The Quay Arts
Encyclopedia
The Quay Arts Centre is located at the head of the River Medina
, in Newport
in the centre of the Isle of Wight
. It is the island's leading art gallery and venue for live events.
The complex features three art galleries, a 134 capacity theatre, a crafts shop, conferencing facilities and a cafe and was fully refurbished in 1997 by architect Tony Fretton
. The Quay Arts owns and operates Jubilee Stores, also located on Newport Quay.
In 1976 the buildings were sold to the Isle of Wight Council
for £14,000, and in 1978 the Isle of Wight Visual Arts Centre Ltd was formed to manage and operate the Quay Arts Centre.
Since the centre opened in 1982 flooding has been a recurring problem to facilities on the ground floor, and in 1993 a flood wall was built to help prevent further flooding, although it didn't stop completely. A successful redevelopment bid to the National Lottery
in 1996 led to a complete refurbishment and re-opening in 1998. This also included further development of the adjacent Rope Store, also to house art.
River Medina
The River Medina is the main river of the Isle of Wight, rising at St Catherine's Down in the south of the Island and through the capital Newport, towards the Solent at Cowes. The river is a navigable tidal estuary from Newport northwards where it takes the form of a ria . The Medina is 17km long...
, in Newport
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
in the centre of the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. It is the island's leading art gallery and venue for live events.
The complex features three art galleries, a 134 capacity theatre, a crafts shop, conferencing facilities and a cafe and was fully refurbished in 1997 by architect Tony Fretton
Tony Fretton
Tony Fretton is a British architect known for his residential and public gallery buildings, as well as other British and international design work. He graduated from the Architectural Association and worked for various practices including Arup, Neyland and Ungless, and Chapman Taylor, before...
. The Quay Arts owns and operates Jubilee Stores, also located on Newport Quay.
History
The Quay Arts was first proposed in 1974 by a painter Anne Lewington and graphic designer Nigel Lewington, who proposed the idea of a building to house an arts centre for the island. Disused brewery warehouses on the Quay side at Newport Harbour were first identified as a suitable site, and is the location of the Quay Arts Centre today.In 1976 the buildings were sold to the Isle of Wight Council
Isle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
for £14,000, and in 1978 the Isle of Wight Visual Arts Centre Ltd was formed to manage and operate the Quay Arts Centre.
Since the centre opened in 1982 flooding has been a recurring problem to facilities on the ground floor, and in 1993 a flood wall was built to help prevent further flooding, although it didn't stop completely. A successful redevelopment bid to the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
in 1996 led to a complete refurbishment and re-opening in 1998. This also included further development of the adjacent Rope Store, also to house art.
Facilities
- Anthony Minghella Theatre - The theatre was named after island born Anthony Minghella after he opened it in 1997. It is host to a range of live events including professional touring comedy, world music, folk, jazz, blues, small-scale theatre, children's shows and a cultural cinema programme.
- Seminar Room - A small room located adjacent to the Quay Arts Centre's cafe and measured at around 57 sq. metres it accommodates up to fifty people.
- Green Room - The Green Room is set in the Rope Store and is slightly smaller than the main seminar room, accommodating around 15 people.
- Cafe Wall - Recognised as the Quay Art's fourth gallery space. It mainly hosts the work from amateur artists and younger emerging artists, first time exhibitors and experimental work. It hosts a minimum of 11 exhibitions a year.
- Michael West Gallery - A large space that encourages and promotes innovation and experimentation in visual arts. It was named after General Sir Michael WestMichael West (British Army officer)General Sir Michael Montgomerie Alston-Roberts-West GCB DSO and two bars was a British Army General who achieved high office in the 1960s. He served in World War II and the Korean War...
who was one of the group of artists led by Anne Lewington who founded the Quay Arts in 1975. - The Rope Store - The Rope Store was opened in 1997, along with the rest of the Quay Arts after its restoration and is a small space for displaying both solo and group exhibitions. It hosts a minimum of nine exhibitions a year.
- Learning Curve - A space primarily dedicated to promoting and supporting the work of the island's young people. Occasionally the Learning Curve is linked to the Michael West Gallery's exhibitions as a part of the Quay Arts Outreach programme and hosts a minimum of ten exhibitions per year.
- Craft Shop - Provides a showcase for more than sixty island and regional craft makers. Many of the crafts featured are unique to the island.
- Jubilee Stores - Jubilee Stores (pictured) is a separate building on Newport Harbour, housing a Ceramics Workshop, General Workshop, Print Studio and seven private Artists' Studios.