Dates for your Diary….
Sat 29 Oct. ” Light and Life” – new exhibition of glass, drawings and paintings by Alan Wright – see Exhibitions Elsewhere. Private View will be Tue 1 Nov, 5 – 8 pm.
Tue 1 Nov. Gill Gallery re-opens. See Stop Press.
Fri 4 Nov. Private View of new Ian Francis exhibition in AF2
Sat 5 Nov. 12 – 3pm in AF2. Enjoy a glass of wine; learn to sew; learn about textiles as an art form. Details in Stop Press. Continuum will repeat this on Sat 12 Nov
Wed 9 Nov. 5.30 pm in AF1. Songstory by Ben Fairlight. Opening event of the Hastings Storytelling Festival. All events are free entry. Seewww.hastingsstoryfest.org.uk.
Sat 19 Nov. 3pm in AF2 Jess Levine will give a demonstration on Collage.. See Members Announcements.
Sun 20 Nov. 5.30pm. Closing event of the Hastings Storytelling Festival: Hilary Watson of Ragbagarts and Ben Fairlight’s Songstory in AF1.
Stop Press….
CALL FOR ARTISTS
OPEN FORUM THEMED EXHIBITIONS: ‘SELF PORTRAITS’ and ‘SURREALISM’
The dates for these two exhibitions are as follow:
‘Self Portraits‘ 18 July – 1 August 2012 in AF1.
‘Surrealism‘ 12 – 26 September 2012 in AF2 .
Any members who haven’t responded yet: remember the Forum is inviting entries in a variety of styles and media including drawing, painting, printmaking, collage etc. For these two exhibitions, however, we are not looking for sculpture (this could be a theme later on) nor photography, video art or multi media installations. These will be selling exhibitions, They will be individually curated and the submissions selected by a team of experts at the beginning of 2012 – the date to be announced. To participate in either one or both exhibitions, please let the Forum know by 30 November 2011. Tel: 01424 201636 or emailinfo@hastingsartsforum.co.uk marked ‘For The Exhibitions Committee’. The committee is open to other ideas for themed shows. Please let us hear them.
Sales. For those interested in tracking sales, we have had fairly constant success recently in the face of a general economic downturn. We do not have a scientific way of identifying what makes a successful sale. For what it is worth, the purchaser has to think it is both ‘good’ and ‘good value’ and of course, affordable and something that he/she can identify with.
“11 Artists at the Forum” sold 7 items ranging from £100 – £1,200. ”Configurations” last week sold 8 across the range of £100 – £380.
Ray McChrystal has asked that we advertise his work this week as available for sale by instalments . By the time of his private view, Ray had secured four sales. For an instalment plan, the Forum asks 25% of the total as a deposit and then the rest is up to the artist and the customer to agree.
Come and Stitch at the Forum: Sat 5 Nov – Sat 12 Nov 12- 3pm. The artists from Studio 21 under the banner “Continuum” would be happy if you would join them in AF2 and add to an ever-growing piece of work. Enjoy a glass of wine and sit for a while and stitch. Don’t worry if you haven’t sewn before, just come and join in! Everyone has a memory that evokes a particular thought, time or location: a special sense of place. We hope that our collaborative work Continuum will inspire you to add your own marks and stitches to this exciting project. http://www.studio21textileart.co.uk/
Arts Council England (ACE). The Arts Council has emailed us the latest bulletin from the Council:
generally, the tone of their message is gently encouraging and all is not doom. We include some interesting links below. NB: in the jobs link, a few posts may be suitable to Hastings members, but it is also a good example of what follows on from successful funding bids. Anyone encouraged to bid for ACE funding should remember that engaging the local community – preferably ‘hands-on’ – rates high with ACE. See www.artsjobs.org.uk/?dm; www.artscouncil.org.uk/our-work/grants-arts-first-time-dance-applicant-gets-green-light.
If you want to receive a copy of the ACE list yourself – go towww.artscouncil.org.uk/utilities/newsletter
Gill Gallery. Nina Pearce tells us that she is expanding the gallery into new ventures and is opening a new shop across the road called “BeeBe’s”. BeeBe’s will open on 1 Dec and will sell small objects for the home. Meanwhile Gill Gallery will keep operating as before. It will re-open on 1 Nov and operate Mon – Sat, with two half-day closures on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
“‘Kiwi” Mike. Many have commented on the new ‘studio/workshop’ at the eastern end of Marine Court displaying Mike’s work — Mike has noticed a striking similarity between the mug shots issued by London and Manchester police in response to the recent riots in those cities, and the “hoodies” painted by Rembrandt and others of the period. What do you think?
Ray McChrystal: ’Overland, Overwater, Overlaid’ 27 Oct- 1 Nov is the title of Ray’s one man watercolour show in AF1 from 27 Oct to 1 Nov.
