really is needed, the only decent one being Northumbria University, which is just brilliant, but only really available to students.

Yeah that Opus Gallery is fairly new, it’s part of the Eyestorm group.

Lucyann
Newcastle

I suppose you're right!

It’s kind of dependant on how much involvement you have with art. If it doesn’t meet the needs of artists in Newcastle then it is failing in some respects. For me the Baltic meets my needs and seems reasonably inclusive, but then I have quite a passive interest in art and sculpture so require less from it. You’re actively involved in art and so you expect more from it and want and need to use all it’s facilities more than me. It’s a bit like me and the Sage, because I’m so passionate about music I’m all the more more dissapointed about how crappy, expensive, intimidating and “cliquey” it is.

Paper
Newcastle

Cheer

I agree entirely!

There are hardly any exhibitions I want to see up here, believe it or not, they’re mainly in Bury of all places, but I’m picky about my art I suppose.


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