 | BiographyA graduate of Liverpool College of Art, Adrian has worked as an Illustrator, Arts Development Officer and Lecturer in various academic and public institutions. Currently, he is Arts Development Officer for Cheshire West and Chester Council, with a particular interest in Visual Arts. He has lectured in the History of Art for the University of Liverpool and a variety of groups and societies, to many thousands of people over a period of twenty years. Recent developments have included lecture tours to Paris, Glasgow, Prague , Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Florence, Pisa, Siena, Bruges, New York, Madrid, Ekaterinburg Cologne and many English cities. Specialist subjects include Flemish Art, Mannerism and the Modern Movement. His painting is figurative and highly detailed, drawing its inspiration from many periods of history and many artistic sources. It is mythological, symbolic, exotic, erotic, arcane, literary, whimsical, ancient and modern. It refers to games, puns, magic, alchemy, physics, poetry, dreams and visions. It aims to entertain, disturb and resonate. He has recently been accepted for inclusion in the Directory of Approved Lecturers for the National Association of Decorative and Fine Art Societies. |
Education |
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| 1962-1969 | Verdin Grammar School O Levels: Art, English Language, English Literature, History, Maths, Geography A Levels: Arts (A), English (A), History (B), General Studies (C) |
| 1969-1970 | Mid-Cheshire College of Art and Design Foundation Studies |
| 1970-1973 | Liverpool College of Art Diploma of Art and Design – Fine Art and Painting (2.2) |
Positions Held |
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| 1973-1980 | Part-time Lecturer in General Studies: North Cheshire College, Warrington |
| 1983-1984 | Part-time Lecturer in History of Art, Design, Photography, Fashion, Cinema etc: Hugh Baird College of FE (Foundation Studies), Bootle |
| 1984-1988 | Part-time Lecturer in History of Art: University of Liverpool, Department of Extension Studies/Continuing Education |
| 1984-1988 | Part-time Lecturer: WEA (West Cheshire District) |
| 1984-1990 | Director of Development of the Arts in Northwich (DAN): including responsibility for exhibitions, programming, related lectures, gallery and museum tours, marketing, fundraising and sponsorship. |
| 1990-2014 | Arts Development Officer: Cultural Services, Cheshire West and Chester Council including; Exhibitions, Festival Development, Special Projects, Public Art, Lecture series at the Grosvenor Museum, Art Trips and Art Study Weekends |
Exhibitions organised for Chester Grosvenor Museum include |
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| February 1995 July/August 1992/3/4 July/September 1996 May 1992 December/January 1997 March/April 1997 October 1999 April 2003 May 2006 March 2009 | First Open Art Competition Show 3 Shell Archive Shows ‘Out of Africa’ – Collection of African Art and Artefacts ‘Jitterbugs’ – Contemporary Automata Socialist Realist Paintings – Ekaterinburg Exchange Chester Artists in Ekaterinburg Fire-Jugglers, (permanent Public Artwork by David Annand) Chester Artists in Senigallia (Italy) P-art-NERS-Collaborative show at Museum am Burghof, Lorrach P-art-NERS-Collaborative show at Grosvenor Museum, Chester |
Membership of Professional Bodies |
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| 1974-1979 1996-present 1999-present 2003-present | Member of Liverpool Academy Member of PAC (Professional Artists in Cheshire) Member of Manchester Academy of Fine Art (MAFA) Member of CAN (Cheshire Artists Network) |
Exhibitions - Mixed Shows |
