Exhibition celebrating NHS Heroes to open at Hull Marina

A collection of portraits celebrating our NHS heroes is to go on display at Hull Waterside & Marina as Pocklington Arts Centre takes its outdoor exhibitions on tour.

NHS Heroes Portrait by Karen Winship

Following a hugely popular outdoor exhibition in Pocklington, the 24 portraits of front-line NHS workers, by York artist Karen Winship, will move to Hull Marina where they can be viewed from Monday 17 May to Sunday 20 June.

‘NHS Heroes’ has already attracted critical acclaim after being exhibited outside All Saint’s Church in Pocklington and at York Art Gallery.

Karen’s portraits also feature in a book ‘Portraits for NHS Heroes’ which is raising funds for NHS charities, and a montage of the portraits has been gifted to York Hospital with the originals going to the sitters.

But thanks to PAC joining forces with Aquavista, who manage the marina, visitors to Hull will be able to browse the collection in the open air, for free.

Artist Karen Winship said: “I’ve had a great response to the portraits so far, so it is incredible that Pocklington Arts Centre is now taking the exhibition on tour into the wider community.

“It has been such a challenging time for everyone, especially our NHS front-line workers and this was my way of recognising everything they do for us, so it is fantastic that this recognition can be expanded even further – art doesn’t get much more accessible than an open air exhibition.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing my portraits lining the railings along Hull Marina, which is a landmark in itself, and I hope the public enjoy them too.”

Karen Winship – NHS Heroes

Karen started her career in graphic design, before gaining her teaching degree, and going on to work in a maximum security prison as head of art.

Karen works mainly in acrylics and looks for the narrative within an image. She takes inspiration from the effect of light on objects and the shapes it creates.

Karen’s original paintings have been reproduced by PAC onto larger biodegradable boards suitable for outdoor display. 

NHS Heroes is one of two touring exhibitions that PAC is taking out into communities across the region.

A collection of 21 portraits by York artist Sue Clayton, celebrating children and young adults with Down Syndrome has just been unveiled at York’s Vaccination Centre where it can be viewed by visitors until Sunday 13 June.

PAC Director Janet Farmer said: “Making our exhibitions accessible to the public despite the pandemic has been really important for us, and the feedback we have had has been really positive so we are very much looking forward to enabling even more people to see these incredibly poignant portraits created by the talented Karen Winship.

“We think they will make for a striking display along the marina. Our thanks to Aquavista for helping to make this possible.”

Aquavista took over ownership of Hull Waterside & Marina last year and were only too keen to support PAC’s pop-up exhibition plans.

Graham Richardson, Hull Waterside & Marina manager, said: “We’re delighted to support this fantastic initiative. The marina is a popular visitor destination so we hope to see lots of people coming to view the portraits over the next few weeks.”

For more information about all of PAC’s forthcoming exhibitions, please visit www.pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @pocklingtonartscentre, on Twitter @PocklingtonArts, and find them on YouTube at Pocklington Arts Centre.