Award-winning visual artist Morag Myerscough and cartoonist Steve Bell have contributed artwork in support of Brighton Dome’s Crowdfunder campaign.
Myerscough previously worked with Brighton Festival in 2018 on ‘Belonging’, a community bandstand on the seafront and was invited to create a bold new artwork to amplify the essential need for art in our lives. ‘Art is our expression and our sunlight’ can be seen on Brighton Dome’s New Road hoardings from this week. The work is also being produced as a signed hand-made screen print available to buy, with proceeds going to the #BringBackBrightonDome appeal. Donors have already exceeded the initial target, with the registered arts charity hoping to raise £50,000.
Posters from Brighton Festival’s archive have also been expertly reproduced as prints, with the latest release by caricaturist Steve Bell, known for his satirical cartoons in The Guardian newspaper. Bell’s illustration features a lively cityscape with famous Brighton & Hove characters including the Prince Regent and will be signed by the artist. Bell’s contribution joins David Shrigley’s drawing from 2018; Brighton tattoo artist Adam Sage and design agency Johnson Banks’ artwork for poet and musician Kae Tempest’s 2017 festival; a firework display image from 1988 by Australian pop artist Martin Sharp (1942-2013) and a 1972 image of Brighton palace pier by an unknown artist.
Morag Myerscough commented:
“I love Brighton and I was so excited when I was asked to create this new artwork for the #BringBackBrightonDome campaign. My work is rooted in creating a sense of joy and belonging and I have always felt strongly that we need art in every form to stimulate us and transport us from the everyday, especially at this time it feels essential for our wellbeing.
I hope anyone walking past the mural or hanging my print on their wall will feel that the arts have a positive future are essential and we must help to make sure that the arts have a positive future.”
Following Brighton Dome’s closure in March and the cancellation of Brighton Festival, the arts charity lost 67% of its self-generated income through ticket sales and events.
With the continued uncertainty around when large-scale live events might return, the 1,800 capacity Concert Hall is only able to consider vastly reduced attendances of social distanced performances and the Corn Exchange and Studio Theatres are undergoing major refurbishment until autumn 2021. #BringBackBrightonDome will help towards the additional £250,000 the organisation needs to raise in the next year.
Prints are available to buy from: https://crowdfunder.co.uk/bringbackbrightondome
