Reviving the Art Beat exhibition launches – with giant outdoor canvas as its centrepiece

Reviving the Art Beat exhibition launches – with giant outdoor canvas as its centrepiece

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A special exhibition showcasing artists from across the borough had its grand town centre launch yesterday (Friday 5 December), with works being projected onto a giant outdoor canvas.

Reviving the Art Beat Gallery and Photo Show features digital images, canvas art and upcycled items among its exhibits, much of which will be displayed on the Constantine Road facing wall of the Regal Moon – which has been transformed into a canvas.

The event will run until Christmas Eve, with displays every night between 4pm and 9pm, and also includes a collection of works being shown in the adjacent gallery at 19 Baillie Street.

Councillor John Blundell, a co-organiser of the project along with Martin Ballard of Red Cape Marketing, was there on the afternoon to declare the event open.

He said: “The idea is to try and create bottom up activity. We haven’t got a lot of money at the council. We tried to do something that doesn’t cost a lot and has a big impact. It creates something interesting to look at.”

MP for Rochdale Simon Danczuk was also at the opening and praised the sense of community spirit that Reviving the Art Beat has created. “It’s fantastic. A great project, it doesn’t cost a lot of money, but it’s different [and] involves local artists. It’s an attraction for the town centre and lifts people’s spirits,” he said.

Mr Danczuk added: “Credit to John Blundell.”

Lissah Hall holds weekly evening pottery classes at Hopwood Hall College and, along with her students, contributed to the exhibitions being shown at the indoor gallery. She, too, praised the positive impact the project has had in the community. “It’s fantastic. It’s inspired me and the students that have put the work in. It’s given them such a buzz,” she said. “It has given people a bit of get up and go.”

Professor Jeff Johnson of the Open University and also a part of European Commission project Non-Equilibrium Social Science (NESS) was also present. NESS has sponsored the project and has been heavily involved in getting it off the ground.