My visit: August 2025.
Cost: Free
What was it?
A NUFC x Jimmy Turrell x Ewen Spencer x Will Knight exhibition titled “The Road to Wembley”. With all the creatives having roots in the North East the exhibition couldn’t have been pulled off better by anyone else – you could feel the pure adoration for Newcastle everywhere.
Why it mattered to me:
This was a beautiful intersection of football, creativity and North East culture. It was pretty incredible to see the long queues of Newcastle fans outside Baltic along the tyne, I have never seen Baltic so busy. The exhibition’s reach felt massive with audiences from all over the city, there was a real buzz on the quayside. The exhibition captured the celebration and legendary players, the chants, the culture and black and white energy so perfectly. The main collage wall as you walk into the main gallery by Jimmy was gritty and full of character encapsulating the pure celebration between Newcastle United and the fans when we won the cup. Jimmy’s manipulation of Ewen’s photos felt timeless and a powerful expression of geordie pride. It was great to see them displayed at such a large scale after the adidas NUFC campaign from 2024.
My takeaway:
I think it was genius to merge the creative and football audiences together to champion and celebrate the North East, kudos to NUFC (Natalie Raine + team) for making it happen. It brought floods of people to the art gallery during the bank holiday. There was a perfect balance between a fresh, contemporary feel and a visual language that still felt familiar to football. Wor Flags and Will Knight’s exhibition design tied everything together guiding you through the space naturally ending with the cup.
Vibe:
I was lucky enough to see Jimmy work his magic and transform a blank white gallery wall into such an incredible tribute that marked an exciting moment in Newcastle’s history. Having worked at Baltic in 2023 and big fans of Ewen, Jimmy and Will, this exhibition was something special!!
