Unique exhibition ‘fuses’ together innovative student artwork

A Northumbria Fine Art student has helped organised collaborative art exhibition that brings together work from the city’s two universities.’

Sophie Halliday, a third year at Northumbria, worked in partnership with a Newcastle University student for the second year running for ‘INTERFUSE #2’.

The exhibition series aims to bring students from the two Universities together and offers the opportunity for them to experiment together creatively ahead of their degree shows later this year. Open to the public, the exhibition features new and emerging artists from both universities and visitors can look forward to having their perceptions challenged with exciting and innovative artwork. INTERFUSE is also a unique opportunity to take part in insightful discussions with students from both universities against a backdrop of mixed media artworks.

Sophie, alongside joint curator Martha Buttress from Newcastle University, said: “There’s always been an intense rivalry between the Universities and sometimes it can be quite negative. INTERFUSE is our way of bringing the two student populations together to show how collaboration and partnership can be a force for good. There is obviously a big appetite for it because the first exhibition was such a success – feedback from everyone was so strong. We’re really excited to see what the artists have up their sleeves this time round, especially in an external venue with such character and creative potential.”

The exhibition will take place on Tuesday 8 March 2016 from 6-9pm at the Pattern Shop, Hoults Yard. The following artists will be exhibiting: Martha Buttress and Sophie Halliday (joint-curators), Annabel Niekirk, Louie Pegna, Alice Rout, Matt Newsholme, Alice O’Hagan, Nikki Lawson and Matthew Young (collaboration). This project has been supported by the Newcastle Alumni Association Initiative Fund. £2 on the door entry with refreshments provided. 

Northumbria is in the UK top 10 for research power in Arts and Design following the Research Excellence Framework 2014 which measures the quality of research at UK Universities. For more information on studying Art at Northumbria please visit https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/fine-art-ft-uuffna1/?gclid=CNvL-uusp8sCFcluGwodpewNJw&gclsrc=aw.ds