Even the very fabric of the building was up for grabs at BSA and we actively encouraged artists to engage with the walls, floors, nooks and crannies and leave their work in any form they desired. This gave rise to the unmissable and very visible, alongside the hidden and discoverable.
Mikk Murray: Bookshelves
Local artist Mikk Murray offered to do some creative painting at Bank Street Arts, and we gladly accepted. Mikk’s bookcase painting can be seen on the Ground Floor corridor that leads to the Jewellery Co-operative and the BSA courtyard.
Paul Matosic: I Didn’t Planet
Artist In Residence Paul Matosic created a large scale installation using scrap timber and old maps in one of the empty galleries in 2009 and later re-installed a ‘smaller’ version of the work outside the BSA Office in the middle of the Centre.
Ken Horne: In the Pipes
Bank Street’s first Artist In Residence created this facade for the cafe out of waste materials unearthed while he was assisting us with building work in the centre.
Bryan Eccleshall: Gone
As part of his residency at Bank Street Arts, Bryan painted a mural on one of the gallery walls which was then hidden when new gallery walls were built inside the existing structure. The mural depicted a missing painting and a plaque now records the presence and absence of the missing painting of the missing painting!
Textile Collection
Textile artist, Nicola Smalley, put out an open call to designers to send in their fabric designs to recover the ‘tub-chairs’ in our cafe. The winning fabrics by Genevieve Browne, Jennifer D’Eugenio, Laura Footman and Joanna Januszajtis were printed by Cassie Limb, studio holder at Bank Street Arts and upholstered by Nicola herself and are without doubt the most comfortable of our Permanent works. Special thanks go to Graces’ Fabrics at Castle Market in Sheffield for supplying the fabric.
International Artist’s Book Collection
From submissions to the first 5 editions of the Sheffield International Artist’s Book Prize we have collection of over 650 books held at Bank Street Arts, generously donated by participating artists. The Collection is quite unique in that it comprises books by artists from over 50 countries, it juxtaposes books by well known international artists with those by students just starting out, but most importantly, it is not based on a subjective choice or perceived financial value – anyone who enters the competition can have their work in the Collection. As a result, the diversity, range and eclecticism of the works make for a truly unique Collection.
Selected books from the Collection are on show throughout the year at Bank Street Arts and the books can be viewed at any time by appointment for research, workshops, seminars etc.
Laura Potter: IKEA Cabinet
12 Cabinets, the very first exhibition held at Bank Street Arts in December 2008 was both homage to and critique of the IKEA glass cabinet, which has become a staple fixture within craft shops and galleries across the UK. 12 Jewellers were each allocated a Detolf cabinet and asked to orchestrate the entire contents: the items, the display, the sale price and gallery commission. Participants were given complete control over their cabinet and the way in which ‘selling’ should be accommodated within the overall scheme: how to fill in the gaps.
Laura’s contribution was the IKEA Wax Works, a mini work-station for the manufacture, display and packaging of jewellery pieces. The rings and brooches were modelled in wax, using IKEA products as tools and jigs (a mug, tin opener and garlic press) before being cast in silver. The tools were all stored in the middle section; the top section was a display shelf and the bottom bracket held the packaging (brown boxes and shredded IKEA catalogues).
Erin K Schmidt
American artist Erin K Schmidt who posted her work to us for exhibition following her winning submission for the International Artists’s Book Prize, kindly donated the beautiful and thought provoking work text and photo work to the Centre.
Other Works
Any number of other works, left with us or donated by the artists, came out for occasional airings;
featured in exhibitions at BSA;
and elsewhere;
were used as garden materials;
or as permanent exhibits in our Education Space.
