Image: Shaw&Shaw, 2016
Jenny Steele is a Scottish artist based in Manchester, UK.
Jenny Steele’s current practice uses heritage crafts of hand weaving, basket weaving and passementerie to create sculptures that explore ideas of memory, ritual, grief, festive celebration and belonging. She uses locally sourced sustainable materials such as discarded industrial yarn in combination with plant life such as grasses, willow, flora and seaweed which provide a connection to place.
Jenny is currently working on Rituals for Tomorrow, a production and engagement project supported by Arts Council England, developing these craft processes into large scale sculpture in Gorton, Manchester and Barrow, Cumbria. Read more on the project blog here
Jenny’s practice also connects to the restorative qualities of coastal, architectural and rural environments through site-specific artwork, textiles, sculpture, printmaking, and public events.
From 2014-2019, Jenny explored examples of inter war coastal ‘seaside moderne’ architecture within the UK & USA. This period of design on the coast emphasised social wellbeing and positive health. She has created several outdoor and interior sited works responding to this research using a range of printed and stitched methods, from banners, textiles, to digital and screen-printed wallpaper works.
Recent commissions include TEXTILE CITY, Museum of Science and Industry (2022), The Joy of Union, MET, Preston City (2022), Our Library of Light, At The Library, Crosby (2019) and The Seafront, Art B&B (2019). Recent residencies include Arnis Residency, Arnis, Germany (2022) Cove Park, Scotland (2021), Fountainhead Arts, Miami, USA (2017) and This House for Building, The Tetley, Leeds (2017)
Recent solo exhibitions and projects include; The Maiden Voyage, George’s Dock Plaza, Liverpool, 2019, Why be exotic in private?, The Foundry Gallery, London (2018-19) and Rogue Project Space, Manchester (2019), This Building for Hope, The Midland, Morecambe (2017), Too Much is Never Enough, The Breakwater, Miami, USA (2017), and An Architecture of Joy, Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool (2016). Jenny is a graduate of Goldsmiths MFA (2007) and BA Fine Art DOJCAD, Dundee (2002).
Watch a series of four recent studio visit films (2021) about the ideas and processes behind new work on Jenny’s YouTube here
Watch a film about Jenny Steele’s practice, recently commissioned by the Harris Museum and Art Gallery here
Download Jenny Steele 2023 CV
Download Jenny Steele Portfolio 2023
CV
Born Scotland, 1981. Lives and works in Manchester, UK
EDUCATION
2007 MFA, Goldsmiths, University of London
2006 Postgraduate Diploma Fine Art, Goldsmiths, University of London
2002 BA Fine Art, DOJCAD, University of Dundee - 1st Class
(2009 PG Cert Ed Learning and Teaching in HE, CLTAD, University of the Arts London)
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS & PROJECTS
2019 THE MAIDEN VOYAGE, Georges Dock Plaza, Liverpool Dock, Liverpool
2018/19 WHY BE EXOTIC IN PRIVATE?, The Foundry Gallery, London and Rogue Project Space, Manchester
2017 THIS BUILDING FOR HOPE, solo exhibition and externally sited work, The Midland, Morecambe
2017 TOO MUCH IS NEVER ENOUGH, The Breakwater, South Beach, Miami, USA
2017 THIS HOUSE FOR BUILDING, The Tetley, Leeds
2016 AN ARCHITECTURE OF JOY, Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool
2016 LOOKING BACK| MOVING FORWARDS, In Certain Places, Preston
2015 THE FAIR, Glasgow Open House Art Festival, various sites, Glasgow
2013 WHY BUILDINGS STAND UP WHY BUILDINGS FALL DOWN, Malgras| Naudet, Manchester
2011 REDIRECTION AND NETWORK TIMEOUT, 501 Artspace, Chongqing, China and CHRC Gallery, Goldsmiths, London
COMMISSIONS
2024/5 COMMISSION, The Whitaker Museum & Art Gallery, Rossendale
2022 TEXTILE CITY, Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
2022 MET, Preston Partnership & In Certain Places, Preston
2020 MAKER’S & FILM COMMISSIONS, Harris Museum & Art Gallery, Preston
2018-19 AB&B COMMISSION, AB&B/ Leftcoast, Blackpool
2018-19 OUR LIBRARY OF LIGHT, The Human Library/Sefton Libraries, Crosby
2018 100 YEARS OF PROGRESS, Art Carbooty Test Pilot Project, Manchester
2017 EDITION COMMISSION, The Royal Standard, Liverpool
2016 GRUNDY ART GALLERY COURTYARD COMMISSION, Blackpool
2015 FINDING TREBLINKA, Centre for Archaeology at Staffordshire University
2012 FOLLOWING THE MARKET SQUARE, Harris Museum and In Certain Places, Preston
RESIDENCIES
2022 ARNIS RESIDENCY, Arnis, Germany
2021 COVE PARK CRAFT & DESIGN RESIDENCY, Cove, Scotland
2017 THIS HOUSE FOR BUILDING, The Tetley, Leeds
2017 THE FOUNTAINHEAD, Miami, USA
2016-2017 AA2A ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, University of Central Lancashire
2011-12 AA2A ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Manchester School of Art
2011 501 ARTSPACE, 501 Artspace & Sichuan Fine Art Institute, Chongqing, China
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS/PROJECTS
2024
HOME Open, HOME, Manchester
2023
A Generous Space 3, Huddersfield Art Gallery, selected by Julie Lomax (A_n), Matthew Burrows and Grant Scanlan, Huddersfield
Rogue Women II, Rogue Project Space, Manchester
2022
Klar Zur Wende Ree, Otto Eberhardt Water Wharf, Arnis, Germany
2018
Manifesto, Rogue Project Space, Rogue Artist Studios, Manchester
2017
For Space, PAPER, Manchester, curated by Simon Woolham
Outcome, PR1 Gallery, University of Central Lancashire, Preston
2016
Division of Labour, Rogue Project Space, Manchester
Finding Treblinka, Wiener Library, London
Semiotic Guerrilla Warfare Part III, Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax
2015
Finding Treblinka, Treblinka Museum, Treblinka, Poland.
