New Lights’ Board are delighted to be working in partnership with the Mercer Gallery in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

The New Lights Prize exhibition is at the Mercer, and is open to the public until 8 January 2012.

‘Nat Quinn’s delicate and ambiguous abstract paintings take as much from other media – like drawing and ceramics – as they do from the history of painting. A very worthy recipient in a talented selection.’ Paul Hobson, Director of the Contemporary Art Society
‘Nat Quinn is showing a way to confront painting with a relevance to our inner lives; which in the political and economic climate of today, remains vital.’ William Tillyer, artist.

Since its foundation in 1991, the Mercer has become one of the region’s most popular galleries, enjoyed for the wealth, breadth and diversity of its programmes and its collections.

The Mercer Art Gallery replaced the former Harrogate Art Gallery that had been in the town library since 1930. The Friends of the Mercer Art Gallery and Harrogate Borough Council raised the funds to convert the elegant historic Promenade Rooms into a gallery. The Mercer family made a substantial donation to the foundation of the new gallery, which was named after local artist Sidney Agnew Mercer. The gallery is both the home of Harrogate Borough Council’s fine art and museum collections and a venue for major exhibitions of historic, modern and contemporary art.

The fine art collection – which is exhibited in changing themed displays throughout the year – contains major works by the great Victorians, most notably the Harrogate born William Powell Frith (1819-1909), including his famous painting Many Happy Returns of the Day, 1856. Also, moonlit scenes by John Atkinson Grimshaw, singing choristers by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and photographs by Julia Margaret Cameron. The 20th century is well represented, with paintings and drawings by modern masters, including Ivon Hitchens, Paul Nash, Christopher Wood and Dame Laura Knight. The Mercer Art Gallery is also committed to acquiring contemporary art, via the Contemporary Art Society and works from local and regional artists.

The Mercer regularly shows new work by contemporary artists, including painters, photographers, sculptors and designer-makers. Recent shows have included Tessa Bunney’s photographs of women workers in Vietnam, Tim Smith’s photographs of Rwanda and abstract paintings by John Creighton and Simon Crawford.

Jane Sellars, curator of art, said, ‘We are delighted that the Mercer is to become the first gallery venue for the New Lights painting prize for young artists in the north of England. This is a very exciting new prize, and much needed by young artists in our region. I am very much looking forward to putting the work on show here in Harrogate.’

The Mercer Art Gallery
Swan Road
Harrogate
HG1 2SA