Golden Thread Gallery

The Golden Thread Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It hosts contemporary art exhibitions by a mix of Northern Irish and international artists, alongside workshops, artist talks, events and community outreach. The gallery moved to a new city-centre location in August 2024, the former Gas Corporation Showroom and Craftworld building at 23-29 Queen Street. Set across two floors, the gallery's new venue includes 2 large galleries, a projection room, a Community Participation & Engagement Hub, and Northern Ireland’s first visual art library & archive. Entry to the gallery is free.

The Golden Thread Gallery was established in 1998 by Gail Prentice in a former linen mill on an 'interface area' (an area where segregated nationalist and unionist residential areas meet) in North Belfast.^[1] In 2001, it was reconstituted to become the Golden Thread Gallery Ltd., a limited company with charitable status. In 2002, Peter Richards, artist and curator, was appointed as the gallery's new director.

Gallery outreach activities include working off-site and in partnership with communities and groups, devising creative projects aimed at enhancing wellbeing and community cohesion through art. The gallery also publishes exhibition catalogues and books, including the Collective Histories of Northern Irish Art series.^[2]

In recent years the Golden Thread Gallery has been working with a number of artists living and working in Northern Ireland to create a “not-for-profit” form of artists’ representation and has championed their work at art fairs such as the London Art Fair, Berliner Liste and Scope New York. Golden Thread Gallery is a member of Plus Tate, a network of contemporary art galleries and organisations based throughout the UK.^[3]

The Golden Thread Gallery is a charity and is principally funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, National Lottery and Belfast City Council

Staff

Co-Director - Peter Richards
Co-Director - Sarah McAvera
Exhibitions Officer - Mary Stevens
Development Manager - Liz Byrne
Outreach - Katharine Paisley
Audience Development Assistant - Jen Alexander

References

^ Jarman, Neil. "Changing Places, Moving Boundaries: The Development of New Interface Areas" (PDF). community-relations.org.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
^ https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/publications/catalyst-arts-collective-histories-of-northern-irish-art-x-7
^ Tate. "Plus Tate". Tate. Retrieved 30 March 2020.

External links

54°36′14″N 5°55′30″W / 54.604°N 5.925°W / 54.604; -5.925

[1] Jarman, Neil. "Changing Places, Moving Boundaries: The Development of New Interface Areas" (PDF). community-relations.org.uk. Retrieved 12 June 2021.

[2] ttps://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/publications/catalyst-arts-collective-histories-of-northern-irish-art-x-7

[3] Tate. "Plus Tate". Tate. Retrieved 30 March 2020.

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