Early this December Pitz had the privilege of joining local artist Heidi Swift inside Barnsley Town Hall as she unveiled her latest cityscape painting — a vivid, expressive take on Barnsley that blurs the line between reality and creative imagination. Swift’s new piece is recognisable yet otherworldly: The everyday becomes timless and unique, the colours are reimagined, and familiar architecture takes on a dreamlike quality. It’s not a photo-perfect view of the town — it’s Barnsley seen through a creative lens and immortalised on canvas.

Unveiling the work inside the Town Hall grounded the piece in the place it reflects — mixing Barnsley’s civic heartbeat with an artistic vision that’s both rooted and forward-thinking. The contrast between the building’s history and the artwork’s expressive energy created a real moment of authenticity.

Swift’s practice often explores place as emotion and idea, not just geography. In this cityscape, Barnsley feels alive, unsettled and open to interpretation — inviting viewers to ask themselves, what does this town mean to me?

This kind of work is the kind that galleries notice — bold, thoughtful, and rooted in place. We’ll be excited to see where Heidi’s next steps take her, and we think this piece deserves a wider audience.

Keep an eye on this one — Barnsley has a strong creative undercurrent, and moments like this show why our local artists are worth watching.

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