What do you think about when you think of the River Tees? Whose lives are shaped by the river? How does the river inspire the communities who live and work on it, and alongside it?
These were some of the questions that People Powered: Stories from the River Tees considered through a large exhibition at MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, last year. The exhibition, which won the Heritage Award at The Journal North East Culture Awards in 2023, was visited by more than 37,000 people.
An edit of the exhibition was presented at The National Portrait Gallery between September and November this year, with 33 portraits of people from the Tees Valley displayed in the hallowed halls of one of the UK’s leading museums. Through the display, thousands of London visitors got a sense of the diverse individuals who work, walk, run, own businesses and spend time by the River Tees.
One of the main installations in the MIMA exhibition was a mosaic-style wallpaper, titled Game Over , based on wildlife around the Tees. It was created by artist Diane Watson and the MIMA team with pupils from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School. A group of pupils and teachers from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School visited the National Portrait Gallery in October with the MIMA team. They cut a red ribbon, officially opened the display and had a great time seeing their work on show.
The trophy for the Heritage Award, originally presented to MIMA, has spent the last year on a long journey around the school and along the river. It has been to homes, parties and trips to the beach, and has travelled along the Tees by boat, demonstrating how much the exhibition, its success and the creative work around it has meant to our communities.
MIMA’s current exhibitions are Towards New Worlds (to February 9, 2025) and Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs (to March 23, 2025).
