Joyful  - Cupola Christmas Show
Nov
23
to Jan 4

Joyful - Cupola Christmas Show

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joyful /ˈdʒɔɪf(ʊ)l/ adjective feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness. Christmas is a time of celebration and joy, we would like to invite artists and makers to submit work that responds to the title joyful

23rd November - 4th January 2025

Opening 7:30 pm Friday 22 November

joyful - /ˈdʒɔɪf(ʊ)l/

Adjective

Feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness.

‘Joyful’ at Cupola Gallery. We all need a bit of joy in our lives! Art brings joy to so many and over 70 artists across media are exhibiting their work in response to this theme. Art to lift your spirits and elicit strong emotion. From crazy oversized ice lollies made from reclaimed wood, to delicate abstract watercolours, conceptual art pieces and large ‘50’s style textile hangings to hand made mixed media baubles we hope the range of styles, scale, price points and character of every hand made work of art in the show comes together to deliver a truly ‘joyful’ exhibition.

Artists taking part include:

Aimee Mitchell , Alison Edmonds, Alison Wren, Alison Young , Allison James  , Ally Kendrick Clew , Anne Atkinson , Anne Menary, Bren Head, Cath Dunn  , Charlotte Willoughby-Paul , Claire Allam Clare Chinnery , Clinton Chaloner , Colleen Penny, Daniil Grebenshchikov  , David Blanchard  , David Lucas, Denise Wrightson , Emine Thompson , Fumi , Gail Altschuler  , George Hunter  , Geraldine Hughes Gplank Furniture, Helen Jones  , Helene Fletcher , Hilary Cartmel , Hui Yu Wang  , Immie Ruth Jones  , Imogen Perkin, Inga Winson  , Jane Blake , Jane Middleton, Jane Walker, Jen Mick, Jenny Marshall, Jo Brown, Joanna Hart, Joe Morris, John Brokenshire , Jonathan Hooper, Julie Cole, Justine Wake, Karen Sherwood, Karoline Rerrie, Katherine Rhodes, Katherine Stephenson, Kathryn Watson, Kaus Pinter, Louis Szabo, Louise Ventris, Lu Mason, Lyn Hodnett, Mariel Borst Pauwels, Mary Barratt, Melissa Speed, Paul Dearden, Pauline Rignall, Rhiannon Robinson, Richard Gee , Robert Broadhurst, AMARAJYOTI, Sally Jones , Sarah Lewis, Sean O'Farrell , Sheena Fowkes , Simon Dobbs Stephen Todd , Tania Holland, Tim Copsey, Tim Foxall, Tracey Welsh, Yuka Jourdain

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Under The Bed Sale
Jan
11
to Feb 2

Under The Bed Sale

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Our most popular event of the year opens its doors at 10am on Saturday 11 January 2025. Save the date! Several thousand pieces of original artwork arrive at the gallery to be sold off at bargain prices. From £1 up to a maximum price of £350. All work has to be original - no reproductions. If it has ever been on sale we ask that artists reduce the price by at least 50% as the sale is not about undercutting a market price of current works but about giving older, imperfect or no longer loved works a chance to be seen and hopefully re-homed. The sale is open to all artists, amateur or professional, old or young, experienced or just starting out. Work is not selected. we accept and put out for sale all items sent. * We reserve the right to exclude works we deem may cause offence. Details of how to take part will be shared on curator space and on our website.

Work across all disciplines is welcome including but not limited to, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, photography and mixed media.

IF YOU WISH TO TAKE PART PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THROUGH GUIDELINES AND COMPLETE ALL APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK

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Corinna Button
Oct
4
to Nov 16

Corinna Button

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“Corinna Button has worked with Cupola Gallery for many years and we have enjoyed seeing her work develop and change although her focus on the figure, primarily the female form, and personal experiences have remained a constant theme. This most recent body of work concentrates on her painting although printmaking is still a core part of her artistic practice. The method of layering, scraping back and revealing so intrinsic in printmaking is mirrored in her painting methods. Indeed, Corinna often uses some of her printmaking tools, including the indispensable printmaking roller, to make her paintings. Surface marks and textures feature predominantly, clearly reflecting the physicality of the method of production, imbuing each image with an energy and ‘gutsy’ quality. Each image is ‘hard won’. The title of the solo show refers to both to the thematic nature of this exhibition and her way of working. In life it is often difficult to do much more than scratch the surface of an issue or problem without hard work and attention. In art, the public tends only to have access to the final product, without knowing the background and history of the journey to the finished work. Corinna hopes that whilst customers enjoy the images and surfaces of her paintings and prints, the ideas and themes might also ‘break through’.

