Painting the Blues

Manchester
City’s award winning museum would like to announce the opening of a new
exhibition ‘Painting the Blues’. The exhibition consists of thirty
paintings created by renowned up and coming local artist and avid City
fan, Ben Kelly. The exhibition is now open will run until the end of
March. 

The series of paintings were created during a year-long
commission here at Manchester City and  vividly capture the expectancy
and excitement of going to a football match, and the wide range of
characters that one often comes across on a match day around a football
ground. 

Commenting on the exhibition Ben Kelly said “The body
of work produced for this collaboration with Manchester City captures
single moments in time, snap shots and narratives from match days at
the City of Manchester Stadium.  This ranges from the anticipation and
romance of a light splashed evening game, through to quiet reflections
on a rain soaked Manchester afternoon.”

This exhibition, as well
as the recent project ‘My first City Game’, an initiative to collate
memories and experiences of people’s first Manchester City match, are
both aimed at capturing the vivid colours and impressions of what it
means to be a Manchester City supporter. We will see a variety of
images ranging from supporters’ small and personal pre match rituals to
a group of ‘invisible men’ having a drink together on the concourses.

Ben
says; "Manchester City allowed me to get close to the match day action
and it was this close proximity that enabled me to study the fans in
such detail and their reactions to the highs and lows of a football
game. I was particularly interested in painting the rich detail of the
crowds and trying to portray the feeling of being part of the great
masses decked in sky blue".

Three
paintings from Ricky Hatton ‘Homecoming’ fight last May will also be on
display as part of the exhibition as well as a slide show of Ben’s
original sketches drawn at the matches themselves. All pictures will be
available to purchase after they have been exhibited. It is hoped a
selection of the paintings will go on show at the National Football
Museum after the exhibition at Manchester City.

Ben's exhibition is part of the award-winning City Experience museum & tour, which is typically open seven days a week.

Adult
£9.50, Concessions £6, MCFC Season Ticket Holders £7.50 (adult) &
£4.50 (concessions), Family Ticket: £25 (2 adults & 3
concessions). 

To book tickets call 0870 062 1894 (option 8).