Northumberland artist opens art exhibition in Baliffgate museum

The new exhibition, which attracted long queues when it opened at the end of March, is made up of paintings by Katherine Renton created using coal.

Katherine, who graduated in Fine Art from Newcastle University in the 1990s, has combined her love for her grandad and Northumberland to create the art that is made from coal found at the coast.

Katherine’s grandad used to work as a coal miner in Shilbottle.

She said: “I was aware that the coal my grandad mined came from the same seam that produces the sea coal we see washed up on our local beaches. I visit the coastline regularly on sketching trips, where the dramatic erosion of our coastline is becoming really apparent. My paintings, explore the impact of climate change on the coast.”

For the exhibition, named ‘Keep’, Katherine has teamed up with the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership (AONB) which has providing funding. They will be exhibiting information on their role in protecting the coastline alongside Katherine’s work.

Katherine said: “Working with the AONB has been the perfect collaboration for me. Through my paintings, and with the support of the AONB, I have been trying to make sense of this global climate crisis that we continuously hear reports on – it’s all too overwhelming to fully comprehend, so I decided to explore the local relevance of it.”

The exhibition, which also focuses on children’s creative play, is open until May 21.