News / 13 Nov 2026
Fine Art graduate to open first major solo exhibition at Barnsley Civic
BA (Hons) Fine Art
BA (Hons) Fine Art graduate Jenny Beard is due to open her first major solo exhibition later this month at Barnsley Civic.
Jenny is a Leeds-based artist from Barnsley whose abstract, textural paintings explore digital aesthetics, dissociation, and working-class identity. This latest body of work comes after an intense 4-month working period, with Jenny producing paintings at her home studio and as an artist in residence at Barnsley Civic, where, in 2024, she painted a large mural for the reopening of their Eldon Street entrance. The collection acts as a focused exploration of the concept of “painting as a diagram”, an ongoing concern within Jenny’s practice, and finds her employing the use of “motifs, reverse entropy, and cyclic reference”.
“The works mimic systems of explanation, but ultimately describe nothing fixed, inviting viewers to find their own logic. Aesthetically, the paintings employ a "digital" visual language, which sits at odds with the painterly gesture and completely traditional process.”
Jenny Beard, BA (Hons) Fine Art graduate
The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday 28 November 2026, with a number of events scheduled to take place within the gallery space to coincide with the show, including a sip and sketch/abstract drawing workshop on Thursday 21 January 2027, and an artist tour and talk on Saturday 30 January 2027. Jenny will also be bringing The Art Crit, a bi-monthly relaxed crit series she founded in 2025, to Barnsley in collaboration with 01226 Collective on Thursday 11 February 2027.
“I've been refining my practice for some time, enjoying group shows and exhibiting in smaller venues. But having this larger space, and the focused energy that comes with it, has given me a real sense of progression. I feel I've made a significant jump in my own understanding of the work, its direction, and my confidence in it. Being approached for this show felt like an “ah, finally!” moment.”
Jenny Beard, BA (Hons) Fine Art graduate
‘Notes on What Remains’ opens with a private view event on Thursday 26 November from 6:00pm-8:00pm, and opens to the public from Saturday 28 November 2026 until Saturday 20 March 2027.