LJMU appoints Julia Midgley as Bicentenary year Artist in Residence
LJMU is recording special moments from its Bicentenary year with the help of award-winning artist Julia Midgley.
Julia was a Reader in Documentary Drawing within LJMU’s School of Art and Design and a member of staff for 26 years before retiring in 2013.
Reportage is an important aspect of her studio practice. In her projects she records events with drawing creating beautiful and detailed watercolour sketches. A wide variety of locations and subjects have been illustrated from sporting events such as the Wimbledon Championships to medical procedures at the Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen Hospital.
'The university is an old friend so it’s lovely to be part of their celebrations'
Julia has previously captured other milestones in LJMU’s history, as the Resident Artist to LJMU’s Roscoe Anniversary Lecture Series in 2017 and between 2006 and 2007 she was the DLA Piper Artist in Residence, creating a unique fly-on-the-wall catalogue of the construction of the John Lennon Art and Design Building. She donated this collection to the university for the building's 10th anniversary and this was exhibited at the school in 2018.
Julia said: “I am really delighted to be Artist in Residence for Liverpool John Moores University’s Bicentenary year. The university is an old friend so it’s lovely to be part of their celebrations.”
LJMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power said: “The way that Julia can capture a moment in time with her impressive sketches and use of watercolour is simply remarkable. I’m delighted she has agreed to be our Artist in Residence throughout our Bicentenary year, and I hope that in 200 years from now, her works are looked upon again as a poignant record of LJMU’s remarkable history.”
Documenting key moments throughout 2023
Julia has already attended LJMU’s first Roscoe lecture of the year at St George’s Hall and the March graduation ceremonies at Liverpool Cathedral. She will document key moments of the 200th anniversary year as it continues, and options are being explored for showcasing her final works when the Bicentenary comes to a close.
Julia is also a practising printmaker and is a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy of Art's Summer Exhibition (12 occasions). She has been the recipient of national awards for drawing, painting and printmaking, and is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers and the Royal Watercolour Society.
