Chester Visual Arts have launched their second exhibition of the year. ‘Refound – Bringing the art of the North West back home” has been curated in conjunction with Chester Modern Art, and is located in the former H&M store in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre.

Project Manager Hannah Wehbeh explained that the idea behind the new exhibition was to represent artists originally from the North West and Chester. Amongst the artists is Alistair Tucker, Head of Art at the Queen’s school whose prints make up a large chunk of the exhibition. “He suggested 3 other print makers who are Royal Academy members to be part of the exhibition: Jason Hicklin, Julia Midgely, Anne Desmet. I approached them all and they all agreed to do an exhibition with us. I then spoke to Modern Art Chester and collaborated with them on curating the rest of the exhibition.

The workshop area will also be used by Chester Contemporary, the ten week visual arts festival that launched last week.

Chester Visual Arts Board Member and co founder Ian Short commented:

“I am so pleased and proud to be holding our latest exhibition ‘Refound – Bringing the art of the North West back home!

“Chester Visual Arts’s goal is for a permanent, vibrant, visual arts space for Chester and over the past 6 years, despite the disruption of lockdown, we have brought six international exhibitions and events to the city to build audience and provide a platform for supporting regional artists, local audiences and our education programmes long term. There have been three V&A international touring exhibitions in the Old Library, Liz West Reflections in the Cathedral, a lecture series by national arts leaders and, this summer, Simon Roberts’ photography in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre – all high quality, all resounding successes with thousands of visitors.

“Now we have curated Refound, providing space for our first group of high quality regional artists to come home to the city. Close on the heels of the Simon Roberts exhibition, with so little financial resource and other support, this has been a mammoth task, only made possible by the extraordinary dedication of our Project Manager, Hannah Wehbeh, our joining forces with Juliet Cook Modern Art Chester, whose aspirations for the city’s art scene coincide with ours, and volunteering from all involved, artists included.”

Refound is open Wednesday to Sunday at the old H&M store, GSC, Wednesday to Saturday, 11.00 until 5.00 . Sunday 11- 4

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