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| June 1972 February 1976 March 1977 June1977 February 1978 February 1978 January 1979 October 1980 June1981 January 1982 April 1984 May1985/6/7/90/1 June1986/7 1990/1 December 1990 March 1993 April 1994 January1995 March 1994/5/6 March/April 1997 July 1997 March/April1998/9/00/01/02 September 1998 November/January 1998/9 July 1999 July 1999 September 2000 October 2000 Nov 2001 Oct-Nov 2003 May 2004 April 2004 October 2004 July 2005 October 2005 April/May 2006 October – November 2006 April-June 2007 November-April 2007/8 Jan-December 2008 | Stowells Student Exhibition – Mall Gallery, London Face of Merseyside – Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool 100 Years of the Walker Art Gallery – Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Cheshire Artists – Chester Arts Trust Liverpool Nude – Bluecoat Chambers, Liverpool 100 Plus (Liverpool Artists) – Senate House, Liverpool University Liverpool Post and Echo Invitation Show – Post and Echo Building Association of Illustrators Exhibition – Mall Gallery, London Open Show – Illustrators Art – D’Arblay Street, London Open Show – Crane Art – Kings Road, Chelsea 4 Artists – Association of Illustrators Gallery, London Northwich and District Society of Arts Annual Show Harlequin Theatre Annual Exhibition – Northwich Merseyside Artist 6 Tour - Chester, Southport, Birkenhead, Rhyl Art Aid for Poland – Cuddington, Northwich Wilde Contemporary Art Show – Hyde Park Gallery, London Great Big Picture Show – Castle Park Arts Centre, Frodsham Northwich Artists – Castle Park Arts Centre, Frodsham Manchester Academy Open Exhibition – City Art Gallery, Manchester Chester Artists in Ekaterinburg – Ekaterinburg Fine Art Museum PAC Exhibition for Chester Fringe – St Olaves Centre, Chester Manchester Academy Exhibitions Cheshire Open Studios Exhibition – Dukes Oak Gallery PAC Artists at Warrington Art Gallery PAC Artists at Grosvenor Museum, Chester Contemporary Painters – Castle Park Arts Centre, Frodsham Open Studios Exhibition – Dukes Oak Gallery and London Road Gallery The Art Boat – PAC Artists on the Cheshire Ring PAC Show – Williamson Gallery, Birkenhead pARTy – Grosvenor Museum, Chester Chester Artists Show – Galleria Expo-Ex, Senigallia The Body in Art – Kaleyards Gallery, Chester CAN Show – Kaleyards Gallery, Chester. Catwalk – Norton Priory, Halton. Manchester Academy members’ show. Oldham Gallery. p-ART-ners Exhibition. Lorrach, Germany Les Fleurs du Mal. – Slug and Lettuce, Chester Food and Drink – Slug and Lettuce, Chester. Art in Gardens – Warrington Museum and Art Gallery Art in Gardens – 10 exhibitions around Cheshire |
Exhibitions – One Man Shows |
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| July 1975 July 1976 October 1976 May 1977 August 1977 July 1979 August 1979 May 1982 April 1986 July 1989 March 1997 September 1998 September 2000 | Ice Age – Liverpool Academy Gallery, Renshaw Street The Bitter End – Bolton Octagon Theatre Dire Peril – Gallery Books, Oswestry The World of Dew – Mid-Cheshire College, Northwich The Angel Falls – Wrexham Arts Centre Gallery Sphinx - Liverpool Academy Gallery, Pilgrim Street Sphinx – Weaver Hall, Northwich One Man Show – Salford Museum and Art Gallery Retrospective – Everyman Theatre, Liverpool Retrospective – Castle Park Arts Centre, Frodsham Komic Kuts – Alaska Café Bar, Manchester Open Studio – home Open Studio – home |
Other |
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| June 1988 November 2000 February 2001 Commencing October 2002 From January 2004/ongoing January 2004 April 2004 September/November 2006 Feb-May 2009 Ongoing | Semi finalist in the tv art quiz Connoisseur Guest lecturer at Urals State University, Ekaterinburg Public Art Strategy for Chester City Council Adrian Sumner Fine Art Tours (see website) Series of lectures for NADFAS (National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies) website www.adriansumner.com Guest lecturer at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts (Birmingham University) Organiser of Chester Baudelaire Festival (plus delivery of 5-lecture series on Baudelaire and associated artists) (plus contributor to University of Chester Baudelaire Symposium) Director Chester Visual Arts Festival Lecture series for Chester Grosvenor Museum. |