Corby - Art Town

Corby is famous for a great many things. The Steelworks of course, and the Candle that flickered over the town for most of its working life. There's also the Candle pub which the iconic gas burner was actually named after, and Corby's most well known and much loved boozer. The Corby Roll, a national culinary treasure that's only available in the town, and surely deserving of PGI status. My mate Jim is apparently very well known in Corby, though he's never revealed to me why exactly!...

The towns status as a major patron of the arts is a given of course, many examples of which have featured for your cultural pleasure on this blog. Just recently there's been something of an explosion of art in Corby. You must have heard it, in particular the dull thud and metallic clinking of the striking Knife Angel as it was lowered into place in the town centre recently (shown above is a very similar example at Leicester Cathedral). It's gone now, it's good work done, though if I'm honest I didn't go to see it. I've seen it before, twice in fact, and I didn't like it any more the second time round than I did the first. The message it carries is of course more important than the form. Which I don't like. I like this by Richard Harrison though (left), I like this a lot!

Talking of art, the musician and situationist(?) artist Bill Drummond is perhaps Corby's most famous living son, educated, and to a certain degree, contained as a youth at the town's Kingswood School. In common with most people who've actually spent time in the town, he's clearly very fond of Corby, which presumably explains why he's brought his current exhibition of art, The 25 Paintings, to Corby's Roof Top Arts Centre, an art centre on a roof. This will be the last exhibition at the centre before they move to a more central location in Corby's retail zone. Just as well, it's not that easy to find, though worth the trip if only to get a different perspective on Corby and it's recent past. You can read more about Drummond and the Exhibition in this feature by local journalist Alison Bagley.

We went on the opening day and watched as Mr Drummond, aka 'The Elderly Gentleman', shifted and adjusted the pieces in the 25 Paintings Tea Room. That's right, a Tea Room, where you can book for Tea and Scones, goggle at the huge canvases, and have a bit of a read...

There's a huge amount of wordage to take in at this exhibition, and we were a bit rushed to be honest so I'll probably go back again for a better examination of the work. My advice is don't be rushed, take your time, lot's of time, maybe have Tea & Scones with the man himself, he'd like that.

The Future

As I've already mentioned, this is Corby Roof Top Arts Centre's last exhibition before they move to their new premises on Corporation Street (prompting a name change?), but they're already planning their Open Exhibition starting in July (right). Definitely going to that, we love Open Exhibitions and have even occasionally bagged something unique for home. There was also a small exhibition by four of Tresham College's HNC Art Practice students in a former shop on Corporation Street (below), and although it was the last day of this particular event, there will be more on show throughout the Summer.

Needless to say, all these cultural treasures are within easy refreshment stop of The Corby Candle, Paletto Lounge, and the Saxon Cross pub, which itself hosts a number of pieces of local art. And Beer.