Charitable art graduates put leftover project pounds to good use

A group of good-hearted students and graduates have used leftover funds from one of their exhibition projects to support a local art collective.

Last spring, a group of University of Northampton (UON) Art students created The Constellate exhibition at NN Contemporary Art. The event showcased a diverse and exciting range of new artworks by contemporary art practitioners and addresses the current practices of art and exhibition-making.

The students came from two course groups, Fine Art and Fine Art: Painting & Drawing; for one of their modules, they raised money to stage a spring exhibition.

But the economical group had funds left over – £176. So, putting money ahead of paintbrushes, they donated it to ‘Artists in Residence @ C2C, Sol Haven and The Hope Centre’.

This collective teaches art skills to vulnerable people – for instance, those within the criminal justice system – bolstering their confidence and exhibiting collaborative artwork.

Gill ‘Cleebs’ Quinnell is one of the ‘altruistic alumni’ and says: “Creating the exhibition was an incredible experience, so it was wonderful to see we had some cash left; the difficult bit was deciding what to do with it.

“We decided to pass the remainder to an art-based organisation who would use it to create local impact. We chose the collective as they support vulnerable adults in Northampton, and I have seen some of their fabulous exhibitions. Post-graduation life and other things have delayed the donation, but we’re happy to give the money to a very good cause.”

Emma Davies, Manager and Artist at ‘Artists in Residence @ C2C, Sol Haven and The Hope Centre’, says: “We are so happy to receive this donation, it means a lot to us as a collective. The hard work from our artists, the support from our partners and the enthusiasm and creative spirit from the participants makes this such a joyous project to be a part of.

“We are now part way through the third iteration and already we have seen some amazing work produced, which will be on show in our next exhibition at NN Contemporary Art in March 2024. The money donated will mean that we can include an additional element to the exhibition, and which ensures that all participants, partners, and visitors receive something special to celebrate the project. Thank you once again to Gill and her fellow students for such a generous and kind donation.”

Find out more about the collective here.