Evolutionary Thinking

If you have a little spare time on your hands this Easter, why not take a trip to see our friends at Baltic? Their latest offer exploring evolutionary thinking and the Theory of Natural Selection is definitely one not to miss! A few of the Blue River team will certainly be heading along to check out the artists and their work. A Duck for Mr. Darwin is a group exhibition focusing on the legacy of Charles Darwin’s ideas and runs from 10th April – 20th September 2009 and admission is free. For further info see balticmill.com

Design Week

Blue River has been hitting the headlines this week, with work we produced for Baltic. Design Week asked us to submit some of our work for a section they have put together on effective design for collectible exhibition brochures. There are even a few words from our very own Mr Cantwell in there! Take a look at the full article here

Design Event Talk

The Blue River team is very excited about this month’s educational office outing. We will be heading to a Design Event talk to gain some wisdom from the self taught graphic designer and author of How To Be A Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, Adrian Shaughnessy and Michael C Place of the Build graphic design studios in London.

The talk will take place here in Newcastle at DanceCity, Temple Street on 25th March, 6pm. If you would like to join us tickets are available from dancecity.co.uk or see design-event.co.uk for further info. See you there!

Who done it?

The team at Blue River is trying to solve the mystery behind the billboard, down our road at Forth Banks. Can you help us? We would like to find out the name behind the work. So if you have any information that could help us in our mission then please contact hello@blueriver.co.uk.

Chav Master!

Well we never thought it would happen but Chav mania has taken over the Blue River Office! Friend of Blue River, Simon Zimmerman, Arts Management supremo, sent us a copy of his new Chav Master game last month. Chav Master is a new kind of gaming experience built around classic party games that we all know and love. The idea is you get your mates together to fight it out to gain the most A.S.B.O’s and quite literally, the biggest loser wins! Everything you need is in the box. So what are you waiting for? Get yourself to chavmaster.com to secure your copy and see what it’s like to be a real Chav!

Business Collectors Network Exhibition

The first exhibition of the Business Collectors Network Collection hits Newcastle next month, showcasing contemporary art created by emerging artists living and working in the North East. The event is a great opportunity to both view and purchase works from regional artists and galleries. The exhibition is with us from 16th – 27th March 2009 and located at Coopers Building, Westgate Road.

Fluxus finale

Baltic’s Fluxus exhibition came to a grand finale last weekend with a rare performance of Knud Pedersen’s Three Star a La Carte. Guests were invited to compose their own Fluxus meal from the menu-card and were then served performance-pieces at small tables. The event was a complete sell out, not to be missed! For more information on Fluxus or other Baltic activities see Balticmill.com

Uncommon ground for Vane

Our friends at the Vane gallery, downstairs from Blue River, are launching their latest exhibition this week. The Uncommon Ground exhibition comprises the work of seven artists exploring the ways in which our environmental conditions affect and reflect our lives. The exhibition is with us until Saturday 14th February. Find out more about this and other Vane exhibitions at vane.org.uk

mima up for a gong!

Blue River client mima (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) is celebrating after being short listed for an award for Best Event Tees Valley, in the Journal Culture Awards 2008. The Bauhaus 1919-1933 exhibition was hosted by mima in 2008 and showcased the infamous Bauhaus approach to design, which combines crafts with fine art. Voting is currently underway but we think for attracting more than 45,000 visitors alone, mima is already a winner. Let's raise our glasses to mima!

Pick up a penguin

We had a nostalgic team outing last week to experience a little piece of graphic design history, through the iconic and distinctive design of the Penguin book cover. The Penguin Exhibition hosted by Shipley Art Gallery celebrates 70 years of Penguin’s distinctive approach to cover design and typography with a selection of hand-drawn roughs, corrected proofs and intriguing in-house notes bringing the finished designs to life. The exhibition will be with us until the end of May. So why not take a trip down memory lane and see the exhibition yourself? For more info see twmuseums.org.uk/shipley/