Karen Sherwood, Director and curator.

Scratching the Surface - Breaking Through

Corinna Button

5 October - 16 November

Opening 7:30pm Friday 4 October

The phrase, ‘to scratch the surface’ means to only understand something superficially. Breaking through implies on the way to achieving your goals or dreams. Both could be descriptors of the reductive techniques found in Corinna Button’s work. This dual meaning of the physicality of Corinna’s work and the desire for a deeper meaning is the driving force behind her new exhibition.

“People are the subjects of my work and I am intrigued by moments that, despite initially appearing quite commonplace, are (for me) charged with great significance and meaning. My inspiration is drawn from experiences or predicaments I encounter in daily life, such as social gatherings, images from social media and words from a song or a poem. All these generate ideas for themes that I can build upon, “dress-up” and weave into my work. I compose figures either in groupings or as a single figure or just a face. My aim is not to create exact likenesses, but rather to create prototypical or archetypal figures whose personality or identity is both partly exposed and partly hidden beneath the surface. Everything about the way I work (both technique and subject) is motivated by the desire to reveal or “bring something to light.” Thus my process involves layering then scraping back, building then excavating; otherwise, peeling back layers to “carve out” and reveal something hidden beneath the surface.

It is through these painted or printed figures that I wish to project recognisable aspects of human experience. I want to compel and to draw the viewer in for a closer look at and beyond the surface.”


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Rachel McDonnell
Aug
23
to Sep 28

Rachel McDonnell

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Rachel McDonnell

24 August - 28 September

Opening 7:30pm Friday 23 August

Rachel McDonnell's paintings look at two cultures with very different attitudes to woodlands. From the Finnish reverence for the land and nature to our own, slightly more distant, connection with the world around us.

The exhibition features two bodies of work. The Finnish series began following a trip to Finland in 2019. However due to the pandemic in 2020 Rachel began walking more in local woodlands.

“Every now and then, in the woods, I would come across a patch of tree marker paint on trunks, often on ash trees, clearly destined to be felled as a result of ash dieback. It was something I’d also seen when visiting ancient woodlands that had been, or were going to be, cleared to make way for HS2. I began to ponder the power that we have, as we wield our spray cans. I began to use the tree marker paint on some of the paintings too. It felt very uncomfortable, but if it feels bad to obliterate a nice little painting of the woods, how much worse is it to destroy the real thing? Whilst working on the new paintings of woodlands, I have also continued with the Finnish series, keeping in mind the very different culture Finns have in relation to the environment. When we were staying with our friends in Finland, they told us about how their uncle had built his (now their) summer house. The first thing he did was to build the window. Then, he wandered around looking for the view he wanted, before building the house around it. It seems emblematic of a different outlook, and a closer connection to nature, which results in totally different ways of dealing with environmental issues. I have been musing on the different ways in which we, in this country, and the Finns treat our woods and forests, and whether we can shift our culture, just a little, so that we edge towards thinking of nature first, just as our friend’s uncle did when he was building their cottage.” Rachel McDonnell 2024

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Undercurrents - Mixed Group Show
Jul
12
to Aug 17

Undercurrents - Mixed Group Show

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Undercurrents

13 July - 17 August

Opening 7:30pm Friday 12 July

Undercurrent

noun

un·​der·​cur·​rent ˈən-dər-ˌkər-ənt -ˌkə-rənt

Synonyms of undercurrent

1: a current below the upper currents or surface

2: a hidden opinion, feeling, or tendency often contrary to the one publicly shown

There are forces that flow underneath all our lives, shaping how we live and changing nature itself.

Featuring Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, Photography, Textiles

Alan Pergusey, Bernie Rutter, Catherine Morris, Charity Chapple, Clinton Chaloner, Corrina Rothwell, David Lucas, Debbie Michaels, Erica Bloom, Fierce Fine Art, Frederick Ingoldby, Fumi, Helen Jones, Helen Nottage , Helene Fletcher, Jane Walker, Jenny Marshall, Jo Brown, John Bainbridge, John Sutcliffe, Jos Boys, Kerry Bennett, Klaus Pinter, Lois Palframan, Louise Goult, Lucy Milligan, Lyn Hodnett, Mario Lautier Vella, Mary Barratt, Myfanwy Williams, Paul Dearden, Petar Tica, Rae Clarke, Renata Barcelos, Robert Broadhurst, Ryan Durrant, Sarah Coleman, Sean Williams, Simon Dobbs, Stephen Todd, Sue Ripley, Tony Bowen, Tracey Keeping

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Pauline Rignall and Claire Allam
Jun
7
to Jul 5

Pauline Rignall and Claire Allam

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Pauline Rignall & Claire Allam

8 June - 6 July

Opening 7:30pm Friday 7 June

This joint exhibition comes from a 14 year friendship between the painter Pauline Rignall and the ceramicist Claire Allam. While starting from different points - the ethereal and atmospheric in Pauline’s paintings and the fire-won earthiness of Claire’s ceramics, their work compliments the other’s, forming a harmonious visual feast.  

