Brighouse exhibition takes a fresh look at the borough

The Brighouse gallery is hosting a new exhibition called the Calderdale Grid Project, in partnership with the Halifax Photographic Society and featuring works from over forty writers and photographers, each of whom has looked at a different part of the borough to inspire their work.

The project began in 2019 by breaking Calderdale down into a series of grid sections with participants being allocated a specific section to explore. Following a period of research, each artist has prepared a piece which captures the spirt of their allocated area, in words or images.

The resulting exhibition displays this exploration, be it a hidden milestone marker long since forgotten by most, a town centre scene, or the sights and sounds of countryside or moorland around Calderdale.

The exhibition was officially opened by the Mayor of Calderdale, Cllr Angie Gallagher, at a preview event attended by special guests and participants in the project.

The exhibition runs until the end of the year and is located in the rear gallery. Visitors to the art gallery can also enjoy the People and Places exhibition in the front gallery, featuring oil paintings by artists including Atkinson Grimshaw, Marcus Stone and Thomas Sydney Cooper.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Coun Jenny Lynn, said: “This inspiring new exhibition gives visitors to Smith Art Gallery a new perspective on the features of Calderdale. The innovative idea to allocate a section of the borough to the project’s participants has resulted in some really special works, in many cases featuring, or inspired by, some of the lesser-known landmarks or distinctive features of our magnificent borough.

“I’d encourage people to go along to Smith Art Gallery to discover the fascinating mix of words and images looking at Calderdale in a different way. There’s also plenty of other works to enjoy at the gallery as well as beautiful parklands surrounding the building.”

To find out more about this and the many other exhibitions on display at museums across the borough, visit https://museums.calderdale.gov.uk/