Morecambe Bay Art Show: Celebrities get pride of place on stage at The Platform

There will also be a beach pre-party at a boat owned by Fair organiser Anthony Padgett, which will also act as a showboat for some of his sculptures.

The Morecambe Bay Art Fair is at The Platform, Old Station Buildings, Marine Road West, on Saturday August 13 from 5 – 9pm and Sunday August 14 from 10am – 5pm. Admission is free. The Platform venue is in a restored Edwardian railway station on Morecambe promenade, across the road from the Art Deco Midland Hotel.

Works on display will will include a range of mixed media works and sculpture by 20 artists from Lancashire, but predominantly from the Morecambe Bay area. Prices start at £25.

Anthony believes the time is right to have an art fair at the seaside resort and hopes it will grow over the next few years.

He said: “We’ve a lot of people moving from all over the country to Morecambe. There’s lots of artists – it’s a really big artists’ community that’s developing. It’s a real source of creativity and inspiration. Morecambe has a history of performance and dance and the music hall and illuminations. It has quite an artistic heritage as well as the fishing.”

Anthony is an artist, sculptor, writer and dance teacher. He is based at the Birley Studios in Preston and teaches swing dance across the county, Anthony was brought up in Morecambe and has completed a series of art projects such as “A Year with Vincent, written books and has sculptures on display in the U.K. and abroad, including The Praying Shell at Bolton-le-Sands. Anthony is on Instagram at: artistdancerwriter

Anthony bought a 17 foor long cathedral hull fibreglass boat which he is turning into a gallery. He warns visitors may get a little muddy walking to the boat which is called Art. Anthony plans a pre-Art Fair beach party at the boat on Friday, August 12 from 6pm to 8pm, weather permitting, with an art performance at 6pm, inspired by the Dada art movement, entitled Finding My Sea Legs. The boat is moored opposite the Strathmore Hotel (postcode LA4 5AP),

Anthony’s sculptures will be visible through the windows of the boat which has the word Art painted upside down on its side, but at the party visitors will be able to go aboard.

Anthony said: “At the Fair we have a celebrity Art Competition where entrants can win £200 and a stand on next year’s fair. Entrants just bring along their work on Saturday afternoon (to The Platform) before 5pm and collect on Sunday at 4pm.”

He predicts works will be inspired by well known celebrities with Morecambe links such as Tyson Fury, Eric Morecambe and Thora Hird, but also by those people artists regard as local VIPs.

Entry to the contest is free for members of Morecambe Artist Colony (MAC) which costs £12 to join. All entries will be exhibited on stage at The Platform.