Whatever your view of contemporary art there is no doubt that the Turner Prize exhibition at the Baltic Mill, South Shore Road, Gateshead on Tyneside will be a boost for the economy in the North East.
Its a wonderful destination event. We didn’t get further than the lift before we’d bumped into a friend up from London for the opening weekend.
The four shortlisted artists Karla Black, Martin Boyce, Hillary Lloyd and George Shaw, will discover if they’ve won the £25,000 prize on 5 December. But the real winners are the Baltic Mill and the Tyneside economy.
More than 3,000 attended the opening events and thanks to media coverage there will be plenty more visitors, directly benefiting local transport, hotels, restaurants and other venues before the exhibition closes on 8 January.
It’s only the second time that the Turner Prize has ventured outside of London. The first was in 2007 when it went to the Tate in Liverpool. It’s location for 2011 on the banks of the River Tyne is inspired.
Entry to the Turner Prize exhibition is free thanks to the Arts Council and Gateshead Council although a £3 donation is suggested.
If you are planning a visit you’d be well advised avoid peak periods at least until the initial media coverage subsides.
We were initially turned away at 4.30pm on Saturday afternoon but thanks to the perseverance of my daughters joined the queue after 25 minutes and entered the gallery 15 minutes later.
It was a wonderful experience to attend the exhibition but I’ll leave you to more cultured minds than mine for a critical appraisal. I’d recommend you read reviews by The Guardian’s Adrian Searle and What’s On North East’s Matt Reilly.
If you are planning a visit to the Baltic Mill you should also put the Biscuit Factory, the Shipley Art Gallery and Tyneside Cinema on your list of cultural places to visit.
And as Matt Reilly explains in his review there’s an alternative contemporary exhibition of graffiti art in the shadow of the Baltic under the railway arches on South Shore Road that’s well worth checking out.
Thanks to local snapper Charles Bell for the photo of the Baltic Mill and Gateshead Millennium Bridge.
to the aforementioned galleries to visit I would add The Laing Art Gallery in the city centre, The Hatton Gallery at Newcastle University, Lazarides Gallery across the bridge from the Baltic on the Quayside and The Side Gallery on The Side also on the Quayside ( my favourite)