Nora Gaston graduated from the Belfast College of Art, University of Ulster (painting and printmaking) and from the University of New Brunswick, Canada (art education). Until 1990 she taught/lectured in further education, her last post as studio head in the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Nora Gaston has lived in Canada, Saudi Arabia and N.Ireland. She has just moved to North Yorkshire and looking forward to some new challenges as this is unknown territory.

 

From 1990 to 2007 Gaston was artist-in-residence at Musgrave Park Hospital in Belfast. As the inaugural artist with the charity Arts Care she organised workshops for patients and staff as well as developing site specific sculptures in metal, glass and Perspex. Nora Gaston won Arts Council funding for art works in a new Regional Acquired Brain Injury Unit, (this won an award from RABI for the best use of art in a health Care building, in London in 2007), got funding for art in a new Children’s Respite Care Unit, (this was been nominated for an award in 2008), published a booklet for the siblings of Brain Injured patients among many other projects.

During this time Gaston exhibited world wide and her work has been collected by the Canada Council Art Bank, the Arts Council of N.I., Belfast City Hall, Volvo, The National Gallery of Kazakhstan, among others. Her work can also be found in private collections world wide.

 

Her public art commissions include ; The Pathways Window” in Belfast City Hall, commissioned by DHSS, “Waterfalls”, 2 large glass and stainless steel sculptures in Musgave Park Hospital, “Rockpool” a large glass canopy at the entrance of the Kidney Dialysis Unit in Dundonald Hospital among many others. Gaston has presently completed three sculpture commissions in Norfolk, one in Mundesley, a large steel and glass sculpture for Kelling Heath and a metal sculpture for Holt Country Park.

In 2008 she started and developed the new Belfry Arts Centre in Overstrand, where she has a studio. As Artistic Director she developed a programme of interesting and challenging exhibitions, workshops and events and successfully applied for around £60,000 of grants for the projects.

 

Gaston is now concentrating on her studio practice, in her new studio, returning to drawings that develop in to paintings, collages or glass. She is currently working on several private commissions and developing a line of unique glass jewellery.