 

Pauline Rignall 

Pauline's work is rooted in drawing and a love of paint. Translucency, mark making and rhythm are essential elements in her work. She may start with a few marks on the canvas and see what unfolds and reveals itself as the painting mirrors back the flux of emerging forms.  Atmosphere and sensation are her primary focus allowing the embodiment of light onto the canvas.  

Turner, Matisse. Monet and Diebenkorn are significant influences in her work.  

Claire Allam 

Claire's work in this exhibition is based on themes of fertility, the female and circularity. She feels a close connection with the 'real' world, with nature and its seasons, and fragmentary glimpses or remembrances of these are often the starting point for her work. 

Claire uses a range of techniques and clays to best express her subject. Included in this exhibition are larger, hand built sculptures in a heavy cranked clay, thrown works in stoneware clay with expressive calligraphic-style marks using oxides, and porcelain, both thrown and slip cast. Her choice of colour is informed by the English landscape: rich earth tones, sea greens, blues and black with splashes of brighter colour and copper red - the hallmark colour of reduction firing. 

Claire's work is often based on simple geometric forms. Here, the spherical and circular shapes contribute to the motif of fullness and fecundity. This is in contrast to her elongated, elegant forms, often narrow in base. 

The firing process is integral to the look of a finished ceramic piece. Claire combines electric kiln work with more traditional reduction firings using gas, or wood kilns and pit firing, the latter being her preferred methods. Ultimately, she views her ceramic art as a collaboration - a tango-like interaction between artist and clay and the raw, elemental force of the flame. 

"I am an intuitive and expressive artist. I like to interweave both abstract and figurative elements in my paintings. Imagination, the earth, the sky, the elements all feed into the inspiration that informs my work.

I have always been intrigued by dreams and myth which create the images that flow in and out of my paintings. I work quickly, but am constantly obliterating and reforming in the process of finding the poetics of the expression." Pauline Rignall

“I have made pots, drawn and painted for most of my life. An early memory is digging clay from a Cornish cliff with my father. I feel a keen sense of connection with the landscape and natural world and my work celebrates the movement and rhythms I find there.

Outdoor sketches, photographs and observation begin the process in which my paintings often inform my ceramic work. My choice of colours is British landscape informed – sea greens and greys, blue, rust, ochre and black, enlivened with copper reds.” Claire Allam

We are excited to welcome the joint exhibition of Pauline Rignall and Claire Allam.

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Kathryn Watson
May
3
to Jun 1

Kathryn Watson

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Kathryn Watson

4 May - 1 June

Opening 7:30pm Friday 4 May

“​All my work is hand built. The process of making a sculpture often begins by making a small clay maquette which is then re-made on a larger scale.  To construct the work, I join strips or coils of clay. Alternatively, I manipulate clay by pulling, pinching, stretching and carving it into unique forms.

​These methods are sometimes combined in one piece. I let the clay determine the final form, allowing the piece to grow and develop organically. I often return to previous ideas and rework them with the knowledge gained from my last making. The natural colour of the clay and the atmosphere of the firings enhance the forms. Sometimes the work is burnished and waxed. I use a variety of stoneware clays usually fired to 1260 degrees. 

I am inspired by my garden, it has become an outdoor gallery where the finished pieces can return. The sculptures become an integral part of the garden, nestling in herbaceous borders, resting on a stone wall or raised on an old tree stump.”

We are delighted to welcome regular exhibitor Kathryn Watson in her solo show. Kathryn is a local well-established Sheffield artist who uses a plethora of stoneware clays for sculptures inspired by the naturalness of her outdoor surroundings.

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Fumi
May
3
to Jun 1

Fumi

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Fumi

4 May - 1 June

Opening 7:30pm 3 May

“My work is stimulated by the transition in organic processes such as ephemeral forms and instability of colour in floral materials. I specifically preserve plant materials including petals, florets and leaves which are coated with specialist resins and reinforced with fibreglass. The application is repeated about 20 - 30 times depending on the nature and characteristics of materials. I then present flowers as objects.

