YORK gallery According To McGee brings together northern and southern artists in its second annual celebration of art from Goldsmiths graduates, Goldsmiths In The North.

Launching the show today from 6pm to 8pm with a "private view party that would make Jay Gatsby blush", gallery co-director Greg McGee promises "the most sensitive litmus test of the UK contemporary art scene until the summer degree shows".

The exhibition is the culmination of a year-long collaboration with the London university, showcasing artwork by Goldsmiths graduates from the Tower Street gallery's poster series, combined for the first time with responses from York College students past and present.

“York College do such a great job, and Leeds College of Art produce such high-calibre talent too, so we thought ‘let’s champion Goldsmiths graduates, let’s give the show a northern context, but let's build on that ," says Greg.

"What if we were to use as inspiration the work of Goldsmiths' international cohort of artists to encourage a regional response?"

The lion's share of responsibility for curating the show has fallen to 2014 York College alumnus Jack Rientoul, who says: “York College provided me with a solid platform for my practice. Looking at what the selected Goldsmiths graduates have done is helping me take the next step in my career.

"They’re an inspiration, and I’ve been following that up by watching the Goldsmiths: But Is It Art documentary on Youtube. There’s such a sense of mischief that I’m looking at trying to capture. It’s been great working with According To McGee and it’s opened up the York art scene.”

According To McGee is "working hard on ensuring an exhibition is more than just a display of art". "An exhibition like this works best when it comes with an infrastructure," says Greg.

"This show is more than just an exhibition; it is an event, a happening, and we're marching into battle alongside movers and shakers such as York Cocoa House and Fossgate Social, who are providing chocolates and cocktails respectively tomorrow night.

"Fossgate Social are even extending the exhibition to their walls in Fossgate, where they will be hosting the after show-party. The exhibition has been endorsed by York's UNESCO commission and the private view is being filmed for use on a local TV channel in the autumn. Art collective Garage Projects, made up of Goldsmiths and Glasgow School of Art artists, have been massively helpful too in overseeing the project."

The work on show covers photography, installation, performance, painting and digital art, all harnessed into the format of poster art, available to buy as limited-edition giclée prints.

Artists taking part include Goldsmiths' contributors Alex Encore, Baoyi Zhang, Eun Kim, Hannah Hood, Jack Park, Paul Crook, Rae Hicks, Will Thompson, Xenofon Kavvadias and Xin Wang and Mary Wintour from Glasgow School of Art .

York College participants will be Jack Rientoul, Seren Metcalfe, Sumena Owen, George Watson, Jake Russell, Alice Mortimer, Eddie Grant, Amelia Willows and Josephine Roberts.

"This show is too big to fail", jokes Greg, who adds: "We've already sold a few posters on our online store; the posters themselves are highly desirable, collectible items in their own right."

Goldsmiths In The North represents a "multi-faceted start to our eleventh year," he suggests.

Where once Greg and his wife Ails held the reins tight at their gallery, now they have learned to "let go to a great team of young people", such as Jessica Crichton, Naomi Noda, Rebecca Askham and Catrin Podgorski. "The future of the UK art scene is in mighty good hands," says Greg. "Come and crush a Fossgate Social cocktail tomorrow night to help us celebrate."

Goldsmiths In The North will run until February 9.