The Wirral Open

The Wirral Open (Wirral Spring and/or Summer Open for Art & Photography) is an exhibition held annually at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum in Birkenhead. It is open to artists and photographers who have connections with the Wirral through birth, education, residency or occupation. It continues a tradition stretching back to 1913, when Birkenhead’s first museum and art gallery held the Birkenhead Spring exhibition. This portfolio contains scans of the pages of the catalogues from the ten exhibitions that I have been involved in. I have included the front and back covers, along with the pages containing the details of my works. Also included here is a selection of various accompanying paperwork. As a child growing up in Birkenhead, the Williamson was the first art gallery I visited. The Victorian paintings – and also the objects, artefacts and atmosphere of the place – impressed me greatly. This became an important site for me, and one I wanted to remain, in some sense, involved with. I exhibited in this exhibition in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017. My painting, Landscape with Lamps (oil on board, 2002) was awarded first prize in the 2011 show and became part of the Williamson’s permanent art collection. I was assisted in these projects by Joe Mulhall