An artist has urged Sheffield Council to do more to support independent artists in the city as he launches a new free exhibition.
Local artist Steve Montgomery’s latest exhibition titled ‘It’s All Greek to Me’ is aiming to make art more accessible in Sheffield.
Steve said: “There’s loads of artists out there, and there’s nowhere to exhibit them.
“I went to an exhibition in Barnsley and they’ve got a gallery for new artists and I met other Sheffield artists who said, ‘Well, we haven’t got anything like this in Sheffield.’”
Steve’s exhibition is free of charge and he is funding it out of his own pocket.
He said: “That’s why it’s free. I just want people to go and see art.
“I want art to be talked about. Whether you come and say, ‘What a pile of shit,’ I don’t care. So long as you’ve got an opinion, that’s all an artist is after, a reaction.”
Steve said there is not enough in Sheffield for emerging artists, arguing that venues such as the Millennium Gallery did not provide enough opportunities.
“There’s the Cupola Gallery in Hillsborough. And that’s about it for artists, there’s no art scene in Sheffield, just the Millennium Gallery.”
Steve, who is self-taught, argued that established galleries tend to favour artists with formal credentials, and said: “They go to London, they get an RA. If you’re self-taught, they won’t accept your work.”
Steve, said he has always been inspired by Greek Mythology.
He said: “I came across a painting called Morpheus Awakens as Iris Approaches, and my mind started twirling, as artists’ do.
“I love all that stuff, ancient history and that.”
Visitors can also watch Steve’s painting process on YouTube, where he posts time-lapse videos of his work under the name Abstract Steve.
The exhibition is being held in The Old Chapel Gallery, in Nether Edge this weekend from the 21-24 May.
Steve hopes to put on more free exhibitions to raise awareness of independent artists in Sheffield, with his next work focusing on Roman mythology.