YORK gallery According To McGee launches its year-long tenth anniversary celebrations tomorrow with an exhibition of the sharpest work from Goldsmiths and Glasgow School of Art graduates.

The Garage Projects sextet of York artist Ian Parkin Rae Hicks, Paul Crook, Jack Park, Mary Wintour, and Will Thompson will be presenting Beginnings, Middles, Ends until January 25.

“What better way to kick off an art gallery’s birthday party than with Garage Projects?” says gallery co-director Greg McGee. “They’re the most collectable, exciting graduates from world-renowned art schools. We have a top-notch year ahead, but this is the way we always wanted to get it started as we’ve always championed new blood.”

The success of According To McGee’s charity wing, New Visuality, in particular in promoting York artist Nathan Walsh, has led to Beginnings, Middles, Ends. “We worked with Nathan before he took his exhibition to Manhattan last year, and the sales were so good that it’s enabled us to finance this experimental, wild, wild show with some of the most interesting and innovative artists in the UK,” says Greg.

“Garage Projects are certainly set for exciting things. Rae Hicks and Mary Wintour were both shortlisted for 2013’s Griffin Art Prize; Ian Parkin has shown in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Havana; Will Thompson has shown in London and Glasgow.”

Ian Parkin is in ebullient mood as he returns to his home city. “I grew up in York, but I’m quite out of touch with what’s going on. I want to know what people are up to, and I want to know their opinions on the work we make,” he says.

“We make work around what interests us and what we want to express and so some of us produce work that deals with issues which are quite universal, whereas others make work about subjects which are very local.”

Paul Crook, for example, has been focusing on Old Kent Road as his subject matter. “He’s been thinking about how to present that in a context where people may have no idea of the place he’s referring to,” says Ian. “Meanwhile, I’ve made a film about the end of the world, which I suppose is much more all encompassing.

“With every show we put on, it broadens our horizons and gives us more experience. We all show work as individuals or as part of other exhibitions all the time, but working together allows us to get to know each other’s work better and provide a framework to support each other in.”

Gallery curator Silvia Brigada shares Ian’s optimism.

“They’re a great team of artists and their work fits beautifully with the exhibition posters we sell online,” she says. “We have a limited-edition set of prints, one design for each artist, and already they’re being snapped up on our online store.

“Our exhibition posters have taken on a life of their own, and the fact that we now have Glasgow and Goldsmiths thrown into the mix means that they have an extra international cachet.”

According To McGee’s global expansion will continue with a link-up with Russian art collector Crichton Brauer, director of Globus International Language, who says: “As part of the UK-Russia year of culture, we’re delighted to be bringing their artists over to prominent art spaces in Moscow and St Petersburg.”

Back home in York, Greg and Ails McGee’s gallery anniversary celebrations begin with a private view from 7pm to 9pm tomorrow.

“What we’ve got coming up will blow your mind, but in the meantime, do make sure you come over and see what mischief Garage Projects are getting up to,” says Greg.

• Post the Beginnings, Middles, Ends show, According To McGee’s tenth anniversary series, Trailblazers Of Contemporary Art, will continue throughout 2014 with shows by Dave Pearson, Elaine Thomas, Horace Panter and David Baumforth.