A local artist with bipolar disorder and autism has given a makeover to a dull passageway at Manchester Victoria station.
Huge artworks of the city’s skyline have been installed on the footbridge at the train station, where it will be seen by thousands of commuters every day.
The public art installation and colourful tribute to our city has been created by self-taught Mancunian artist Dez, or Loveartpix, and is his biggest piece to date.
The windows along the bridge have been covered in 11 bold coloured pieces of art from his Iconic Manchester collection as part of Victoria’s makeover.
Dez at Victoria after its makeover. Credit: Loveartpix
They show some of Manchester’s most recognisable buildings, including the National Football Museum, Hotel Gotham, the Central Library, Printworks, and Manchester Victoria itself.
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Dez was diagnosed with bipolar in his 20s, then autism later in life, and campaigns to break the stigma around mental illness and autism.
He said he uses art as his own personal therapy and coping strategy, saying: “I’m a strong advocate for neurodiverse and mental health conditions and promote art therapy – as it’s what I do to help me cope.”
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He hopes that his work will ‘project a positive mood on the people commuting and using the station’.
Dez’s ‘Iconic Manchester’ series has been installed at Victoria. Credit: Loveartpix
Dez has been working as Loveartpix for three years, regularly donating to local charities.
Chris Jackson, regional director for Northern, who manage the station on behalf of Network Rail, said: “This amazing piece of art is a great addition to the station interior and something I know our passengers will enjoy admiring as they travel through the station every day.
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“Dez has really captured the featured buildings well. They’re as Manchester as you get.”
The Iconic Manchester murals were unveiled at Victoria with a small ceremony that included The Queens High Sheriff of Manchester.
Dez said: “Yesterday’s launch was very nerve wrecking and involved a lot of medication to get through it (and a few Irish coffees) but I was very pleased and proud I made it there.
“This was a very moving life experience and something I will never forget.
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“I want to thank everyone who came and showed support and let you know how important it was to me.
“I also want to thank all the staff at Northern who have supported me with this project and for once again trusting me to bring my artistic vision to yet another station.”
Featured image: Network Rail
Art & Culture
National Portrait Gallery to debut ground-breaking digital exhibition in Salford
Daisy Jackson
The National Portrait Gallery has announced a ground-breaking new experience that’s set to make its debut at MediaCity in Salford.
Some of the world’s most famous paintings will be brought to life in an immersive digital exhibition, called Stories – Brought to Life, that will tell the stories behind iconic portraits.
FRAMELESS Creative has partnered with the National Portrait Gallery on the project, which will be the first major touring art experience by any UK art institution and makes up a long-term partnership called National Portrait Gallery Unframed.
Those who attended the hugely popular and acclaimed Van Gogh Alive experience will already know a little of what to expect – famous paintings reimagined with digital projections, visual effects, and audio technology.
FRAMELESS has been granted access to the National Portrait Gallery’s collection to create Stories – Brought to Life, which will tell the tales of people who have shaped history, from the Tudors to the present day, in an innovative new way.
While the exhibition will premiere here in Greater Manchester next year, there’s a planned national and international tour to follow.
The National Portrait Gallery will be debuting a ground-breaking digital exhibition in Salford / Credit: MediaCity
Rich Storton, general manager at FRAMELESS Creative said: “We are delighted to announce this new long-term partnership with the National Portrait Gallery. We hope that by unleashing the power of digital storytelling we can help the Gallery to bring art to a whole new audience.
“We’re living in a changing world and there is a real need for new experiences that help open up art and culture to new audiences and crucially help ensure that national institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery and their incredible collections continue to be accessible and have cultural significance for the next generation.
“MediaCity is a vibrant cultural hub attracting a hugely diverse audience. This combined with its proximity to major transport links and focus on technology made it an obvious choice for premiering our first experience.”
Rosie Wilson, Director of Programmes, Partnerships and Collections at the National Portrait Gallery said: “The National Portrait Gallery aims to share our unique collection of portraits with as wide an audience as possible and explore the human stories that shape our history and culture.
“This exciting new partnership with FRAMELESS, inspired by our Collection, will enable us to take these stories outside of the Gallery walls and bring them to life in new, innovative ways.”
Caroline Aikman, Director of Marketing, Brand and Place at MediaCity said: “We are honoured that the National Portrait Gallery and FRAMELESS have chosen MediaCity as the first stop on the tour of this unique immersive experience.
“We’ve hosted many arts and culture events, experiences, festivals and exhibitions over the last few years and we can’t wait to welcome visitors to Salford when the experience opens its doors in May next year.”
There’s some FREE festive craft workshops taking place at MediaCity this Christmas
Thomas Melia
A handful Christmas-inspired workshops are happening down at MediaCity, and lots of them are free to take part in.
Starting tomorrow (11 December), anyone who’s looking to get artsy in the run up to the big day can try their hand at three different Christmas activities, and have a go at making and creating items to keep and treasure forever.
There’s a free ‘Bauble Bar’ where you can learn how to make those brilliant hanging ornaments that make your tree gorgeous.
This workshop is suitable for all skill sets, which means you don’t have to be the next Da Vinci to design one of these little trinkets, as a friendly host will be walking round the class to help everyone make a beautiful creation to take home with them.
The second free event is a Christmas card making workshop, where there will be stationery provided for you to create some cute and snazzy designs, so get ready to freestyle your own drawings if you’re confident, or hone your craft by following the range of patterns and templates that will be on-hand for you to trial.
This final crafty class gives visitors the opportunity to create a two-layer wreath that’s sure to become part of your annual festive decor.
The ‘Christmas Wreath Making’ class provides all the materials you could need, but due to the cost of this, this isn’t a free event and tickets are a reasonable £10 instead.
/ Credit: | Ksenia Ya | Jonathan Borba (via Unsplash & Pexels)
All of these fun Christmas activities are happening at innovative event space, Hot House, which is designed to host creative workshops like these festive-themed crafts.
Although the ‘Bauble Bar’ and the ‘Christmas Card Making Workshop’ are both free, booking a ticket to secure your space is still required.
Daisy Jackson -
28th February 2022 
