Tony’s brush with fame aims to rock gallery art show
ATALENTED painter is bringing a touch of rock ‘n’ roll to this year’s Macclesfield Open Art Gallery.
The event is being held online for the second year running and features 420 exhibits from 150 different entrants that can be viewed until the end of October.
Among them is Tony Needham, 52, who has entered portraits of music legends Jimi Hendrix and Freddie Mercury as well as one of Ed Sheeran.
The exhibition was due to take place live rather than virtually this year but organiser Geoff Archer thought again after the postponement of Art Fair Cheshire, due to be held at Macclesfield Town Hall this month.
He said: “The online open was originally intended as a one off show. It was assumed that in 2021 there would be no need for virtual shows as ‘real’ exhibitions would again be the order of the day.
“But the art fair would have raised thousands of pounds for East Cheshire Hospice. This is money they will not now receive, so I decided to revive the open to try, in part, to compensate for their loss of funds.”
Last year any artists taking part were asked to make a donation to East Cheshire Hospice and thousands of pounds was raised.
So it is hoped that this can be replicated in 2021.
All submissions are being included in the online exhibition - previously it was held at the Silk Museum’s gallery, which only had space for around half of the entrants.
Geoff said: “This meant that some very good work remained unseen.
“Online there is no limitation on how many works can be included so I decided to include everything.
“There is a wide range of work in a variety of styles and techniques, including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture and ceramics.
“We have work on show by amateurs who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to show what they do, but also work of the very highest standard by award-winning professionals.”
In 2020’s event Tony, who is from Macclesfield, won the visitors’ choice award with another picture of singer Ed Sheeran, although there is no award this year. Much of the work of show is for sale, with prices ranging from £15 to more than £4,000.
TO view the exhibition visit www.maccopen. org.uk.