News story - Page 87 of 135 - a-n The Artists Information Company

In the forthcoming 2015 general election, Gordon Shrigley is to stand as a prospective MP in his local Hackney South and Shoreditch constituency.

Twitter campaign defending free speech and expressing solidarity with murdered journalists at Charlie Hebdo grows, as Parisians plan rally and Salman Rushdie issues statement of support.

Andy Sewell’s self published Something like a Nest reveals the unique yet odd appearance of the English countryside when it comes up against modern life. Tim Clark celebrates the book’s quiet sophistication in the first PICTURED column of 2015.

Former Tate Modern and Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Nicholas Cullinan is to take over from Sandy Nairne as director of the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Co-creators of the Tower of London ‘poppy’ installation, artist Paul Cummins and theatre designer Tom Piper, have been recognised in the 2015 New Year’s Honours list, alongside outgoing Arts Council England CEO Alan Davey and Metal founder Jude Kelly.

The artist Tania Bruguera is to remain in Cuba to face charges of ‘resistance and disrupting the public order’ after being arrested and detained three times following her attempt to restage her 2009 performance, Tatlin’s Whisper #6, in Havana’s Revolution Square.

For this first selection of 2015, Jack Hutchinson’s recommendations include Joan Fontcuberta in Bradford, Ian Hamilton Finlay in Cambridge and Pipilotti Rist in Bruton, Somerset.

In the final instalment of our ten-part end-of-year series, a-n’s new director – who took over in September following a three-month handover period – looks back over the last 12 months and looks forward to doing more for artists in 2015.

The director of Hospitalfield Arts in Arbroath, Scotland – which will be curating the Scottish pavilion at the 2015 Venice Biennale, alongside its ongoing programme of artists’ residencies – reflects on a busy year of new partnerships and future possibilities.

As our end-of-year series continues, the Birmingham-based artist and active a-n blogger describes a time that has seen her quit a longstanding job, grow in confidence as an artist and secure funding for her year-long project, Nine Women.

The CEO of Creative Scotland looks back at the work of the organisation over the last year, which saw the arts funding body launch its ten-year plan, Unlocking Potential, Embracing Ambition.

Artist Craig Barnes – who in 2014 completed his project to restore a 1960s Futuro house, exhibiting it on the roof of Matt’s Gallery, London – looks back on a year of small miracles and big emotions.

The new director of mima in Middlebrough, previously deputy director at Grizedale Arts, reflects on a year that he likens to an art world fairground ride with Ryan Gander and Jeremy Deller at the helm…

The director of Hauser & Wirth Somerset, which opened to the public in July, reflects on a busy time that saw two years of planning and development come to fruition.

“So many of our friends are now having to leave London, who can afford to stay?” Artes Mundi-shortlisted artists Karen Mirza and Brad Butler on a year of “being squeezed”.

The international curator and former director of Liverpool Biennial looks back on a year that, amongst many other things, saw him curate the third Folkestone Triennial.

For the final Now Showing selection of 2014, Jack Hutchinson selects shows in Derby, Nottingham, London, Liverpool and Glasgow.

In the first of our end-of-year series, Rose Wylie – winner of the John Moores Painting Prize 2014 – reflects on 12 months that have seen the joy of her achievements tempered by personal loss.

A 10 metre high lightning bolt by artist S Mark Gubb has been unveiled as a new permanent beacon in Cardiff city centre.

Arts Council England has awarded MK Gallery in Milton Keynes nearly £3m towards its major expansion project.

Six a-n writers – based in London, Hastings, Glasgow and Edinburgh – pick, in no particular order, their top five UK exhibitions of the year.

Arts Council England has appointed Darren Henley, current head of Classic FM, as its new chief executive.

As part of a year-long research programme exploring how artists and academics have worked together, Castlefield Gallery is hosting a discussion event exploring the approaches artists take to working in higher education. Plus, a-n is offering writer bursaries to enable two artists to attend the event and report back.

The search is on for the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2015, with the fundraising charity announcing that the photographer Martin Parr has been commissioned to produce a portfolio of the shortlisted museums.