New Street Artboards

The Margate School has installed 7 public-facing artboards along New Street, showcasing creatives who have a connection to TMS, as well as a directory of the businesses on New Street.

After reviewing the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on businesses’ abilities to work with creative professionals, we identified that we needed a more viable way to exhibit and promote the arts locally. By creating an extension of our exhibition space that is public-facing and accessible to the local community and visitors we hope to contribute to Margate’s growing tourism industry and give a platform for local creatives to be seen and celebrated.

Artwork for the boards was chosen following a call out to designers and artists for work responding to the title “Design, Society, Nature” — as a way of celebrating the launch of our new one-year Visual Communication course. The work includes submissions by 2 of our Visual Communication tutors - Philip Gomm and Graham Wood, and one of our recent visiting lecturers, June Mineyama-Smithson.

In addition to supporting local creatives, we have provided a directory of the local businesses on New Street with the aim of attracting additional footfall and supporting our local community. We hope to adapt the use of these boards to promote the work of future events, other artists & designers, and bring forward the work that happens within TMS out into the public realm.

This project was bought to life with the help of the Revi-VE grant fund offered to small businesses in the South East to help businesses that operate within the visitor economy and have been affected by COVID-19.

You can find the boards on New Street, along with two murals painted by studio resident Dream Safari and local artist Catherine Chinatree.

Thank you to all in the TMS team who were involved in this project and to the creatives that submitted work to be displayed. You can find a list of the contributors and local businesses below.

Art Boards from left to right on New Street:

1. Graham Wood and Brendan Parker

2. Philip Gomm

3. Vos Broekema

4. Philip Gomm

5. June Mineyama-Smithson

6. Philip Gomm

7. Business directory

New Street business directory:

• Mark Michaels Dry Cleaners

• New Street Bistro/The Waiting Room

• Old Stable Antiques

• Consoles Thanet

• AG Studio & Forever Rose

• The Inkwell Tattoo Studio

• Mama Jinny Thai Kitchen

• Headturners