2005
The Samling Foundation is currently in the research and development stages for its next major visual arts project. More details to be announced later this year.

arena 2003 - 2004
arena was a major public art initiative supported by a substantial award from NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts). It brought world-renowned artist Antony Gormley back to the North East of England to mentor five emerging professional artists: Runa Islam, Wolfgang Weileder, Carl von Weiler, Louise K. Wilson and Tom Woolford. Each artist received a commission to produce new work in response to an arena of their choice. These arenas included transport networks, business, industry, the broadcasting media and public spaces.

Sixty gifted and talented 'A' level Art students from across Tyne and Wear worked alongside the artists on their commissions - a total of 12 with each artist. Their teachers and the wider community were also involved. Each student benefitted from the unique opportunity of experiencing first hand how an artist researches and creates an artwork and worked alongside the artists throughout the key stages of development. Together, the arena artists explored the definition of public art and its relationship to different environments and its place in today's world. The project favoured the widest interpretation of what is possible in art today and engaged artists capable of delivering ground-breaking projects.
(go to arena)

Land and The Samling - 2002

Land and the Samling, the second project in a three year Visual Arts Programme and a pilot project for arena, brought together five emerging professional artists: Tanya Axford, Claire Barber, Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva, Matt Stokes and Wolfgang Weileder.

Each artist received a commission to produce temporary artwork during a month-long residency at Kielder Forest in Northumberland. In turn they each mentored 12 A-level art students from across Tyne & Wear. In all sixty young people were involved in intensive residential workshops led by the artists in the forest. (go to Land and the Samling page)

Divining - 2001
Three young professional artists were chosen to participate in Divining, the Foundation's first residency project in the North East of England. The landscape painter Angela Hughes, photographer Dan May and poet Matthew Clegg were invited to explore shared ideas and themes, take soundings, make references and feel the pull of 'gravities' reflecting their individual response to their chosen locations. As part of the residency, the artists worked with a group of specially selected 'A' Level Art specialists from seven High Schools in Newcastle upon Tyne. (go to Divining page)

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