Each stage of flower development - the bud, the bloom, and the fade - is impermanent yet astonishingly beautiful. I am to capture a moment of beauty which is complimented by the eternal fragility of flora, a metaphor I use for human existence. For me, the images that I choose as subject matter suggest mortality and the transitory nature of life. The objects I produce with the flowers signify the futility of human activity in which my acceptance and embracement of natural progression is presented, as well as deterioration in both physical and emotional states. 

​My work is a way of rendering my aesthetic appreciation of life. I strive to deliver the fundamental essence of nature through the artform of sculpture.”

We are thrilled to welcome Fumi’s work in her solo exhibition. Fumi is a Japanese artist living in Barnsley who focuses on the art of miniatures. She has a passion for organic materials and natural processes which are used to create sculptures of insects or jewellery.

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Miniatures Revisited - Mixed Group Show
Mar
15
to Apr 27

Miniatures Revisited - Mixed Group Show

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Miniatures Revisited

Mixed Group Show

16 March - 27 April

Cupola presents Miniatures Revisited. Artists are showing a myriad of miniature pieces that fit into a 10cm cube. The artworks are diverse in style and content, ranging from abstract and figurative paintings on paper and canvas, small-scale models of grassy garden sheds and tiny ceramic teapots. We have whimsical wooden books enclosed in their own fabricated casing, as well as a handcrafted paper bustier corset. Artists taking part are local, national and international.

A Rosemary Watson, Adam Davis, Amarajyoti, Amy Bucki, Amy Twiston Davies, Andy D'Cruz, Angela Hogan, Anna Kime, Anna-Maria Amato, Anne Menary, Annette Petch, Ariel Chavarro Avila, Barbara Sykes, Bernie Rutter, Bev Seth, Boris Joh Passacantando, Bruce Hardwick & Lynn Critchlow, Chris Ratcliffe, Clee Claire Lee, Clinton Challoner, Corrina Rothwell, Dámaris Meer, Dan Potter, David Helm, David Riley, Debbie Michaels, Elaine Brown, Elizabeth de Broise, Elizabeth Jardine Godwin, Elizaveta Sivas, Erin Lloyd, Fiona Thompson, Fumi, Gillian Houghton, Helen Field, Hilke Kurzke, Imogen Perkin, Jackie Lunn, Jacqueline Irwin, Jane Howroyd, Jane Walker, Jen Mick, Jenny Marshall, Jessica Holmes, Jo Brown, Jo Fleming Smith, Jo Liddle, Jo Neil, Jo Owen, John Brokenshire, Jonathan Michaels, Jude Eldridge, Karen Sherwood, Kate Corder, Kate Jacob, Klaus Pinter, Lee Smithson, Linda Bulleyment Ceramics, Linda Combi, Linda Laurance, Louise Goult, Louise Winter, Louise Wiseman, Lyn Hodnett, Mariel Borst Pauwels, Martin Pearson, Megan Thimm, Myfanwy Williams, Nerissa Cargill Thompson, Nick Hunter, Nicola Rawnsley, Octavia Inns, Paul Dearden, Penny Cook, Pewnny Withers, Rebecca Davy, Roberta Harrison, Sally Jones, Sally Light, Sarah Dunton, Sean Williams, Sheila Chapman, Siobhain Santry, Susan Chisholm, Tanya Bentham, Tara Harris, Tess Willoughby, Toddy Hoare, Tristan Felix Kardel, Vanessa Jones, Will Wright

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Sean Williams - Oak Park to Meadow View
Feb
9
to Mar 9

Sean Williams - Oak Park to Meadow View

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Sean WIlliams - Oak Park to Meadow View

10 February - 9 March

Artist Talk

Thursday 7 March, 6 for 6:30pm start.

All welcome. Booking not required but encouraged as places are limited. Call 0114 2852665 to reserve a seat.

PLEASE NOTE: the talk will take place upstairs in the long gallery, so we ask that anyone with mobility issues gets in touch to see how we may be able to help.

‘Over the last few years I have produced a collection of paintings based on a walk around a fictional English town.  The walk takes place on the edges of the town, highlighting the places that, while containing both urban and rural elements, are neither quite one thing nor the other. There are signs of life, of building work and farm animals, but no people.  It includes views of parks, those essential oases of relative calm within the bustling conurbation, and farms – buildings which mark where the town ends and the countryside begins. There are also views of the curiously manufactured, artificial terrain of golf courses.  The walk occurs across the year, encompassing all weathers. 

