Mining Art Gallery marks Tom McGuinness’s centenary with Out of the Darkness exhibition

17th February 2026

Bishop Auckland’s Mining Art Gallery will honour one of County Durham’s most compelling artists with Tom McGuinness: Out of the Darkness – opening on 18 February - a major retrospective marking the centenary of the acclaimed miner-artist, born in 1926.

Drawing on a lifetime spent underground, McGuinness transformed the realities of mining into raw, expressive works that capture not just the industry, but the emotion, pressure, and humanity of life below ground. A quiet man who preferred to communicate through paint rather than words, his art offers an unflinching, deeply personal insight into the world of the miner.

“I find it difficult to express any feelings in words; that is why I paint… my art mirrors my life in the mining community,” McGuinness once said.

Born in Witton Park near Bishop Auckland, McGuinness entered the mines in 1944 as a Bevin Boy. Encouraged by teachers and mentors at Darlington School of Art and the Spennymoor Settlement, he developed the bold, distorted style that became his signature - bowed figures shaped by tunnels and illuminated by the use of his eerie green and blue glazes.

Spanning over half a century, Out of the Darkness presents oil paintings, sketches, etchings, lithographs, and rarely seen loans from various collections. The exhibition covers the entire first floor of the gallery, together with paintings in each of the downstairs rooms and will feature themed displays rotating throughout the year - from February to June portraits will be showcased, followed by Durham Miners’ Gala scenes in July.

Works on display include tender drawings of family members and work colleagues as well as one of the few self-portraits of McGuinness himself.

Corinne Aspel, Tom McGuinness’s daughter, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to see a broad range of dad’s work, including personal family pieces and a true celebration of his life and incredible talent.”

Bob McManners, co-founder of the Gemini Collection of Mining Art, commented: “Tom’s pictorial record of the coal mining industry is unrivalled. He worked for 39 years in the mines, painting daily what then seemed an indestructible industry. In his latter years he went on to graphically illustrate the social consequences of the aftermath of the demise of the coal industry.

“Tom was a quiet man who spoke fluently and powerfully to us through the medium of his art, which represents the personal diary of an underground miner. His work is his autobiography.”

Anne Sutherland, Mining Art & Industrial Heritage Curator at The Auckland Project, said: “This exhibition celebrates a man whose work captures the emotional truth of mining life. McGuinness didn’t simply record what he saw; he interpreted what it felt like to be a miner. His art remains a powerful reminder of the resilience and identity of mining communities across the North East.”

The Mining Art Gallery, which was recently awarded Accredited Museum status by Arts Council England, is part of The Auckland Project, a regeneration charity transforming Bishop Auckland into a leading visitor destination through its heritage attractions, galleries, and gardens.

Get your tickets for Tom McGuinness: Out of the Darkness, running from 18 February to December 2026.