THE tenth anniversary of the Inspired By...Gallery at Danby will be celebrated with an exhibition of new works by artists stirred by the North York Moors National Park.

A private view of Past And Present from 2pm to 4pm on February 11 will be opened by the National Park authority’s chief executive, Andy Wilson, and in attendance will be specially invited guests and many of the artists.

The exhibition will welcome the public from February 12, and on the first day there will be a Love In The Air event before St Valentine’s Day that  additionally will lift the curtain on a display of jewellery in a parallel exhibition entitled Heart Of The Landscape.

As its name suggests, the gallery near Whitby showcases art inspired by the beauty of the North York Moors, and the anniversary exhibition combines specially created artwork by artists involved with Inspired By over the past decade and pieces by artists destined to be represented in future shows.

The wild moorland, robust coastline and quiet dales, along with the heritage of the North York Moors National Park, have prompted artists over the years to respond in a range of media, from textiles and ceramics through to photography and paintings.

Taking part in the milestone exhibition will be 21 artists, among them John Freeman, from Whitby, Ian Scott Massie, from Masham, Clare Caulfield, from Yorkshire, and milliner Bridget Bailey, from London, who will be showing her latest fascinator design.

York Press:

A new work for Past And Present by John Freeman

Look out too for a selection of existing works by Len Tabner and new paintings by Norman Ackroyd, brought to Danby through a collaboration with the Zillah Bell Gallery in Thirsk.

The Danby gallery, where entry is free, has hosted around 100 exhibitions since it opened in 2007; each year providing a platform for up to 100 emerging, Yorkshire and nationally acclaimed artists, whose work is seen by more than 100,000 visitors.

The National Park authority responded to Inspired By's initial success by extending the exhibition space, while the formation of a volunteer group eight years ago has led to more artists and exhibitions being supported every year.

Gallery curator Sally Ann Smith says: "Past And Present will be a celebration of all the achievements of the last decade, particularly the strong relationships we have built with art galleries and artists and the support we've been able to give to those artists who have a real passion for the National Park.

“Having been involved with the gallery right from the start, I’m still impressed with and proud of the creativity and new ways that artists find to express the special qualities of the North York Moors, such as the huge walk-in fabric beehive created by artist Laney Birkhead and the tree-root sculptures by Azad Mohammed.

"Inspired By is now a popular visitor attraction and we’re looking forward to working with more emerging, as well as familiar, artists in the future.”

The Past And Present exhibition can be seen from 10.30am to 4pm on February 12, then daily from February 18 to March 13.