Knaresborough Artist donates to New Light's Northern Collection

Knaresborough painter and printmaker David Morris has generously donated two of his etchings to the New Light Collection.

Morris, a successful printmaker based in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, studied painting and printmaking at Harrogate School of Art before continuing his studies in painting and sculpture at the Slade School of Art in London. He went on to teach at Bradford College of Art before returning to Harrogate College of Art to teach printmaking.

David Morris has widely exhibited across the UK including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions. In 2012 his work was purchased by the House of Lords for inclusion in their Parliamentary Works of Art Collection.

Etching is Morris’s preferred printmaking method and his work is firmly rooted in observation, following the tradition of English landscape painting and printmaking. He often focuses on the North Yorkshire landscape and coast favouring less well-known places such as Port Mulgrave and Skinningrove.

Morris entered and was shortlisted for the most recent New Light Prize Exhibition with his work ‘Mothballed Power Station, Redcar’, one of the two pieces that has been donated to the New Light Collection. His work is available to view as part of the touring exhibition currently showing at the Mercer Gallery in Harrogate.

David said of the experience: “The opportunities for artists in the North to show in open exhibitions are quite limited. I have seen the previous New Light shows and liked the variety and overall standard of work; I also respect the judgement of the selectors for 2015.

“The two prints I donated to the Collection are both gritty industrial subjects…. I hope they inspire some young artist to look at their surroundings and help them on their own creative journey.”

The New Light Collection is a new initiative for the Yorkshire-based art charity New Light. The charity was established to promote and celebrate art and artists from the North of England and the New Light Collection showcases the talent and expertise from some of the North’s best artists. The Collection is offered free-of-charge to hospitals, schools and other community groups and is offered at a cost to corporate sponsors who want to support the arts in the North of England.

New Light Director and artist Emerson Mayes says: “The Collection is an exciting new venture for New Light and a way that we can help to make art accessible to everyone. By providing art free-of-charge to public spaces including prisons and schools, more people will be able to experience and enjoy the region’s diverse artistic heritage.”


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About New Light

New Light celebrates and promotes the quality of contemporary art being produced in the North of England and supports artists working in the region primarily through a major biennial touring exhibition. This is open to all Northern artists with prizes totaling over £15,000 including 'The Valeria Sykes Award' of £10,000. To raise the profile of Northern artists, we run a number of exhibitions and events nationwide, including an annual show in London where we showcase the work of both established artists and those at the start of their artistic career. Alongside this, we offer guidance, mentoring and professional advice. We also run an Art for All programme which is designed to make art accessible to everyone. This includes workshops with practising artists, talks with art experts, guided viewings and school projects. Our newest initiative is the New Light Collection, a permanent collection of art illustrating the talent and expertise of some of the best artists from the North. Offered to schools, hospitals and other community-based groups free of charge; it is also made available to corporate sponsors who would like to support arts in the North of England.