Artist Founders



'A Little Bit of What You Fancy Does You Good', Stuart Bastik and Maddi Nicholson (UK), Liverpool 08

Art Gene was established by artists Stuart Bastik and Maddi Nicholson, with Julie Hammerton, Artistic Director of Barracudas Limited in 2002.

Art Gene is a collaborative research facility where new contemporary art in all mediums is produced and exhibited, and where ideas are developed and exchanged.

   Stuart Bastik:
   Artist / Founder, Art Gene

   Maddi Nicholson:
   Artist / Founder, Art Gene

Board of Directors

Julie Hammerton
Artistic Director - Barracudas Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness

 






Liz Pugh
Producer - Walk the Plank, Salford, www.walktheplank.co.uk

"Being on the board maintains a link with Barrow that began when I moved to Cumbria to work with Welfare State International. I now live in Salford but enjoy taking the train back around the edge of Morecambe Bay to attend board meetings.  I particularly enjoy meeting the international artists that have residencies at art gene, and I feel that the organisation's connections with the wider world expand my own horizons. I work in the performing arts and find it interesting to connect with the visual arts world, and to meet other board members whose perspectives - professionally and personally - are different from mine.

I particularly enjoyed being part of the selection process for architects to take on a recent capital project, funded by the Arts Council's Lottery scheme.  Maddi and Stuart's commitment to creating a contemporary artist-led gallery and studio space in the town is inspiring, and as wilth many big ideas, it needs the support of many people to make it happen. I would encourage anyone with an interest in the arts, or Cumbria, or the social and built environment, to contribute some of their time to sustaining art gene and its team through joining the Board."
 

Kwong Lee
Director - Castlefield Gallery, Manchester

 "I see Art Gene developing further into the field of artist-consultants to the public and private sectors. I would like to see Art Gene pushing this agency role and become nationally recognised for creative thinking and action that has an impact on people, culture and regeneration. The international residency programme has been very prominent and succesful. This has a unique offer for artists and Barrow and this should be enhanced with recipricated opportunities abroad for the co-directors. The new gallery too is a great tool to use for exchanges and visionary work that nowhere else can accommodate in the locality. I can promote and advocate the work of Art Gene with artists, curators and other arts professionals I meet. I am also happy to give feedback on anything that running the organisation requires, e.g. press releases, funding applications, programme and business plans etc."

Colin Aldred
Head of Art Facility - Barrow Sixth Form College, Barrow-in-Furness

 "I moved to Barrow-in-Furness to take up the role of Head of Art & Design at Barrow Sixth Form College in 1991. It is a rewarding role and I take particular satisfaction from starting an Art Foundation Course in 1995 that has run successfully ever since.

It has been fascinating to witness the development of the Arts in the town over that time, and the formation of Art Gene has been an integral part of that growth. Art Gene had been supporting the Art Department at Barrow Sixth Form College for a number of years, providing opportunities for our students to meet and work with the diverse mix of contemporary artists using the studio spaces. It therefore felt right to accept a place on the board of directors, and I hope my very different background in education can provide a different perspective. It has been enlightening to experience the company from the inside, and the many challenges that it faces. The professionalism, dedication and hard work of everyone at Art Gene is impressive and it is exciting to be involved in such a dynamic organisation."
 

Helen Pheby
Deputy Curator - Yorkshire Sculpture Park

"I am delighted to be working with Art Gene to help facilitate imaginative and meaningful projects across Barrow in relation to national and international creative practice and public realm development.

As Deputy Curator at YSP, I have been able to develop my doctoral research concerning art beyond gallery boundaries into practical projects in galleries, rural landscapes and urban environments. Having worked with a number of communities locally and internationally, I am learning the importance of the human element in regeneration; that being sympathetic to residents’ sense of place and pride is essential to rebuilding villages, towns, cities and countries and that it is often through the intervention of artists that the intangible heritage is best revealed."

Alison Hand
Head of Business Development - Architype Architects

"Art Gene is asking the real questions about the built environment – how to re-use landscapes of industrial production; how to re-ignite 'end of the line' places; how to respond creatively to the ideology of demand for sustainable development and regeneration; how to draw out stratas of cultural memory embedded in a landscape.

I am really excited to be working with Art Gene  -  they have a terrifically imaginative sensibility that outshines so much current thinking and practice about place making, and how artists, architects, and residents can work together"

For more information about Alison please click here.


Alli Beddoes

"Art Gene has big ambitions for its place in Barrow, in the North West and internationally as an organisation that supports the research and development for new thinking in art and the regeneration of a place. It is always a lip biting moment when the collaborative moment arrives, Art Gene has a magical common sense and what is so refreshing is their thirst for finding the right path for the journey. It's a real pleasure to be part of this, I look forward to taking the next steps with them."


Conrad Atkinson
Honorary Board Member





International Advisors

Ruth Pringle
UK/France

 
"I was an artist in residence at Art Gene in 2007. As a site-specific artist I was determined to respond to the locality; not just superficially, but by tracing the real essence(s) of the town. Maddi and Stuart gave me an amazing introduction to the underlying factors shaping the town,  mixed with their own visions of what the future should hold. Their strategy and ambition impressed me. Clearly, what they had already established was remarkable; but what they wanted to achieve was both unique and inspirational. My short, intensive time in Barrow-in-Furness gave me a lasting love for the place, but more importantly, first hand experience of an arts organisation that was professional, invested AND independent.  I believe in the power of artists, planners, architects, designers in working together, as I believe in sharing ideas towards a common goal.

I wanted to remain involved. One year later, I presented  Art Gene's work / methodology to an international conference in Athens, Greece (INURA: The International Network of Urban Research and Action). Art Gene know that I  will be useful, and help in any way that I can, as an artist, international consultant or campaigner."

For more information about Ruth please click here.

Anti-Cool (Tomoko Takahshi)
Japan

 Staff

Norman Wild:
Company Secretary
Email: artgenenorman@btconnect.com

Michelle Yorke:
Adminstrative Assistant
Email: artgenemichelle@btconnect.com

Sian Schofield:
Programme Assistant
Email: artgenesian@btconnect.com

If you would like to contact a member from our Board of Directors or Staff please use one of the emails listed above or telephone: 01229 825085