The paintings themselves are a painstaking meditation on the subject, constructed by thousands of tiny dots of paint.  The intention of this adapted pointillist technique is to create a surface that shimmers slightly.  It also allows me to introduce a number of colours, in the manner of Seurat.  From a distance they can be relatively photo-realistic but close inspection reveals the technique and subtle shifts in colour.' Sean WIlliams 2024

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Under The Bed Sale 2024
Jan
13
to Feb 4

Under The Bed Sale 2024

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Under The Bed Sale 2024

Saturday 13 January - Sunday 4 February

The gallery is open every day during this extremely popular sale.

Opening times:

Monday - Saturday 10-6pm

Sunday 12-4pm*

Once the sale has closed the gallery will no longer open on Sundays.

Cupola's now famous 'Under The Bed Sale' It is important that artists understand this is NOT an exhibition - it is a SALE. Work is unselected. ALL WORK SUBMITTED WILL BE ACCEPTED* *We reserve the right to not display work that might cause offence. As long as the pieces sent to Cupola are original - not reproductions form unique works - then they will be part of the sale.

To submit to the sale please complete the paperwork in the links below and ensure ALL works are clearly labelled with you NAME, Title and PRICE. Then please contact us either by email or telephone to arrange an appointment to deliver.

All artworks must reach us no later than the 10th January.

Every year artists and art lovers unite in their delight of Cupola’s Under The Bed Sale. A concept which allows artists to route out from storage no longer loved or early artworks that they would not exhibit and sell them off at bargain prices. As prices start at under £1 and are capped at £350, art lovers get the chance to find original art works for absolutely bargain prices. And who doesn’t love a bargain?

The concept originated many years ago when the gallery owner, Karen, visited an artist friend, Lyn Hodnett, who proceeded to pull out a load of original art work quite literally from under her bed. She was showing it as examples of older and early works. When asked if she would exhibit it, she said no as they were out of date and no longer relevant. However, when asked if she would sell them, she answered enthusiastically in the affirmative! Therein lay the problem, how on earth could she sell them if she didn’t want to show them? So after a bit of discussion, between them, they came up with the concept of The Under The Bed Sale. And it has been a riot every since!

There is a maximum number of works per artist:

100 x unframed (mounted or unmounted)

20 x framed (please call if any are larger than 1mx1m in any direction)

50 x 3D pieces (please call if any are larger than 1mx1m in any direction)

All work needs to come labelled with the artists name or code (including the artist's initials) the retail price and title if relevant. A delivery/consignment note needs to be delivered with the work that lists all items delivered with the artists full contact details including a phone number and the retail prices.

The retail price is worked out as follows:

wholesale/artist's price x 2.2= retail including VAT which the gallery has to charge.

EG: £10 x 2.2=£22 retail (£10 for the artist, £10 for the gallery and the VAT gets £2).

It is essential that artists understand that the work is delivered to the sale entirely at their own risk. Although the gallery will do all it can to keep work safe, due to the sheer number of pieces we get, occasionally accidents happen and the gallery does not accept liability for any work damaged or lost in this sale. Also the artist is responsible for transporting the work to and from the gallery. If any sale work remains uncollected one month after the end of the sale (March 8 2024) it will be disposed of/given away to charity.

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Cornucopia - Christmas Group Show
Nov
17
to Jan 6

Cornucopia - Christmas Group Show

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Cupola’s annual Christmas Exhibition

Cornucopia

18 November - 6 January 2024

A hand held video taken on my phone. Apologies for the quality!

Christmas Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10-6pm, Sundays 12-4 up to December 17
Christmas Eve: 10-2pm

‘Cornucopia’ also known as the horn of plenty arrives to spread its bounty at Cupola Gallery.  In classical antiquity, the cornucopia, also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment. Taking this as our starting point Cupola aims to celebrate the breadth of creativity seen in the arts. We have selected submissions of the wonderful and fantastic, feasts for the eyes, nourishment for the soul, a joyous celebration of the human spirit of generosity.

We are not only showcasing work that responds to the theme but also work that is affordable and accessible.  It is very important that the feel of the show is not only opulent but is open to all and will have something everyone can take home from our bounty.

