Russell Kirk

The exhibition brought together aspects of Russell Kirk's private and public work and was shown in the Contemporary Art Space Chester (CASC) . Councillor Jill Houlbrook, Lord Mayor of Chester and Chairman of Cheshire West and Chester Council officially opened the exhibition.

Russell is responsible for a number of annual festivals and parades in Cheshire and surrounding counties, most notably the Chester Midsummer Watch Parade. The exhibition presents some of the elements of the visualisation of the parade, fantastic character objects and Kirk's expressive narrative drawings.

CASC contains the University's Art and Design Department where students study Fine Art, Photography and Graphic Design. It aims to bring contemporary art to the attention of the Chester public and inspire students and staff working in the department. Throughout the academic year the gallery presents the latest work from students and staff with at least two major shows from invited artists.

Russell studied combined arts (painting and music) at Dartington College and later Crewe and Alsager College where he graduated in 1982 with a BA (Hons) in Integrated Arts. After graduating he set up a studio with fellow painters in a disused factory in Crewe where he produced large oil paintings based almost exclusively on the landscape of North Wales and Cumbria - favourite hiking country. Alongside this he set up a guitar school teaching during the evenings and weekends. It was during this time he began to develop an interest in performance and processional arts while working on residential projects with Cheshire Dance Workshop.

On moving to Chester in the early 1990's Russell became involved in various large-scale projects and events such as art festivals, outdoor theatre, parades and productions of devised theatre touring Europe. His activities at this time included artistic design and production, composing and performing music, co-directing and organisational and administrative work.

Russell also developed a love for mosaics and started producing his own in 1996. Since then he has carried out a number of commercial and private commissions and has built up a sizeable catalogue of mosaic work. He is responsible for a number of annual festivals and parades across the North West and his workshop activities mean that he is a familiar face in many schools and colleges in Cheshire and surrounding Counties. Russell's first book - the illustrated re-telling of George and the Dragon was published in 2011 and he is currently working on two further works due for publication in 2014.

Although he still produces his own work for exhibition and private collections it is the large festive events that are his first love. This is epitomised by the Chester Midsummer Watch Parade where the elements of visual arts, music and performance all come together making it one of the most enjoyable and spectacular community events in the country.

"For a number of years through his public and community work Russell Kirk has made a significant contribution to the cultural life of the city of Chester and region generally. His achievement in many ways reflects the ambitions for the Art and Design department at the University of Chester and the 'Contemporary Art Space Chester' gallery project in particular. It is our hope that we can have a positive impact upon the developing visual culture in the city, to engage in an exciting creative way with the wider community and for our students to contribute to building a dynamic creative environment. Russell has championed this type of broad inclusive artistic engagement working with schools, community groups and the wider public whilst continueing to develop his own witty narrative work. The exhibition at CASC presents a snapshot of Russell's intense playful engagement with the visual and spectacle."