Mirror

About us

MIRROR is an updated public gallery, events programme and online resource based within the college and built on the legacy of The Gallery at Plymouth College of Art, which was established in 2006.

Following on from the success of the South West Showcase, a programme of mentoring and support for South West based artists that was established by the Gallery team at Plymouth College of Art in 2013 as a strategic response to the lack of talent development and professional exhibition opportunities for artists based in the region, MIRROR is dedicated to supporting the professional development of artists, with a particular focus on enriching the careers of artists based within the South West.

With a commitment to taking a long-term, regenerative and proactive approach to developing the arts ecology in the South West, MIRROR will act as a platform to commission, produce and present visual art exhibitions, events, residencies, research and student-led projects alongside working strategically and collaboratively with partners to improve the provision of, access to and growth of culture in Plymouth.

Situated within Plymouth College of Art, the artists who work with MIRROR will have access to the incredible resource of knowledge and skills of the practicing artists who work at the college, as well as access to the colleges’ world-class production facilities and equipment.

In addition to free public exhibitions, MIRROR will offer Give and Take Over opportunities, where local artists, students and staff from Plymouth College of Art can programme one-off events, performances, talks and screenings to happen alongside the exhibitions.

Through Buy Art South West, MIRROR will profile artists in the region who have artwork for sale, creating a resource to find and buy affordable local art.

MIRROR’s rolling Make Work With Us opportunities will support experienced artists with ambitious ideas for projects that they want to run outside of traditional gallery spaces, helping to find host partners, connect students to artists and connect artists with members of the wider creative community, to make ambitious artworks.

All of these different strands and more will represent MIRROR’s offer to people in the South West, with lots of different ways for different types of people to get involved, find out more, support cultural developments in the region and open up career opportunities for artists.

Contemporary art holds up a mirror to the world and the people in it. MIRROR is an invitation to see and imagine things differently, broadening our horizons and allowing us to imagine different perspectives.