Forthcoming Curated Exhibitions
August 2023 - March 2024

  • 15th August to 15th September

  • 16th September to 10th November / Curated by Isobel Brigham

  • 11th November to 6th December curated by Bryan Eccleshall

    The Tower of Babel: origin, myth, and parable, explaining why the world's peoples speak different languages. According to the story, a united human race speaking a single language and migrating eastward, comes to the land of Shinar.

    There they agree to build a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Yahweh, observing their city and tower, confounds their speech so that they can no longer understand each other, and scatters them around the world.

  • 7th December to 7th Jan 2024

    This exhibition looks at the myth and reality of Saint Nicholas through Art in over 20 hand painted icons which contrast sharply with the three steps Andy Warhol made to create his Santa Claus prints.

    The icons are from 17th century to 19th century eastern Europe. They were usually painted as an act of devotion with each brush stroke accompanied by prayer. They were not intended to be exact copies and some are quite different which for me adds to the appeal when viewed together. St Nicholas is a popular figure because he was the patron saint of Georgia, Albania, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia, and Montenegro. and known as a miracle worker

    The Andy Warhol images were by contrast created in an entirely different process for his 1981 Series Myths and Legends. Warhol took a few Polaroid shots from different angles of Macy’s Santa Claus. He selected his favourite and projected the image onto paper which he then traced over to create the basis of the print. He tried different colour versions of the image on trial proofs before selecting the one he preferred and he created 200 identical prints which contrast with the individuality of the Icons.

  • 7th Jan to 7th March 2024

    A look at the industries of Ilkeston that have disappeared and those that have replaced them. Curated by and including original works by Isobel Brigham

The ILKON [ events ] team would be delighted to receive suggestions for talks, workshops, demonstrations, performances for any creative activity which will engage the local community. We have formed links with local historic societies, painters, sculptors, writers, poets and aim to be as inclusive as possible. The main thrust of ILKON is creative contemporary art but we are a community resource and want to offer something for all tastes, all ages, everyone.