What's On
Currently, Pink-collar Gallery doesn't have our own space so we are popping up at other venues around Sunderland. Check out what we have on offerArt Goss is back!
Joy is Resistance: Community Art Workshops
Joy is Resistance is a programme of collaborative workshops developed by Pink-collar Gallery, celebrating and empowering women’s stories, creativity and lived experience.
Join our community workshops and help create two collaborative artworks for an upcoming exhibition at Culture House. All skill levels are welcome, and no arts experience is necessary.
You can come to one workshop, attend a full series, or take part in both projects.
I Am the Story
Community Embroidery Project
Dates:
Monday 13 July
Monday 27 August
Monday 10 August
Monday 24 August
Monday 14 September
I Am the Story is an ongoing community-led embroidery project by creative Michaela Wetherell, centring women’s lives, identities and stories through stitched portraiture.
Come along and create your own embroidered portrait, honouring your stories, memories, experiences and reflections. Your work will become part of a collaborative final piece, forming a powerful visual archive that challenges dominant narratives around value, visibility and cultural memory.
No embroidery experience is necessary. All materials will be provided.
Get your ticket:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/joy-is-resistance-i-am-the-story-tickets-1991767815152
Signs of Strength
Sign Making & Printing
Dates:
Monday 20 July
Monday 3 August
Monday 17 August
Monday 7 September
Monday 21 September
Signs of Strength invites participants to create bold, text-based artworks inspired by their own experiences, values and hopes.
What message would you like to share with your younger self, your future self, or the people in your community?
Drawing inspiration from community organising and social justice movements, participants will explore typography, colour and printmaking techniques to create text-based artworks that inspire, encourage and empower.
Your work will become part of a collaborative and vibrant wall of words and images celebrating women’s voices, resilience, solidarity and self-expression.
No previous experience is required. All materials will be provided.
Get your ticket:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/joy-is-resistance-signs-of-strength-tickets-1991765285586
Workshop Programme
The programme consists of two workshops running on alternate weeks:
I Am the Story
A collaborative community embroidery project exploring identity, memory and personal stories through stitch.
Signs of Strength
Create bold, text-based artworks inspired by your experiences, values and hopes, using typography, colour and printmaking techniques.
Come to one workshop, join both, or take part across the full programme and be part of a collective celebration of women’s voices, resilience, solidarity and self-expression.
Art Goss.
Art Goss is a fun and informal way to learn about art history. We talk honestly, there are no silly questions, and we take the dryness out of art history. No pressure if all this information is brand new — we believe art history is one of the best ways to learn about the world, humanity, and just how messy the people who painted some of the most famous works in history were.
Hosted by artist and curator Liv Askwith, whose work explores hyper-femininity and draws deeply from the well of art history.
What Happened Before the Renaissance? Byzantine Art & the Middle Ages
Friday 26 June
18:00 - 20:00
Port Independent
What Happened Before the Renaissance? Byzantine Art & the Middle Ages
Step back before the Renaissance to explore Byzantine art and the Middle Ages. From the glittering mosaics of Constantinople to the illuminated manuscripts of medieval Europe, this session will show you how art evolved, why symbolism dominated, and how these periods laid the foundations for everything that came later.
Strictly adults only — lots of swearing, sass, and no-holds-barred commentary included.
Why the Renaissance Actually Is a Big Deal
Friday 31th July
18:00 - 20:00
Port Independent
Why the Renaissance Actually Is a Big Deal
The Renaissance really was a big deal — and there’s a reason we’re still talking about it today! It was a revolutionary explosion of art, science, and ideas. Discover why artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael changed everything, how perspective and realism transformed painting, and why this period still shapes our visual world today.
Strictly adults only — lots of swearing, sass, and no-holds-barred commentary included.
Bad Bitches of Baroque Art
Friday 28th August
18:00 - 20:00
Port Independent
Bad Bitches of Baroque Art
The Baroque period wasn’t just dramatic, it was downright fierce — and full of women who refused to be invisible in the art history books. From Judith Leyster, whose work was nearly forgotten and often mistaken for a man’s, to Artemisia Gentileschi, who was way ahead of her time. Discover the stories of the artists and artworks that shook up the 17th century and beyond. Learn to spot drama, decadence, and defiance in the art that changed the game.
Strictly adults only — lots of swearing, sass, and no-holds-barred commentary included.
or hop on the Pink-collar Patreon for £5 a month and your Art Goss ticket’s already covered.
Come learn, laugh, and get clued up. No prior knowledge needed.
Currently Exhibiting at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens
Rebel Women of Sunderland
7 March – 1 August 2026 | Main Gallery
Pink-Collar Gallery is thrilled to be part of Rebel Women of Sunderland, a powerful and thought-provoking exhibition celebrating the bold, brilliant and boundary-breaking women who have shaped the city.
Updated for 2026, the exhibition brings together all 30 illustrations by Sunderland artist Kathryn Robertson under one roof for the first time. Her striking and instantly recognisable visual style captures the resilience, individuality and spirit of each featured woman.
Rebel Women of Sunderland celebrates extraordinary local women, past and present, from activists and artists to campaigners, pioneers and everyday trailblazers. Their stories are brought to life through immersive storytelling, vibrant visuals and a compelling podcast series.
Alongside Robertson’s work, the Rebel Women podcast series (produced by Professor Caroline Mitchell, We Make Culture and Lucky Penny Audio) gives voice to stories that have often gone untold, adding depth and intimacy to the exhibition experience.
The exhibition also features creative responses from women artists across the city. Pink-Collar Gallery, a Sunderland-based pop-up founded by curator Michaela Wetherell, presents recent projects including:
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A creative workshop programme led by artist Tallulah Lines with women supported by Wearside Women in Need
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Her Mark, a calligraphy project led by Auburn Langley exploring the overlooked creative legacies of medieval women
Also featured is Researcher in Residence Sophie Piper, introducing the work of Eileen “Dusty” Deste, an accomplished yet overlooked twentieth-century photographer. Visitors can interact with Deste’s 1961 photographs of the Pyrex Factory, rearranging them to explore how narratives of women’s work are shaped and reshaped.
The exhibition additionally includes work by the Older Women’s Artist Collective and Southwick REACH (Research Education Arts and Culture Home).
Join us in celebrating the courage, creativity and community of Rebel Women of Sunderland — and perhaps discover the rebel in you.
Pink-Collar Gallery Commission for The Culture House
Watch it online below!
We’re proud to present a new animated short film commissioned by Pink-Collar Gallery for the Culture House Expo Sunderland Pavilion.
This dynamic piece is part of our series of commissioned films contributing to the Culture House's pre-opening programme, spotlighting Sunderland’s vibrant creative community.
Animated by: Arlo Howard & Anthony Deligiannis
Audio produced by: Ynez Tulsen & Tanya Trayanovich
Featuring local artists Sullivan Alenezi, Ellie Clewlow, Jordan Quinn, and Sally Anderson, the film explores their inspirations, personal journeys, and how the city of Sunderland has shaped their practice.
Through bold animation and immersive audio storytelling, this project not only celebrates Sunderland’s cultural scene but also makes the case that creativity is for everyone—whether it’s a passion or a profession.
As part of the commission, Pink-Collar Gallery collaborated with students from University of Sunderland, offering real-world experience to emerging creatives and showcasing pathways to building creative careers right here in the city.