Susan’s exhibition is the first solo art show to be displayed in the new gallery space which was created when Gateshead Central Library was refurbished following a £2.5m investment.



Susan, an experienced mountaineer and climber, has long felt an affinity with remote and wild places and has made numerous trips to mountain ranges at home and abroad. The prints and etchings featuring in this exhibition, “Mountains of Inspiration”, were inspired by her recent trips to the Himalayas and Dolomites.



The centre piece of the exhibition is a nine foot by four foot, three panelled monoprint of the Ama Dablam Mountain, which is displayed in the window space of the new gallery. This was based on the drawings she made at Chukung, a valley on the Everest trail, last February, and will be accompanied by other drawings and etchings.



Gateshead Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Linda Green said: “Aside from providing an extensive range of traditional library services, Gateshead Central Library is now home to a fantastic gallery space for local people. We’ve spoken to a great number of residents about what they want from their library and it really has been designed with them in mind.



“The gallery provides a space to showcase work by professional artists and Susan’s Mountains of Inspiration exhibition is an excellent example of this. I hope people travel from all over the borough and the wider region to see her amazing work.”





Susan will be giving a talk about her travels and the artwork inspired by them on Saturday 9 April at 11 am in the gallery at Gateshead Library.

Helen Donley from Northern Print - where Susan makes her prints - will be running a family workshop using Susan’s exhibition as inspiration during the Easter holidays. This will take place on Tuesday 26 April, 1.30 to 3.30pm, also in The Gallery. Places should be booked in advance through Gateshead Council’s website at www.gateshead.org.uk

The gallery is just one of the innovations to be found at the reopened Gateshead Central Library, following a massive renovation. Others include a brand new children’s library, a dedicated teen library, a bigger and better café, an extensive reference library, computers and internet access for the whole community and the Sound Gallery, the region’s largest CD and DVD library.



The Big Lottery Fund provided £2m for the work which has also seen the original grand entrance, which dates back to the construction of the library in 1926, restored and reopened.



The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.



Mountains of Inspiration is exhibited over two floors in The Gallery at Gateshead Central Library and the show runs until Saturday 30 April 2011.

A series of other exhibitions is planned for the Gateshead Central Library gallery over the coming months, more information is available from Karolynne Hart, community arts and education manager on 0191 433 6917.