Our new piece of artwork celebrates some of the musical legends who have performed here over the last 50 years, including David Bowie, Syd Barrett, Amy Winehouse and Adele.
Cambridge Corn Exchange has hosted some of the most famous names in live music over the last 50 years. However, the backstage of the venue is unassuming; artists perform at the venue without realising all the great artists who have played before them. We wanted to change that!
The idea of commemorating all the great acts with a timeline backstage was formed. The first stage of the project involved putting together the timeline of key acts. A member of the marketing team went through all the archived brochures and made an epic list of all the incredible acts. There were a few missing years, but we worked with other departments and some ex-staff members to piece it all together.
With the timeline decided, the artists began work in the venue, meticulously stencilling and painting during the summer in the Cambridge Corn Exchange, working during the hottest days of the year over a period of a few weeks.
As the autumn season gets properly underway, it has been great to see artists and tour management wandering up the stairs and looking at the history of performances at the venue. We are looking forward to adding new names as the years go on!
About the artists
Richard Peirce – stencils
Richard Peirce is a UK stencil artist using spray paint, acrylics, ink, pencil and chemicals to create his artwork. He switches between multi layered highly detailed stencils and stripped back, single layer pieces. Always drawing from everyday influences that are not always visual, Richard creates his work with the utmost passion and tongue firmly in cheek.
Ruth Brown – lettering
Ruth Brown is a graphic designer, artist and signwriter who has run 10:AM, her creative studio in Suffolk, for the last 15 years. Her branding and design clients have included Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust, Tamborine Sound Studios, Peterborough Arts Festival, Anglian Water and Red Gate software. She recently finished a beautiful illustration for the cover of newly published novel The Silver Empress, and is experiencing increasing demand for her chalkboard art and signwriting.
Check out our video of the timeline below and see if you can spot any of your favourite previous gigs!