Laing Gallery art on display at Downing Street

The pieces will remain in the corridor at No 10 for a year as part of an annual residency programme

Nine artworks from the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle have gone on display at No 10 Downing Street.

The artworks can be found on the corridor leading from the Prime Minister’s famous black door through to the cabinet room.

The pieces will remain in the corridor for a year as part of an annual residency programme.

The chosen works are considered representative of the city and the wider north-east of England.

Florence Ward's Quartz Inset in No 10

All the works have been produced by artists from the region, with five of the artworks showcasing Newcastle’s cityscape.

The artworks include one painting by Edward Dickey, which depicts the Tyne Bridge mid-construction.

Another painting by Louis Grimshaw depicts the brightly-lit shops of Newcastle’s St Nicholas Street.

The works are being lent to No 10 as part of the Number 10 Museum in Residence project.

The scheme, which has run for the last 20 years, involves a UK museum or gallery loaning artworks from their institution to No 10 for a year.

'Proud culture'

Arts and heritage minister Lord Parkinson said: “I’m delighted that visitors over the next year will get to learn more about the proud culture and rich heritage of Tyneside thanks to this partnership with the Laing Art Gallery."

He added: "The first thing they’ll see after walking through that famous front door is a huge portrait of the Tyne Bridge, which fills my Geordie heart with pride.” 

Previous galleries which have displayed artworks in No 10 include The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and The New Art Gallery in Walsall.