Touring Dracula Exhibition Laid to Rest in Artist’s Hometown York

Visitors to York can experience a free immersive exhibition that injects new blood into Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale, Dracula.

The exhibition, God’s Women, Good Men and Monsters is centred on original illustrations by York artist Kirsty Maclennan that feature in a new illustrated book of the classic novel.

The exhibition opens on Friday 25 April at the newly refurbished Contemporary Arts Floor of York Fine Arts, where Kirsty works as a Senior Gallery Assistant.

Kirsty based the depictions of the gothic characters on real people including her work colleagues, including York Fine Arts former director Alan Short, who passed away in 2023. The collection took almost a year to complete and pays homage to Alan and other colleagues who modelled for the illustrations.

Kirsty Maclennan said: “I felt I could give more power and modern relevance to the characters and their experience by drawing from life, rather than my imagination. Particularly with Alan, our late Director. I was deeply touched that his family allowed me to honour his legacy by including him as my Van Helsing. He is greatly missed, and I just know he would get a real kick out of seeing himself in the pages of Dracula.”

The York visual artist, and writer recently exhibited her work as part of Baltic Open Submission 2024, and her illustrations have been published in collectors’ editions of Bronte and Stoker classics.

The exhibition also features calligraphy art by the American artist, Christina Rauh Fishburne, brought to life in the immersive display which features film, music, and curios from the gothic tale.

It concludes a tour of God’s Women, Good Men and Monsters which opened last October in Whitby, the birthplace of Dracula, before being hosted in the atmospheric Crypt Gallery, London in February.

Surrounded by the faces of her colleagues, both in person and on the walls, Kirsty feels the close of the exhibition at York Fine Arts is particularly fitting: “The project has been a very special one to me, and it feels right that the show should finish its run in the city I now call home.”

The exhibition was inspired by a new edition of Dracula, which commissioned the original artworks, published by Whitby’s independent publisher, The Crow Emporium.

Leticia Lentini, founder of the Crow Emporium Press, said: “The appetite for the book and the exhibition has been phenomenal attracting a legion of Dracula fans and visitors. Dracula has an enduring appeal, and I think each new adaptation or illustration of the story brings a new, fascinating dimension.”

She added: “This collection of illustrations captures Dracula’s gothic essence in a way that is both timeless and fresh. It’s a true honour to work with such talented women, bringing new, modern dimensions to a literary classic.”

For the first time, visitors will be able to buy Kirsty’s illustrations at the exhibition.

Gallery Manager Deanna Dawkins said. “Hosting the final run of the exhibition at York Fine Arts is such a fantastic way for us to support Kirsty as one of our own and applaud her as an emerging artist very clearly on the rise. We couldn’t think of a better way to mark the reopening of our recently refurbished contemporary space and open the next chapter for our expanding contemporary collection.” 

‘God’s Women, Good Men and Monsters,’ free exhibition at York Fine Arts: 25^th April-5^th May. Open 10am-5pm, seven days a week.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About York Fine Arts

A note on the gallery: York Fine Arts is an independent art gallery, established for over forty-five years and located in the heart of York, at 83 Low Petergate. The gallery has gained an international reputation for sourcing outstanding traditional and contemporary fine art, representing some of the very best artists practicing today. Their Grade II listed building extends over three floors, offering a curated selection of original paintings, sculpture and prints to explore.

York Fine Arts

About The Crow Emporium

Founded by Leticia Lentini, The Crow Emporium is dedicated to elevating creativity, literature, and artistic collaboration via its specialist press as well as selling antique, vintage titles of the world’s most loved literary classic. The press specialises in illustrated editions of classic novels, working with both local and international women artists to create beautifully unique works.

The Crow Emporium book and gift shop is on Silver Street in Whitby, selling books, literary gifts and prints.

The Crow Emporium Press Dracula Special Edition costs £18.50. Prints £15 and Postcards £1.50

The Crow Emporium

Artist Kirsty Maclennan

A multidisciplinary artist, Kirsty channels her creativity into a range of often intersecting mediums, including painting, illustration and writing. A self-taught artist, Kirsty has received no formal training, preferring to trust her own eye and instincts and avoiding the direct influence of others.

Today, Kirsty lives and works in York, where she creates from her home studio. In 2024, one of her paintings was selected to be shown at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art’s Open Submission, while her illustrations have been published in collector’s editions of Brontë and Stroker classics. Her illustrations for Dracula have been shown in Whitby and London, and now end their run in York, where they will be available to purchase for the very first time.

Christina Rauh Fishburne

Christina Rauh Fishburne is an American artist and writer currently living in Maryland. A builder of castles in the air and a frequent collaborator with international artists, writers, and musicians.