Side Gallery facts for kids
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| Former name | Side Gallery and Cinema |
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| Established | 1977 |
| Location | 5-9 Side, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3JE |
| Type | Registered charity |
| Collections | "an extensive documentary record of the region" |
| Collection size | 20,000 photographs; 10,000 slides; 100 films; 6TB digital assets |
| Founder | Murray Martin, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, Graham Smith, plus Graham Denman, Peter Roberts and Lorna Powers |
| Owner | Amber Film & Photography Collective |
Side Gallery is a cool photography gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It's run by a group called Amber Film & Photography Collective. The gallery first opened in 1977. Back then, it was known as Side Gallery and Cinema. Its main goal was to show "humanist photography." This means photos that focus on people and their lives. It also showed work that inspired the group.
Side Gallery is the only place in the UK totally dedicated to documentary photography. This type of photography tells a story or records real life. The gallery is located in a street called Side, near the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle's Quayside area.
Sadly, Side Gallery closed on April 9, 2023. This happened because it lost some important funding. Rising energy costs also made things difficult. The gallery started a fundraising campaign to raise money. They hoped to reopen in 2024.
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Gallery History
The very first exhibition at Side Gallery was called Documents in the North East. It opened in 1977. This show featured photos from four documentary photographers. Their names were Robert Hamilton Carling, James Henry Cleet, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, and Graham Smith.
In 1978, a very famous photographer named Henri Cartier-Bresson had a big show there. It was a "retrospective" exhibition. This means it looked back at his work over many years.
Big Changes in 2015
In 2015, the gallery closed for about a year and a half. It was undergoing a major makeover! It reopened in September 2016. The changes were exciting. They added a second exhibition space. This meant more room to show amazing photos. They also added a library. Plus, there was a study center and social space. This new area allowed visitors to look at the gallery's collection digitally.
Recent Challenges
As mentioned, Side Gallery closed its doors on April 9, 2023. This was due to less funding from Arts Council England. High energy bills also played a part. To try and reopen, the gallery started a fundraising campaign. They aimed to collect £60,000 to help them get ready to welcome visitors again in 2024.
Gallery Directors
Over the years, a few people have led the Side Gallery:
- Ron McCormack was the director from September 1976 to June 1977.
- Murray Martin took over for a short time in 1977.
- Chris Killip was the director from late 1977 to 1979.
Past Exhibitions
Side Gallery has hosted many interesting photo exhibitions. Here are a few examples:
- 1977: Documents in the North East. This was the first show. It featured work by Robert Hamilton Carling, James Henry Cleet, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, and Graham Smith.
- 1977: Singular Realities. This show featured photos from many different artists.
- 1977: New York in the Thirties – The photographs of Berenice Abbott. This exhibition showed pictures of New York City from the 1930s.
- 1977: A Vision of Paris – The photographs of Eugene Atget. This show featured photos of Paris. It also included Viva, with photos from several other artists.
The Gallery's Collection
The gallery has a huge collection of photographs. It's like a big photo archive! It includes "an extensive documentary record of the region." This means it has lots of photos that show the history and life of the local area.
The collection also features work by famous photographers like Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, Russell Lee, Lewis Hine, and Susan Meiselas. Some of the gallery's own past exhibitions are now part of its collection. These include:
- Tish Murtha's Juvenile Jazz Bands (1979)
- Konttinen's Step by Step (1984)
- Dean Chapman's Shifting Ground (2001)
- Karen Robinson's All Dressed Up (2005)
