‘A glorious take-over of a very (Greater) Mancunian space melding Commerce and Creativity’ - Thom Hetherington, founder and director of Manchester Art Fair

Greater Manchester Chamber is to host an exhibition to launch a unique partnership with Ghislaine Howard, who has an international reputation as an artist whose powerful paintings chart and interpret our shared human experience.

The exhibition opening will be held in the Chamber’s offices at Elliot House on 11th May and is open to both Chamber members and the public. On display will be a specially curated selection of Ghislaine’s work, which she has co-curated with her husband Michael Howard and the directors of Haigh Hall, acclaimed filmmakers and artists, Al and Al. Ghislaine’s paintings and drawings will be on show throughout the building, including the first of a changing group of works ‘10 Boroughs/10 Paintings’.

Ghislaine was born in Eccles and studied Fine Art at Newcastle University. She lived in London and Paris before moving back to her native North-West with her art historian husband and making their home in Glossop.

Speaking about her work with the Chamber, Ghislaine said: “My relationship with the Chamber began through a series of works I made called ‘Embracing Manchester’ in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack. After they were exhibited at St Ann’s Church, the Chamber became a home for them.

“In the past year since the pandemic, there’s been a drive to move forward, to use my work to reach out into the city, to communicate a sense of humanity and bring people into the building.

“The exhibition at Elliot House is very much in tune with my work in general. It’s about human lives, right from birth through to old age. It’s about people, it’s about gesture, it’s about emotion.”

Clive Memmott OBE, Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Chamber, said: “I’m delighted that we’re able to share Ghislaine’s work with local businesses and the wider community. She creates powerful and passionate paintings, which cover every aspect of human experience.

“Greater Manchester’s business community has a proud history of supporting art exhibitions and founding public art galleries.

"By hosting the Ghislaine Howard Collection, we are continuing that tradition and showing how the worlds of business and culture can connect and learn from each other.”

The exhibition opening, which takes place between 6pm - 8pm on 11th May, is free to attend but places must be booked in advance at Eventbriteusing the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ghislaine-howard-collection-at-elliot-house-tickets-316732815377.
Drinks and canapés will be served and after the opening guests are welcome to continue the evening at neighbouring bar and restaurant Gusto.

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Press contact:

Simon Cronin, Communications Manager: simon.cronin@gmchamber.co.uk