TODAY and tomorrow will be the last opportunities to see the first fruits of DrawingBoard, an artist-led initiative that offers a platform for artists to showcase their work in Harrogate.

Established initially in the prime Parliament Street location of the recently vacated Wesley Barrel furniture shop in the Westminster Arcade, DrawingBoard is now showing its first exhibition, RX3 – Repetition, Reoccurence, Reiteration.

Emphasising the role of drawing in the creative process, the exhibiting artists explore the idea of repetition as a formal creative quality, as opposed to the familiar purpose of repetition to mass produce prints.

Those exhibiting include established Leeds and Harrogate artists WalkerHill, Kelly Cumberland, Katy Devine and DrawingBoard’s co-founders, Eirini Boukla and Andi Robinson.

Eirini and Andi are friends who met at art college ten years ago, since when they have concentrated on their own artistic practices while also collaborating on a number of creative ventures and exhibitions.

“DrawingBoard is a curatorial platform which sees the exhibition as a formal mechanism itself,” says Andi.

“Emphasising and giving exposure to the role of the drawing in the creative process of all fields, we encourage fresh ways of seeing and contextualising contemporary art and aim to offer the opportunity for anyone to submit a proposal for an idea-based exhibition.

“It is hoped that DrawingBoard will contribute not only to Harrogate’s vital cultural dialogue but also to the understanding of the broader practices of visual culture and the wider artistic community.”

With that in mind, DrawingBoard now invites artists to submit their proposals for future exhibitions. All those interested should send their ideas to andrearobinson@me.com or phone Andi on 07941 966745.

The finale of the inaugural exhibition will be marked with an official closing event from 5.30pm to 8pm tonight.

However, a dark council cloud is hanging over DrawingBoard’s immediate future, reveals Andi. “Harrogate Borough Council are seeking business rates from us, even though it was the landlords who asked us to go in and make their empty premises attractive,” she says.

“Anyway, we’re fighting the request. DrawingBoard is a non-profit organisation specifically set up to promote artists and to broaden people’s impressions of the visual culture scene in Harrogate.”