We have selected a broad selection of work across media from the vibrant and energetic to the deeply meditative and minimal, including figurative and abstract works; painting, sculpture, printmaking, glass, ceramics, textiles, jewellery, photography, digital print and hand made gift items. Textile works are well represented including a contemporary ‘Persian rug’ i.e. a rug made by an Iranian artist, hand embroidered ‘paintings’, a large wall hanging, contemporary woven mixed media panels, textile sculpture ‘books’, stitched and collaged mixed media assemblages and stunning silk scarves. The exhibition is shared across all four gallery spaces plus our sculpture garden which means a complete rehang of the entire premises energising and reimagining each space.  

We encourage visitors to look and enjoy the wealth of diverse creative talents on show and children are always welcome.

“We are always excited by the diverse nature of submissions from artists and it is a joy to be able to share everything from small ceramic Goddesses, to large abstract paintings, through to exquisitely constructed bird sculptures, quirky brooches, striking glass, decorative and functional ceramics for interiors and exteriors, stunning silver jewellery, hand made Christmas decorations and unframed and framed paintings and original prints of every conceivable style and content. We are humbled to be able to represent and support so many artists and makers. Work has even arrived for the exhibition from as far away as Australia this year. We look forward to welcoming you to the gallery.”  Karen Sherwood, Director.

Artists taking part include:
Alison Edmonds, Ama Menec, Amanda Crump, Andree Adley, Anne Menary, Carly Gilliatt, Carol Pairaudeau, Caroline Lowe, Cath Dunn, Catherine Clark, Catherine Morris, Colleen Penny, Corinna Button, Daniele Marzeddu, David Beedall, David Lucas, Elin Isaksson, Emelia Archer, Emma Yeomans, Fumi, Gemma Whithorn, Georgia Peskett, Gill Gathercole, Jacqueline Hilson, Jane Blake, Jennie McCall, Jenny Marshall, Jessica Briggs, Joanna Hart, John Brokenshire, Jonathan Oakes, Julie Cole, Justine Wake, Karen Sherwood, Kathryn Watson, Kerry Bennett, Klaus Pinter, Leslie Wilson, Lyn Hodnett, Mariel Borst Pauwels, Myfanwy Williams, Nadia Thompson, Nima Javan, Octavia Inns, Pea Restall, Penelope Hayes, Rhiannon Robinson, Richard Gee, Roger Nowell, Ruth Claydon, S Amarajyoti, Sabine Jeanne Bieli, Sarah Dewhurst, Sean O'Farrell, Simon Dobbs, Stephen Todd, Sue Ripley, Tabby Gammer, Tania Holland, Viv Owen, Yuka Jourdain

Work is for sale with prices starting from £10 to £2500 plus. Unique and hand made cards are also available from £2.50

Cupola Gallery is a proud supporter of the ‘Just a card’ campaign which champions independent shops, artists and makers.

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Lin Cheung
Oct
7
to Nov 11

Lin Cheung

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Connections & Associations

Exhibition dates: 7 October - 11 November

Talk - Sat 28 October, 2pm

‘My work, my process, my inspiration’ -

Lin Cheung talks about her work history, her practice and her inspiration behind her current exhibition at Cupola Gallery.

Cupola is delighted to present Lin Cheung, an abstract artist, author and teacher who is interested in the unique individuality of experience, metaphor and symbol, for her first solo show at the gallery.

Connections and Associations is a series of new, contemporary, abstract works for the viewer’s imagination to explore.

Lin draws on her experience as a psychotherapist and understanding of metaphor, symbolism and unconscious associations and meaning. Some of the key ideas in her work are about nature, archaeology and time, juxtaposed with the continuity of place and human experience. They emerge in the way she makes use of texture, paint handling and line.

Lin works in mixed media, including acrylic paint combined with pencil crayon, oil pastel and sometimes collage. She begins with intuitive mark-making, allowing the painting to evolve from the process of the work holding her central themes in mind.

Creative Connections by Lin Cheung - a 30 day sketchbook challenge. £12.50 each.

Karen Sherwood, founder and director of Cupola Gallery, said:

"We are delighted to host Lin Cheung's first solo show with the gallery. She has a wonderful ability to create structured, simple compositions rich with layers of interesting marks made using various media. The images are clearly built up over time, which creates both depth and intrigue with colours and marks softened and highlighted, covered and revealed. Each piece uses a limited colour palette in order to heighten our emotional response to each work. Her palette varies from quite cool yellow, blue and grey tones through to rich reds and browns. A bold use of black often adds a dynamism to individual pieces. Drawn lines cut through and intersect the surfaces of broader painted blocks of colours. Your eye is encouraged to wander and explore the surface but from a distance the effect of the whole evokes an unconscious emotional response or association. Paintings to spend time with. " Karen Sherwood, Director

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Amanda Crump
Aug
26
to Sep 30

Amanda Crump

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Amanda Crump creates ceramic animals which appear to have stepped out of a Lewis Carol novel. Dressed in their finery her highly detailed pieces are bedecked in all manor of attire. Walruses, poodles, mermaids, rabbits, a whole menagerie of fantastical beasts are on display.

