A work by one of the most celebrated British artists of the 20th century has gone on display in a Middlesbrough primary school as part of a pioneering partnership with the town’s MIMA gallery.
Herring Gull, by acclaimed sculptor and printmaker Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930 to 1993), is inspiring pupils at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Grangetown to produce their own work with the help of local environmental artist Diane Watson.
The partnership between the gallery and the school is part of a wider collaboration between MIMA and the National Portrait Gallery that has led to a large-scale exhibition called “People Powered: Stories from the River Tees”.
MIMA is putting on a programme of events focusing on histories and folk tales exploring how the River Tees has shaped the region.
MIME learning curator Claire Pounder said: “Installing artwork from the Middlesbrough Collection in a local school is a historic moment for MIMA.
“This special partnership with the National Portrait Gallery has brought this vision to the forefront of the project and will see pupils working in collaboration with local artist Diane Watson, to discover the importance of the River Tees and its ecosystems.”
MIMA is one of five organisations that form the National Portrait Gallery’s offsite programme.
St Mary’s executive headteacher Anna McClurey said the school’s partnership with MIMA has grown over the last five years.
“Our love of art and learning together is at the heart of this new work and will help us further understand the world we live in,” she said.
“This is a great moment for both our teachers and pupils to work alongside an artist and work in collaboration on a new body of artwork.”
Frink was especially well known for her sculptures of animals, particularly birds and horses.
Herring Gull, which belongs to the Middlesbrough Collection, was printed in 1974 for her Seabirds exhibition.
Discussions about Herring Gull are being used to guide pupils through the story of the river.
Diane, who is based in Seaton Carew, raises awareness of the scale of plastic waste through her sculptures, installations and surface designs, as well as through her collaborations with direct action groups.
She is using her environmental art practice to explore biodiversity and ecosystems using the power of creativity and imagination.
The final work will be displayed at MIMA as part of the exhibition.
The National Portrait Gallery’s Inspiring People initiative is a £35.5m transformation of the London venue that includes a comprehensive re-display of its collection and a major refurbishment.
It also includes the gallery’s most extensive programme of activities nationwide, with plans to engage audiences onsite, locally, regionally and online.
“People Powered: Stories from the River Tees” features new commissions by local artists alongside images from the National Portrait Gallery Collection and works from the Middlesbrough Collection.
The exhibition is now on and runs until January 7 2024.