Molly Newham's Story
Molly Newham is an artist and curator with a passion for bringing contemporary art to the Yorkshire Coast. Back in 2023, Fine Art MA student and Enterprise Scholar, Molly took her creative passion and love for her hometown of Scarborough to establish a hub for creativity and community engagement in a revitalised retail space on Scarborough's high street. Mandy Apple, a not-for-profit organisation, is now a thriving art gallery, independent shop and studio. Mandy Apple Collective is an art collective with the goal of bringing more public art, skill sharing and weirdness to the Yorkshire Coast.
“Over the past year, we've hosted exhibitions featuring both local and international artists, run a makers' shop for independent creatives, organised workshops, and contributed to key town events such as the Scarborough Fair. It's been deeply rewarding to see how the space has brought people together, and how it's helped to keep creativity alive in a place that can often feel cut off from wider artistic networks.”
Ever ambitious Molly plans to make Mandy Apple Collective into a premier destination for contemporary art, driving tourism and cultural enrichment in Scarborough.
“Thanks to the Spark Enterprise Scholarship, we've recently been able to invest in a printmaking press and essential equipment. This will allow us to run printmaking workshops from our gallery, creating a new and much-needed income stream, especially during the quieter, off-season months. We are also remodelling our gallery space to a higher standard, enabling us to host more ambitious exhibitions in the future.”
In the long term, Molly hopes to access funding from Arts Council England or the local authority to sustain and grow their work. She also aims to continue building a career in the museum and heritage sector, where she has already begun applying many of her skills she has gained through Mandy Apple, most recently in a Curatorial Fellowship at Scarborough Art Gallery.