Curiosity, East Street Arts, Leeds
2014
Sluice Art Fair, New York (with PAPER gallery)
Industry, Barnaby Festival, Macclesfield
The Drawing Project, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester
2013
With: Rogue Project Space, Manchester
Jerwood Drawing Prize, mac Birmingham and University College of Arts Bournemouth
2012
Jerwood Drawing Prize, Jerwood Gallery, London and Jerwood Space Hastings
Access All Areas, Holden Gallery, Manchester School of Art
COLLECTIONS
Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
Liverpool Central Library and Archive
Cunard Archive, University of Liverpool Special Collections
Donna Karan Ltd, New York
Dyer Guild Trust, Dundee
Private collections in UK, USA, Germany, China & Netherlands.
SELECTED AWARDS & BURSARIES
2022 Time Space Money Bursary, a-n.co.uk
2020 COVID Support Grant, Arts Council England
2023, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2011 Project Grant/ Grants for the Arts, Arts Council England
2018 Artist Bursary for International Travel (New York & Miami), a-n.co.uk
2017 Artists International Development Fund Award (Miami), British Council & Arts Council England
2016 Critical Writing Bursary, a-n.co.uk
2007 Student Awards Agency for Scotland Postgraduate Bursary
2006 Arts and Humanities Research Council Postgraduate Bursary
2005 Scottish International Education Trust Grant
2002 Dyer Guild Award
PUBLICATIONS
2019 A City Goes To Sea, texts by Sara Jaspan and Jenny Steele. Limited Edition Publication of 50.
2018 Transatlantic Seaside Moderne, The Modernist - Holiday 28, The Modernist Society
2017 Transatlantic Seaside Moderne, essays by Jenny Steele and Linda Pittwood
PRESS - REVIEWS
Jan 2024 Mobile Event Tent: An Adaptable Art Centre, Design Boom
Oct 2023 MET (Mobile Event Tent), Corridor 8, by Steve Slack
Nov 2019 Art B&B, BBC Front Row, BBC Radio, with Laura Robertson
June 2019 Art by the Metre, The Fourdrinier, by Dr Natalie Bradbury
Mar 2019 The Democratic Art of conversation based writing' by Sara Jaspan, The Double Negative
Feb 2019 Selected Visual Arts London, World of Interiors Magazine
Dec 2018 Miami Mis En Scene, A-n.co.uk, by Richard Taylor
Dec 2018 Miami Dreaming, Printmaking Today, by Leonie Bradley
Mar 2018 A-N Bursaries 2018, A-n.co.uk, by Jack Hutchinson
Oct 2017 Jenny Steele: This Building for Hope, This Is Tomorrow, by Selina Oakes
Oct 2017 Miami to Morecambe: This Building for Hope, Corridor 8, by Jack Welsh
Sep 2017 Miami to Morecambe: This Building for Hope, Creative Tourist, by Sara Jaspan
Dec 2016 Division of Labour, Corridor 8, by Polly Checkland
Aug 2016 An Architecture of Joy, Artworld Magazine Shanghai, China, by Linda Pittwood
Aug 2016 An Architecture of Joy, Interpretation Matters, by Dany Louise
July 2016 An Architecture of Joy, Corridor 8, by Tom Emery
July 2016 'Pictures of...An Architecture of Joy', a-n.co.uk, by Jack Hutchinson
Feb 2014 Launch Pad: The Drawing Project, The Double Negative, by Emma Summer.
Feb 2014 The Drawing Project - Castlefield Gallery, Corridor 8, by Sophie Preston.
PRESS - INTERVIEWS
July 2022 The Secrets of Lost Liners, Sky History Channel, 6 part documentary
May 2021 See Sides You Missed, Big Issue North, by Antonia Charlesworth
Nov 2019 Q&A Interview with Jenny Steele, a-n.co.uk
July 2019 Jenny Steele & Laura Yates, Our Library of Light, The Human Library Podcast
June 2019 Interview with Jenny Steele, After View Contemporary Art Magazine
Dec 2017 Interview Feature Jenny Steele, Creative Boom, by Laura Collinson
July 2017 Miami Moderne Interview, British Council Arts Back of the Envelope Blog
Dec 2016 Artist View, C20 Society Magazine, by Catherine Croft
July 2016 Interview with Jenny Steele, Alt Blackpool, by Claire Griffiths
WRITING
2022 LIBRARY, The Modernist Magazine
2019 HOLIDAY, The Modernist Magazine
2016 Review of John Moore's Painting Prize, A-n online
2013 'To PhD or not PhD', The Rant for Axis, Online resource for Contemporary Art
2011 'Is part-time lecturing still a viable employment for practising artists?', The Rant for Axis-web