ArtShack Founder
Maggie Allmark
Maggie Allmark is an arts practitioner with many years of experience. She holds a degree in ceramics and a post graduate Art Teachers certificate, and she taught Art and Design at secondary level for 15 years. More recently Maggie has been delivering creative workshops to many schools and communities in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Staffordshire and the Midlands.
She has been involved in community arts projects working with partner organisations such as Shropshire Council, English Heritage, The Crafts Council, and The Hive, Shrewsbury. Maggie also delivered a very successful Young Curators project for Shrewsbury Museum and Art gallery for 12 years. Her own work is textile based, and she has exhibited in many galleries across the country. At the Artshack Maggie can teach a range of creative skills including textiles, machine embroidery, ceramics, painting and drawing, design and printmaking.
SUPPORTING ARTISTS & TEAM
Jacob Gourley
Jacob Gourley is an award-winning professional artist who specialises in representational oil painting and large scale mural work. To date he has exhibited in a number of group and solo shows, and was awarded 1st prize in The Wirral Society of Arts Open Exhibition 2019 for his painting ‘82- St John’s to Toxteth’.
During his Fine Art studies at the University of Gloucestershire, Jacob received a scholarship to study at the British School in Rome in 2016. In addition to this, from 2015 to 2018, Jacob worked for a month each summer in Verrochio Art Centre in Tuscany. During his visits, he attended demonstrations and artist talks from a number of visiting professional artists. Naturally, at this time, he became enamoured with plein air painting, which to date still forms a key component in his practice. Today his largely oil based practice covers a broad territory, including portraiture/figure, landscape, and still life.
Linzi McGivern
Linzi McGivern is an independent freelance artist and designer, working since graduating from de Montfort University with a BA(Hons) degree in Fashion and Textiles (surface decoration)
She has spent 30 years practising art and creating pattern and print designs for social stationary and homeware.
Her work is a combination of hand painting, craft techniques and illustration with computer compilations in Photoshop and Illustrator. Her work has been published in UK , Europe and America as greetings cards, giftwrap, homeware products and fabrics.
Sam Johnson Squire
Illustrator, photographer, editor with a degree in graphic design and illustration from the University of De Montfort, he works in multiple techniques including printmaking, lino cuts, stencils, line drawing, and animation.
Samuel is inspired by his world travels and documents his adventures in photography, detailed drawings, and prints. He has worked on design and video projects for Network Rail, MIND, Majestic Films, Young Curators and CAST performing arts.
ArtShack Partners
Audrey Whyle
Audrey Whyle is an amateur artist that has picked up her brushes again after time out raising a family. She studied fine art and art history whilst at college.
She has worked in education for over 30 years as a laboratory technician, where she has also been responsible for Health and Safety. Audrey is therefore our Health and Safety co-ordinator here at Artshack. She also runs her own online art gallery at www.audaciousartstudio.co.uk
Natylie Allmark
Natylie began her working career by training in hairdressing, specialising as an colourist, and worked as deputy manageress in a town centre salon. However, after taking time out to raise a family, she decided on a career change to focus on more holistic people centred work. She has trained in health and social care, working with adults with disabilities, qualified in MAPA manual handling, and has been responsible as primary case worker in care situations. This experience has led Natylie to an interest in mental health issues, and particularly concerning children and young people. She has recently completed a level 2 qualification in children and young peoples mental health , is a qualified first aider as well as holding a certificate in mental health first aid. Natylie has joined us as social media manager and has already enjoyed working with our participants in a supportive role
Paul Hutchinson
Paul Hutchinson owns Virtual Shropshire and is Artshack’s technical partner, providing support for the website, online promotion and video services. In addition he is a CAA Qualified commercial drone operator and runs www.DroneRangers.co.uk