“We often anthropomorphise the creatures with which we share our world. There are many lessons to be learned from an animal’s innate sense of dignity and pride that we, as humans, can often lose at an early age.” Amanda Crump

Amanda’s creatures have an inscrutability about them, sometimes unsettling and dark, sometimes genial and warm. The artist questions the way we treat the creatures we share our world with – using them as symbols of legends and folk tales, attributing blame for things we don’t understand about our world or, even demeaning and anthropomorphising them in the name of love.

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Secret Postcard Show
Aug
26
to Sep 30

Secret Postcard Show

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Secret Postcard Show

Artists create miniature original artworks the size of a standard postcard. The postcard is donated to the gallery for the exhibition. Each artists signs and titles the work on the rear of the work. Each postcard, irrespective of who has made it, is for sale for £15 each. Only after the card has been sold does the purchaser get to find out who made the card - hence the secret.

Sales from this year’s event will be split 50/50 with international disaster relief charities and the gallery exhibition programme and the ongoing works to reduce carbon emissions.

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Karen Sherwood - Escape to the Sea
Jul
15
to Aug 19

Karen Sherwood - Escape to the Sea

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Karen Sherwood is presenting her latest body of work under the title ‘Escape to the sea’. Ms Sherwood describes her work as expressive landscape paintings.

“My paintings evolve through the process of painting. They all start as completely abstract marks and colours and slowly decide what they want to be. The mood and content of the images seem to reflect how I am feeling about the world resulting in often quite turbulent or moody images, unsurprising in our rather unsettling times. I am fascinated by the fact that, despite my love of the Yorkshire moors and the landlocked nature of this city in which I live, Sheffield, I am constantly drawn into depicting images of the sea. Over the last few years these landscapes very often take on the appearance of real places although I have no idea what places they might be. I am often asked ‘where is that?’ about my paintings but I can honestly answer ‘I don’t know.’. I like the fact that people will tell me my paintings look like this or that place as I really enjoy the way that connects the painting to the viewer. I use colour to evoke mood and recently I have been using a lot of blue, to the point where one of my customers remarked “It’s Karen Sherwood blue!”

I was inspired to start painting again after a hiatus of around 12 years after my children were born, by the kind offer of a stay in Seahouses on the north east Yorkshire coast. Although none of my images are now directly related to that area, I continue to be inspired by that wonderful stretch of coastline.” Karen Sherwood

All works are painted in oil and are for sale. They vary hugely in size from tiny miniature works, on paper, measuring only 5x7cm up to a large 150 x 80 cm oil on linen.

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Deluges by Paul Dearden
Apr
28
to May 27

Deluges by Paul Dearden

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DELUGES

“The work in this Exhibition represents recent paintings and pieces from my back catalogue which have not been shown previously. It's a theme either unconsciously influenced by my obvious heroes, Turner, "Mad" John Martin, Leonardo etc or a subtle/ feeble attempt to contribute to rage against the ecological crisis which has obsessed me over the years. Now increasingly pertinent in these apocalyptic times of global warming and our collective destruction of the planet.” Paul Dearden

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Beans and Menhirs - Hanne Westergaard
Apr
28
to May 27

Beans and Menhirs - Hanne Westergaard

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A short video with narration by gallery owner, curator and director Karen Sherwood.

Beans and Menhirs

Hanne Westergaard

28th April - 26th May

HANNE WESTERGAARD

“Clay has been my medium for over 40 years. I have been potting since I first discovered ceramics, and have gone through different viewpoints about my work.

I am influenced by Modernism. While at art school in Copenhagen I was taught that there are strict rules about what should and should not be made. I have mellowed over the years and can now allow myself to experiment with works I previously would not have considered making. But I feel a responsibility to be careful about what I make. The world is full of objects, and I do not want to add to that multiplicity unless I feel I have something worthwhile to say in doing so. I do not make as many pots as I used to, but perhaps I put more thinking into them.

A vital part of my life is my ceramics, and I get much of my inspiration from nature: walking on the moors and by the sea, looking at the ever-changing light and the rhythms in the patterns of nature.

