IF there’s anyone who can capture the essence of Colchester, it’s artist Ian Hay.
To say Ian Hay is a bit of a local legend is an understatement indeed.
For a start, he has a gallery named after him, the Hay Gallery at Colchester Institute, a mark of respect for a man who spent a large part of his life passing on his artistic skills to students.
Born and brought up in Harwich, Ian has a long history with Colchester.
He joined the School of Art in the town in 1955 and taught there until his retirement in 2000.
“I’ve lived in Colchester for more than 40 years now,” he says, “and with the town changing so rapidly, I feel this need to document it before it all goes.”
That’s exactly what he’s done for his latest show, A Mile from the Mercury, a collection of landscapes of Colchester’s surrounds, from a foggy Mile End to a rain-soaked North Station Road, all painted within the last year A Mile from the Mercury is at the Digby Gallery, Mercury Theatre, Colchester, until November 10, Mondays to Saturdays 10am to 8pm. Entry is free.
Call 01206 573948 or see mercurytheatre.co.uk
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