Side Gallery

Side Gallery is a photography gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, run by Amber Film & Photography Collective.[2] It opened in 1977 as Side Gallery and Cinema[3] with a remit to show humanist photography "both by and commissioned by the group along with work it found inspirational".[4][5] It is the only venue in the UK dedicated to documentary photography.[6][7] Side Gallery is located at Amber's base in Side, a street in Quayside, Newcastle near the Tyne Bridge.[3]

Side Gallery
Former name
Side Gallery and Cinema
Established1977 (1977)
Location5-9 Side, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3JE
TypeRegistered charity
Collections"an extensive documentary record of the region"[1]
Collection size20,000 photographs; 10,000 slides; 100 films; 6TB digital assets
FounderMurray Martin, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, Graham Smith, plus Graham Denman, Peter Roberts and Lorna Powers
CuratorKerry Lowes
OwnerAmber Film & Photography Collective
Websiteamber-online.com/side-gallery/

Side Gallery closed on 9 April 2023 after the loss of its Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation status and funding in November 2022, combined with rising energy bills.[8] It launched a fundraising campaign which closed on 30 May 2023 to help it work towards reopening in 2024.[9]

History

The inaugural exhibition was titled Documents in the North East and showed the work of four documentary photographers: Robert Hamilton Carling, James Henry Cleet, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen and Graham Smith.[10]

In 1978, Henri Cartier-Bresson had a retrospective exhibition at Side.[6]

In 2015 the gallery closed for a year and a half for major redevelopment, reopening in September 2016.[6] A second exhibition space was added, as well as a library, and study centre / social space with digital access to the collection.[11][12][13]

Side Gallery closed on 9 April 2023 after a reduction in Arts Council England funding, combined with rising energy bills. It launched a fundraising campaign to raise £60,000 so it could work towards reopening in 2024.[14][15]

Directors

Exhibitions
  • 1977. until 13 February. Documents in the North East. Featuring work from Robert Hamilton Carling, James Henry Cleet, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen and Graham Smith.
  • 1977. until 13 March. Singular Realities. Curated by Gerry Badger. Showing work from Lewis Ambler, Kurt Benning, John Blakemore, Beverly Bryon, Eric Carpenter, Paul Hill, Isabella Jedrzejscyk, Paul Joyce, Guy Ryecart, Paddy Summerfield, Gail Tandy and Peter Turner.
  • 1977. until 10 April. New York in the Thirties – The photographs of Berenice Abbott.
  • 1977. until 8 May. A Vision of Paris – The photographs of Eugene Atget and Viva – The photographs of Claude Raimond-Dityvon, Yves Jean-mougin, Herve Gloaguen, Martine Franck, François Hers, Michel Dulluc and Jacques Minassian.

Collection

The gallery's collection includes "an extensive documentary record of the region"[1] as well as work by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen,[19] Russell Lee, Lewis Hine,[1] and Susan Meiselas.[1] Some of the gallery's exhibitions that are held in its collection include Tish Murtha's Juvenile Jazz Bands (1979), Konttinen's Step by Step (1984), Dean Chapman's Shifting Ground (2001) and Karen Robinson's All Dressed Up (2005).[6]

References
  1. Newbury, Darren (2002). "Documentary practices and working-class culture: an interview with Murray Martin (Amber Films and Side Photographic Gallery)". Visual Studies. 17 (2): 113–128.
  2. "Images of unemployment in North East are beautiful and shocking". The Independent. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. Rigby, Graeme (7 September 2007). "Obituary: Murray Martin". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  4. Leggott, James (9 April 2020). In Fading Light: The Films of the Amber Collective. Berghahn Books. ISBN 978-1-78920-651-7 – via Google Books.
  5. O'Hagan, Sean (14 October 2018). "The best UK photography galleries chosen by Sean O'Hagan". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  6. "Side Gallery Reopens After Major Redevelopment With Childhoods Photography Exhibition". British Journal of Photography. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  7. "Capturing the spirit of childhood". Huck Magazine. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  8. "Newcastle's Side Gallery and Amberside archive at risk of permanent closure." Accessed 13 April 2023.
  9. "Fundraiser begins to save Newcastle's Side gallery". BBC News. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  10. Viewed: 'Documents in the North-East at the Side Gallery, Newcastle British Journal of Photography, 11 February 1977, pp. 123–127.
  11. Whitehouse, Matthew (29 September 2016). "all dressed up: photographing the rituals of childhood". i-D. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  12. Hodgson, Barbara (11 August 2016). "Side Gallery prepares to unveil new image". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  13. Whetstone, David (23 September 2016). "Side Gallery, a unique window on the world, is reopening after a £1.1m refurbishment". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  14. Ghosh, Ravi. "Newcastle's Side Gallery to close unless new funding secured". www.1854.photography. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  15. Brown, Mark (6 April 2023). "Newcastle's Side Gallery to close after funding cuts and energy bills rise". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  16. New British Image 1977 British Journal of Photography, 11 February 1977, p. 109. Accessed 12 April 2023. McCormack was director of the Side Gallery and a member of the Arts Council's Photography Committee.
  17. William Messer, 'The British obsession: about to pay off, part 4', British Journal of Photography, 30 December 1977, p.1105. Martin is described as having 'taken the helm' after McCormack's departure.
  18. Tate. "BP Spotlight: Chris Killip". Tate. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  19. "Byker - Amber Collection". Amber. Retrieved 28 June 2020.

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