Newcastle Fine Art Degree Show 2016 - preview on Friday 3rd June

It's that time of year; the atmosphere around the university is tense. There is silence in the library as students revise for their exams. Meanwhile, in the Fine Art department the studios are buzzing. It is hanging week for the final year undergraduates. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd years cleared out of their spaces last week and the 4th years moved into their allocated degree show exhibition spaces. Over the past week, floors and walls have been painted, digital equipment PAT tested, students names have been pasted in vinyl outside their exhibition spaces, and of course, artwork has been created, positioned, repositioned and perfected.

Today, (Friday 3rd June 2016) is the opening of Newcastle University’s Fine Art BA Hons Degree Show. The exhibition runs until 17th June. This year the exhibition will span 2 buildings, the Newcastle University Fine Art Department and the Hancock Museum. The show will then go to London, to the Copeland Gallery, Peckham, with a preview in the evening of Thursday 23rd June. The exhibition closes on 26th June.

I am really impressed with the way the students have organised themselves. I've seen a fair amount of the work in progress,  but have deliberately tried not to nosey into the spaces this week as I want to keep the surprise until opening night. 

"As the culmination of four years work, the exhibition promises huge variation, featuring artwork across painting, printmaking, sculpture, performance, moving image and sound. Each artist has spent valued time exploring different avenues of artistic expression, arriving at this final exhibition with the ability to investigate and reflect upon their subject matter with skill and intent, producing resolute pieces of work."

To find out more information about the exhibitions, the artists and their works please visit their comprehensive website:

http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2016/