I enjoy the making process and the firing; the excitement after a firing and the wait before the kiln opening, where it is revealed which ideas have worked and which have not. There are many disappointments, but in-between I may get something out that ‘shines’, and that is what makes me want to carry on being a maker.”
Hanne Westergaard

Hanne Westergaard graduated in Ceramics from Kunsthandvaerker Skolen, Copenhagen in 1964 and further studied at North Staffordshire Polytechnic in 1987. Hanne has taught and lectured and continued her practice for over 40 years. She has work in public collections in Denmark and the UK and in private collections internationally. Hanne lives and works in Sheffield.

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Teddy Evans' Boots and Other Stories - Emma Whiting
Feb
10
to Mar 11

Teddy Evans' Boots and Other Stories - Emma Whiting

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Emma Whiting

Teddy Evans' Boots and Other Stories

11 February – 11 March

Opening Friday 10 Date 7:30pm

Taking a leap into the unknown, Emma Whiting uses Teddy Evans boots (Navigator and first to die on Captain Scott’s ill-fated Antarctic expedition) as a stepping off point to look at our fascination with exploration.

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Under The Bed Sale 2023
Jan
14
to Feb 5

Under The Bed Sale 2023

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Under The Bed Sale 2023

“The Under The Bed Sale is without question the most eagerly awaited event in Cupola’s exhibition Calendar’. We do joke that should we cancel it, there may well be a ‘riot’!” Karen Sherwood, Director

Every year artists and art lovers unite in their delight of Cupola’s Under The Bed Sale. A concept which allows artists to route out from storage no longer loved or early artworks that they would not exhibit and sell them off at bargain prices. As prices start at under £1 and are capped at £350, art lovers get the chance to find original art works for absolutely bargain prices. And who doesn’t love a bargain?

The concept originated many years ago when the gallery owner, Karen, visited an artist friend, Lyn Hodnett, who proceeded to pull out a load of original art work quite literally from under her bed. She was showing it as examples of older and early works. When asked if she would exhibit it, she said no as they were out of date and no longer relevant. However, when asked if she would sell them, she answered enthusiastically in the affirmative! Therein lay the problem, how on earth could she sell them if she didn’t want to show them? So after a bit of discussion, between them, they came up with the concept of The Under The Bed Sale. And it has been a riot every since!

“Artwork for the sale is totally unselected and open to all. The sale is open to amateurs and professionals across all media. The youngest contributor we’ve had to date was 8 years old and the eldest, we know of, was 97 years.

Unlike a traditional sale we do not reduce the price of works on display in the gallery, as we don’t own them. All Under The Bed Sale items are sent or delivered just for the sale. Therefore, the items on show may not have ever been on display either in the gallery or elsewhere. The sale was once described by a visitor as a ‘salon jumble sale’ and I think that is a fair description.

The sale is only on for three weeks and when it’s gone, it’s gone. So, come and enjoy a good old rummage and see if you can find a bargain priced treasure!” Karen Sherwood, Director.

Painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, glass, ceramics, textiles, jewellery, experiments, slight seconds, sketchbook works, drawings, collage, cards, digital artwork and objects that defy description. All will be on show and for sale.

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Buildings & Rivers Ceramic Workshop
Sep
3
12:00 PM12:00

Buildings & Rivers Ceramic Workshop

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Buildings and Rivers is a terracotta workshop with ceramic artist Krishna Alageswaran.

This is part of the city wide Sheffield Showcase festival.


At this informal session you'll build a free-standing or wall-based ceramic piece, inspired by Sheffield's buildings and rivers – all under Krishna's expert supervision. You may take your work away with you or leave it with Krishna to fire.

Krishna specialises in hand-building sculptural forms, achieving complex, textured and patterned surfaces by applying layers of slip oxides and dry glazes through multiple firings. The surfaces reference the passing of time on the human landscape.

The workshop is suitable for all ages, but children should be accompanied by an adult.

This is a messy workshop so please ensure you dress appropriately.

Workshops will run from 12pm to 4.30pm, lasting an hour and a half per session. Space will be limited to six people per session, so although booking is not essential it would help to avoid disappointment.

To book, call 0114 285 2665.

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Living in the Past - Mixed Group Show
Jul
15
to Aug 27

Living in the Past - Mixed Group Show

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Living in the Past

16 July - 27 August

Opening Friday 7:30pm 15 July

“We live between tomorrow and yesterday. The past is always with us acting as foundations for our future. Living with the Past is our exploration of these foundations whether they are cultural, personal, physical or even geological. We have gathered together artists that traverse the past.”

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