Art Trail Walking Tour

Please note this event begins and ends at Skyspace car park at the bottom of the access track to the observatory. Guests will park here and walk up the track, to return via minibus at the end.

This special event is a talk and tour of two key pieces of Kielder’s permanent art and architectural works by Peter Sharpe, Kielder Art and Architecture curator. We will also explore Another Dimension, an outdoor exhibition by Helen McGhie, artist in residence at Kielder Observatory. 

We will first visit Another Dimension (2022), a series of photographic banners that each explore the experience of Kielder’s dark skies. Helen will reflect on her creative work with the observatory, talk about the astronomy theme that surrounds it, and how she is inspired by the darkness of a winter night at Kielder. 

We will continue the conversation on foot to Cat Cairn: The Kielder Skyspace, a sculptural artwork located on a rocky outcrop overlooking Kielder Water & Forest Park by internationally renowned American artist James Turrell (2000). Peter will talk about the ideas and history of this artwork, including the role of the seeing and experience. A circular ring of seats offers guests a moment to sit and reflect in the forest.

Our walk will lead to Kielder Observatory, designed by Charles Barclay Architects (2008) to look like the deck of a ship sailing above the landscape. Famed for having the darkest night skies in England thanks to minimal light pollution, Kielder Water & Forest Park is a star gazers' heaven and the Observatory offers exciting opportunities for those with an interest in learning more about the night sky. After a refreshment break, Peter will talk about the ideas and history of the observatory building, and guests will be given a telescope tour by Kielder astronomers. 

The tour will end with a screening of Helen's film Observatory (created on location) before guests are driven back to Skyspace car park via a minibus. 

Please note: the total walking distance is approx. 2 miles up a gradually ascending track. Please wear suitable footwear and clothing for the weather. We will reach the observatory where there are toilet facilities at around 1.45pm and the event will include tea/coffee and light refreshments. Tickets for this event are free however a £5 parking charge applies per vehicle to be paid onsite at the ticket machine. Donations to support Kielder Observatory's work in astronomy outreach are welcomed and can be made during the drinks break.

Speakers:

Helen is a photographic artist and Senior Lecturer in Photography at the University of Sunderland. The exhibition Another Dimension is part of her PhD research, exploring how photographic art can create new ways to experience dark skies in Northern England. She is particularly interested in photography’s relationship with science and its display in non-art contexts. The work is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s National Productivity Investment Fund.

Peter Sharpe is an independent art and architecture curator, associate lecturer in Newcastle University’s School of Architecture, and an associate of the arts commissioning agency, Arts&Heritage. He has been Curator of the highly regarded Kielder Art & Architecture programme for more than 20 years working closely with national and international artists and architects as they develop built responses to the dramatic location of the Kielder Water & Forest Park in Northumberland, a programme that has been at the forefront of contemporary commissioning in a rural environment.  Art and architectural works develop in response to the environment, history, occupation and culture of their sites, a process which involves in depth knowledge and close working relationships with artists and architects over the duration of each project.

This event is generously supported by Kielder Trust, Kielder Observatory, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

What3words for Skyspace Car Park where the event starts is ///musical.nicely.landscape.