The Fronteer Gallery in Castlegate, Sheffield has today opened a new exhibition, showcasing work from over 40 artists across the UK.

The theme of the display is ‘Refresh’ and it will run until May 8. It is free for the public to attend providing they follow social distancing guidelines and wear a face covering while inside.

Artist and joint founder of Fronteer, Michael Borkowsky, 34, said: “We wanted to do something positive and new for artists to respond to. The fact that it’s a physical exhibition that people can come and see was quite engaging for the artists because it’s a rare opportunity at the moment.”

Fronteer events have been organised and managed by Mr Borkowsky and Sharon Mossbeck, who have been working together since 2014. They opened the gallery in October 2020 after years of freelance work.

Mr Borkowsky said that opening a gallery has always been something he has thought of and lockdown gave him a chance to do it because he stopped doing his own work and it made him think of ways to contribute to the artistic community.

Most recently, the gallery hosted a solo show by Gary Crowder displaying paintings about life, family and experience. It opened two days after the lockdown rules eased in the UK on April 12 and permitted the building to reopen.

Elesha Searles, an artist featured in the exhibition, from Highfield, Sheffield, said: “I’m excited to be part of a new gallery in the heart of Sheffield and being able to go with friends and look at artwork again in real life.

“I love sharing my artwork with others and to be chosen is super exciting.”

She said that she was interested in the project as it was so local, and she thought her work fitted the theme of starting anew.

During the recent lockdown, the gallery has gone through a series of refurbishments to make it better suited to host future exhibitions, workshops, events and talks.

Mr Borkowsky said: “To me, ‘Refresh’ has been about refreshing this particular space and therefore contributing to the wider area of Castlegate. It’s quite a vibrant place and there’s a lot of artists living in Sheffield which is great, it means there’s very much a community.”