PORTRAITS of unknown women uncovered in Darlington inspired a poetry event recently.

Curator Michaela Wetherell’s exhibition Tell Her Story was staged at the Crown Street Library Art Gallery after she unearthed a series of paintings featuring mystery women from the Darlington Borough Council art collection.

The exhibition featured both the original paintings and a series of new artworks inspired by them, created by artists from across the region and beyond.

Earlier this month, the Vane Women writing group performed their own poetry pieces inspired by the original and the recreated artworks.

Miss Wetherell said: “Like in a a lot of subjects, women in history have always been put on the backburner.

“There were so many paintings of women we know nothing about, I wanted to shed light and give them a chance for attention.”

Lindsay Balderson, a poet with Vane Women, said: “We’ve loved being asked to do the project, and the cross-art aspect of it.

“It’s been exhilarating for all of us, and we’re all quite lucky to have this kind of art in Darlington.”

The event took place at the library.