mima friends is a registered charity that supports the development and promotion of mima. As a mima friend you will have unique access to mima and you will be the first to know what is happening at the gallery. As well as enriching their enjoyment of the arts, mima friends also have the opportunity, if they wish, to actively support the gallery.
As
well as enriching their enjoyment of the
arts, mima frien
ds also have the opportunity, if they wish,
to actively support the gallery.
mima
friends membership benefits
Invitations to mima private views
The opportunity to attend artist and curator talks
10% discount in mima's shop and Cafe Prego
Exclusive art trips, social events and behind the scenes collection tours
News updates
Choose a mima friends membership for yourself or as a gift!
Len Tabner at Pannett Art
Gallery in Whitby, a retrospective of his amazing work, which is not to be
missed! If you missed our studio visit in June, or if that visit left you with a new addiction to Len's work, go along to this exhibition!
The exhibition runs till 1st September (which is next wednesday!), and is open daily, except monday, from 9:30am till 4pm.
The Gallery is part of the Whitby Museum, in Pannett Park in Whitby, for
more info including directions please see their website:
http://www.whitbymuseum.org.uk/index1.htm
Entry to the exhibition is free, but there is a small charge if you also want to visit the rest of Whitby Museum (which we also recommend!)
mima friends on Facebook!
mima friends is on Facebook!
Become a fan, and receive updates on mima friends:
Len Tabner has been producing work for well
over forty years now, from his studio and home at Boulby near Saltburn, and on
location around the world. His paintings and drawings have received
international recognition and acclaim and fetch prices in the tens of
thousands. Len remains very much a local person and it was a delight for us all
to be invited to view the work in his house and studios and to be made to feel
so welcome by his family.
The visit lived up to all our expectations,
a lovely Saturday outing, with Len giving us a tremendous amount of his time
and recounting his experiences of painting in far flung corners of the world,
whether from the deck of Royal Navy vessels off the Falkland Islands or deep in
the snow in the arctic, or at the face of a mine working. For those who are
aware of his work Len is of that tradition of painters who work from first hand
visual experience whatever the climate! We gained a real insight into his
working process and ideas and also discovered much of his other talents; not
least his building skills in creating a wonderful traditional stone barn studio
with green oak beamed roof, and a beautiful stone house with its own tower!
We would recommend you to take any
opportunity to see his work which to put simply is stunning.
"I really didn't know what to expect when I decided to join mima friends. However, the two visits to 'studios' have exceeded any expectation so many thanks for making these opportunities possible. As someone who is using retirement to get back into artwork, this exposure is invaluable." John Robinson, mima friend.
Fantastic mima visitors numbers
A recent report published by One North East has confirmed that visitor figures show mima as the 4th most popular visitor attraction in the Tees Valley and the 26th most popular attraction in the North East. During 2009/10 mima received 155, 756 visitors. This figure was higher than the previous year and significantly in excess of the target of 110,000.
mima shortlisted for Art Fund collect
click news for more details
Events
Friends Coffee Mornings
A monthly chance to come into mima and meet other mima friends! Use your 10% discount in Café Prego and come see the latest mima exhibitions. A wonderful opportunity to talk to other friends of mima, and discuss art, mima, Middlesbrough, whatever you like! There will also be representatives of the board at each Coffee Morning, so it is a perfect opportunity to tell us what you have liked about being a mima friend, and to give us suggestions for future events.
EDIT (15/07/2010): Our first coffee morning was a great success, we spent a lovely couple of hours chatting and discussing a variety of Middlesbrough, North East and Art related topics, we look forward to meeting more of you at future Coffee Mornings!
Visit to Belsay Castle
There is currently an exciting and interesting exhibition at Belsay Castle, called Extraordinary Measures, which runs till the end of September. The exhibition costs £8, which also covers entrance to the castle itself, and all the grounds. For more information on both Belsay Castle and this exhibition you can go to their website:
This would again be an informal event, a chance to meet other friends, and see a wonderful exhibition. We are proposing to visit on Wednesday 18th August, meeting at 11am at the main entrance. Friends would need to provide their own transport to this event and as Belsay is quite far away for some people we are proposing to organise car sharing. If you have your own transport and are willing to take someone else with you please contact Anna (annacole56@yahoo.co.uk), stating how many people you could take, and what area you live in. Also, if you would need transport please contact Anna, stating where you live, she can then co-ordinate the car sharing, and put the appropriate people in contact with each other.
Please note this exhibition spans both the grounds and the interior of the castle and therefore involves alot of walking, so please remember to wear comfortable shoes!
Anish Kapoor Morning
Last thursday a group of friends met at mima for a morning dedicated to Anish Kapoor. We visited the exhibition on the second floor of mima, where the two gallery assistants gave us an interesting and informative tour of this collection of sculptures.
The exhibition contains four pieces by Anish Kapoor, each of which is different, and thought provoking. They immediately sparked a variety of discussions on the construction of the objects, what we though Anish was intending to make us think, and on the rest of his work in general. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear the thoughts and opinions of other art lovers.
Following on from this we walked across to Temenos, taking the scenic route to view other pieces of public art along the way. It was interesting to see the newly built Middlesbrough college, and get everyone's opinion on the various pieces of public art.
Temenos itself was larger than I imagined. There were differing thoughts on the work itself, but the general concensus was positive, with everyone enjoying it from different angles, where different parts of the Middlesbrough landscape were framed.
Overall it was a very enjoyable, interesting and informative (but tiring!), morning, and I think everyone who attended felt the same.
We hope to organise more such events in the future, and look forward to seeing you all there!
Len Tabner Studio Visit
EDIT: Please note this visit will now start at 11am
On Saturday 12th June there is an opportunity for friends to visit the studio of important local artist, Len Tabner.
Len has been painting in and around the North Yorkshire coast, and further afield for many years and his work is represented in many national and international collections. I'm sure that many of you will know of Len's work already but if not then you are in for a great treat. Len will be showing some of his work made in and around Staithes, at all times of the year and in all weathers (!).
We will meet at his studio, at Boulby Barns Cottage, Saltburn, at 11am, the visit will then last for about an hour and half. After visiting Len those of you who might like to can visit some of the locations in Staithes, just a couple of miles away from the studio.
As the studio is linked to Len's house, places for this visit will be limited to 12. If you would like to book a place for this visit, or have any other queries regarding this event, please e-mail Anna Cole, annacole56@yahoo.co.uk.