Hit the North

With many design-hungry eyes on London Design Festival at the moment, it’s easy to become a bit capital-focused this week.

However, flying the flag for design in the North is the International Print Biennale, which runs until November.

The event, which opened at the weekend, brings together 15 galleries in the North East for a programme of exhibitions, talks, workshops and events, as well as the 2011 Print Awards.

The Bowes Museum in County Durham will present a show of industrial imagery, charting the history of coal, iron and steam industries since 1750.

Over at the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery, the Hole Editions Workshop will bring together a selection of artists working in lithographs, including David Leigh, while the Queen’s Hall Arts Centre’s Good Times, Bad Times, All Times Get Over show is centred on the vignettes of British wood engraver, artist and naturalist Thomas Bewick from the Romantic period.

Ceramicist Paul Scott has created Gateshead in a Box for the Biennale, a piece created from two printer trays containing 100 printed brick tiles. All the brick slices are sourced from Gateshead, and each depicts the area through maps, photographs, text and illustrations.

The Nous Vous collective is exhibiting a show entitled Odd Collection, a series of graphic prints based on positive thinking, creative processes and everyday experiences, which can be seen at Newcastle Arts Centre; while the largest event will see anyone who fancies a go creating a gigantic print using a steamroller.

The centrepiece of the  Print Biennale is the 2011 Print Awards, with  the 46 entrants working in disciplines including installation, film, 2D and 3D. The winner will be selected by a panel including Patrice Cotensin of Galerie Lelong,Paris;  artist Peter Randall-Page and Michael Taylor of Paupers Press.

The International Print Biennale runs until November 2011 at various locations in the North East. For more information visit www.internationalprintbiennale.org.uk