Enjoy inspiring art and poetry in this new Doncaster exhibition

‘The Painter, The Poet and The Portrait’ is showing now within the Community Gallery at Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery and will remain there for people to enjoy until September 14.

This display is a fascinating collaboration between award-winning Doncaster artist Andrew Farmer, and the ‘Read to Write’ poetry group.

The idea for the exhibition emerged from a chat between Andrew and current members of the Read to Write group, in which they explored the idea of creating poems in response to Andrew’s paintings, many of which have subjects local to Doncaster.

Once the poems were created, the group met at Andrew’s studio to read them in front of the particular paintings that had inspired the works.

Andrew added portrait drawings of each of the poets that had contributed, and the outcome of this collaboration is an exhibition bringing together 20 powerful portraits.

Alongside them is a collection of Andrew’s paintings in oils, shown with each of the poems that were created in response to them.

Ian Parks, one of the driving forces behind the Read to Write group, said: “I was really pleased to have the opportunity to write a poem for this project with Andrew.

“There's a close synergy with poetry and the visual arts, with the process of the act of looking and the act of feeling.”

Andrew added: "It's been such a pleasure to gain an insight into the world of poetry, but especially the work that's going on locally.

“Doncaster is home to countless talented creatives and this needs to be celebrated.

“I hope the exhibition will inspire further creation, collaborations and challenge creatives to dream big".

Sprotbrough-based dad-of-two Andrew grew up in Denaby Main and Conisbrough.

He studied at Doncaster College School of Art and then at Canterbury Christ Church University, before completing his studies at the Royal Drawing School in London.

He is a multi-award winning artist, and a winner of the First Prize Winsor and Newton award for painting at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters’ Annual Open Exhibition.

In 2018 he was elected an Associate Member of The Royal Institute of Oil Painters.

Andrew paints mainly portraiture and landscapes, in oils, and has said that the people and places around him in Doncaster are “inspirational”.

The Read to Write poetry group meets on a weekly basis at Balby and Mexborough Libraries.

At the meetings, that are free to attend, the group discusses a poem.

Members study the chosen work, identifying the writing styles and skills used to create great poetry.

The group is supported as a project by the Arts Council-funded initiative, Right up our Streets.