Art students’ work on show at Pontio
Learners on Coleg Menai’s Art Foundation course were invited to create installation pieces based on psychedelic stage musical Operation Julie
Students’ artwork will go on show at Pontio on Thursday, with a free gig by highly acclaimed band Pys Melyn launching the exhibition.
Gweithred Greadigol/A Creative Operation is an exhibition of installation art from students on Coleg Menai’s Art Foundation course.
The students’ work is inspired by psychedelic rock musical Operation Julie, which comes to Pontio in Bangor from May 15-18.
Operation Julie, by Theatr na nÓg and Aberystwyth Arts Centre, tells the tale of when rural West Wales was at the centre of one of the biggest drugs busts in history.
The 1970s police investigation of the same name uncovered LSD worth £100million - making up 60% of the world’s market at the time.
Ahead of the show’s visit to Pontio, students on the Art Foundation course were invited to create artwork which will be on display at the venue until May 19.
Work by learners Moli Prendergast and Amy Evans was also chosen for the front cover of Pontio’s summer ‘What’s On’ programme.
Owein Prendergast, Art Foundation course leader, said: “We’ve worked with Pontio quite a few times in the past making site-specific artwork for parts of the building.
“On the Foundation course you have students doing lots of different disciplines, so we did this as a group project, with each group having a fine artist, a graphic artist, an applied designer.
“The students’ work includes three-metre high banners suspended from the ceiling, two site-specific installations, as well as video projections which will be projected onto the massive white wall.”
The exhibition launch starts at 6.30pm on Thursday and is free to attend. Pen Llŷn band Pys Melyn are playing at 7.15pm, while there will also be a welcome from radio presenter and musician Rhys Mwyn.
Owein said: “It’s nice that Pys Melyn are playing, as they’re a favourite of quite a few of our foundation students and have been getting a lot of airplay on BBC 6 Music.”
As a thankyou for their artistic endeavours, the Art Foundation students have also been invited to the soundcheck of the opening night of Operation Julie in May.
Want to know more about the Art Foundation course at Coleg Menai? Click here for more information.