The University of Leicester's arts centre - open to all

Helene Markham Jones
Monday 17 – Friday 28 September, 11am – 4pm

Two opportunities to drop in and meet artists in residence and discuss their work with them.
Helene is an abstract painter whose work explore two strands: the power of geometric form and the fluid response to materials and light. A Synapse Transitions Residency 2012.

Halima Cassell
Monday 1 – Saturday 6 October, 11am – 4pm

Born in Pakistan, brought up in Manchester and now living in Blackburn, Halima fuses her Asian cultural roots with a fascination for African patterning and a passion for architectural geometry. By combining definite lines ad dramatic angles carved in complex surface patterns with heavily contrasting colours, she creates a sense of compelling drama and playful dynamism.

Thursday 20 September, 10am – 4pm
£10 (concessions available)

EMVAN’s third public conference aims to celebrate the region’s visual arts and stimulate and empower the visual arts community in this time of austerity. Featuring guest speakers, networking opportunities and Open Space sessions, the event aims to offer something for everyone, whether an individual artist or part of an organisation, collective or project. Book online at www.derbyquad.co.uk

Saturday 29 September, 10am – 5pm £7 / £5

Learn from the experts at this special weekend for artists and makers, organised in collaboration with Synapse Arts. Get comments on your work. Find how to promote yourself to galleries and art organisations. Discover the best sources of funding and much more. Plus individual advice sessions with experienced curators and art administrators from across the region. Booking advisable. Book here

See flyer here

Monday 8 October – Friday 7 December
Free Preview party –  all welcome  Thursday 4 October, 5.30pm – 7.30pm

Passion2Print is Leicester Print Workshop’s biennial celebration of contemporary fine art printmaking. Exclusively featuring the work of LPW artists, it is a high-quality showcase for printmaking today. Reflecting its partnership with Embrace Arts and Oundle International Festival, the exhibition will explore ideas around storytelling in music.

Saturday 20 October at 10.30am – 12.30 noon and 1.30pm – 3.30pm
£1 adult; 50p child

Led by visual artist Claire Morris Wright. Both workshops are limited to 15 people so please book in advance.

Thursday 22 November, 5.30pm – 6.30pm FREE

Join Passion2Print selector and LPW artist Peter Clayton as he talks about the exhibition and contemporary fine art printmaking.

Monday 7 January to Friday 22 March
Free Preview party – all welcome Thursday 10 January, 6pm - 8pm

Invited artists from across the East Midlands explore the use of line in this new exhibition of unique drawings, from the figurative to the abstract.
Features work in a variety of media, from pencil, charcoal and digital to textiles and drawing in the sand, by Antonia Eleftheriou, Lloyd Hughes, Mattheiu Leger, Olivier Leger, Ashok Mistry, Andriana Nikolaidou, Thomas Robertson, Diana Shepherd and Ken Turnell.
Curated by Embrace Arts as part of the Big Draw’s ‘2012 in Lines’
“To infinity and beyond!” – come and add your own personal drawing to a unique never-ending work of art at Embrace Arts. On throughout the exhibition.

A grapple a day
Alongside the Between the Lines exhibition, the Embrace Arts window installation features animated drawings of past and present wrestlers.
Artist John Kirby is inspired by photographs of his sporting heroes to create very individual interpretations of his subject matter and their characteristics.

Monday 9 – Friday 27 July

Free Preview party – all welcome
Friday 6 July, 6pm – 8pm

Click here for an invite

An opportunity to enjoy many of the works created by people who have taken part in the creative learning programme at Embrace Arts since last September. Paintings, drawings, mixed media work, sculptures, jewellery, textiles, the written word and videos will all be on display.

Our galleries are open 10am - 6pm Monday to Friday. FREE entry. We are also open some weekends but please call us on 0116 252 2455 weekdays to check beforehand.

Picasso plate on show
We now have a ceramic by the celebrated artist Pablo Picasso on permanent display, thanks to the generosity of Lord and Lady Attenborough.
Lord Attenborough was active in raising the funds to set up Embrace Arts, formerly known as the Richard Attenborough centre, and his continuing support as our patron has allowed us to develop and widen our performance and creative learning programmes for the general public, while maintaining a focus on disability and inclusion.
The Attenboroughs donated ‘Red Owl’ to Embrace Arts because its colour and contrast give most access to our partially-sighted visitors. They have given 140 Picasso ceramics to the city of Leicester to be displayed at the New Walk Museum & Art Gallery.

Featuring jewellery, textiles and ceramics to suit all budgets from less than £10 to £100.

Your chance to buy beautiful and unique works by some of the region’s finest makers. Perfect for that special gift – or why not treat yourself?
Gift vouchers also available.