Ray was at Bristol Polytechnic and studied Fine Art in the seventies. Since then he has moved around a creative career, including prop-building for theatre, film and tv, teaching and interior design; but under all these hats, he has always painted and exhibited. Recently he went to Camberwell School of Art to do an MA in Paper Conservation so is now committed to conserving and restoring works of art on paper.
This coincided with a situation where he had to move out of his painting studio in St Leonards, effectively losing the space needed for an oil painting based output. Faced with a long period of waiting, he decided instead to start working in watercolour, and so three years later, is working entirely on location and exclusively in watercolour on paper. Ray says: “My intense work as a Paper Conservator has had a direct effect on my work as an artist and vice versa.”
PhotoHub Group in AF2 : a review of the group by Alex Bratell, a lecturer in photography at Sussex Coast college. Alex is also a member of Phg. Every two years the Brighton Photo Biennial and the Brighton Photo Fringe provide a must see programme of exhibitions and events. Last year, the Brighton Photo Fringe included Hastings & St Leonards for the first time thanks to Photo hub group, an organisation conceived in 2009 by Andrew Moran, Lucy Bell and Grace Lau to encourage and co-ordinate photography in the Hastings area. It was a huge success and promises to be even more extensive and diverse in 2012.
Interim Show, continuing in AF 2 until 1 Nov, offers a glimpse of what to expect in Autumn 2012 from Brighton’s redheaded stepchild. Twenty five artists and photographers from Photo hub group’s growing membership exhibit works from projects in progress along with a short explanatory text.
In an exhibition with so many participants and no theme, there is little chance of coherence. To be successful, the exhibition must use this as a strength. In this small town and its surrounding areas there is a stunning diversity of photographic practice and expertise which is growing all the time. Organisers Andrew Moran & Grace Lau have acknowledged this with a show that displays many of the permutations of contemporary photography in a single space. An array of thought, processes and materials are rescued from bewilderment by the authenticity of their visions and high production values. This review is written by a participant in the exhibition so could not claim to be dispassionate or objective. But, it must be said, whether looking at Lin Gregory’s ‘slow’ seascapes or Steve Rutter’s cyanotype nude printed on calico, AF 2 at the moment is a room in which to marvel at the range of expression offered by photography now. Photo hub group welcomes new members at all levels of experience and from any mode of photography related practice, and anyone interested in participating in Brighton Photo Fringe Hastings events. For further information: http://www.phghastings.co.uk; http://www.photofringe.org; http://www.bpb.org.uk
Forthcoming Exhibitions
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Continuum – A Sense of Place. 15 artists from across the south-east will be exhibiting in AF 1 from 3 Nov – 15 Nov. This exhibition is a collaborative project by Studio 21 featuring a group of textile and mixed media artists, whose aim is to push the boundaries of traditional expectations in textiles. All members of the group are graduates of the Higher Ed. Diploma in Stitched Textiles at Bucks New University.
Whereas many think of embroidery as ‘women stitching and decorating a piece of cloth’ – this group has developed the medium as an art form in its own right. They use a variety of materials, including wire, plastic and paper in the construction of their work, some of which give a strong 3-D effect. See their website: http://www.studio21textileart.co.uk/. The group has many recognised international artists in the textile field and who teach and exhibit in the UK and abroad. Several have written books, which are regarded as benchmarks. They come together to exhibit regularly and their last exhibition was at the NEC, Birmingham in August 2011.
Exhibiting members include Arnarjeet Nandhra, Anne Froggatt, Annette Collinge, Dawn Thorne, Debbie Lyddon, Jacky Russell, Jill Flower, Judy Drysdale, Lynda Gleave, Liz Heywood, Marion Glover, Mary Morris, Samantha Harvey, Sandra Meech and Susan Chapman
Ian Francis: Paintings and Drawings in AF 2, from 3 Nov – 15 Nov; preview 6.30-8.30pm 4 Nov
Ian Francis MA – Statement. A riot of colour to help your firework celebrations to go off with a bang.
A friend of mine said that these works reminded him of firework wrappers from the 60s and 70s.
That was not what was on my mind at the time that I made them but there is definitely a nod to the aesthetics of that time.
The sea moving, wind and light, ships on the horizon, anatomical drawings, snippets of conversation, song lyrics, news items and random thoughts all act as triggers for my work. A joust begins between what is visualised in my imagination and what takes place on the canvas or paper.
The melding of the two, a process that takes place somewhere between conscious thought and selflessness, creates the work. The work then has a life of its own, its identity defined by the person viewing it.
I will be doing a gallery talk on Saturday 12 November at 2pm. If you’re interested in finding out more about my work, come along for ad informal discussion.
Splashback! 17 – 29 Nov in AF 1
The Splash! group of 12 artists returns to the Forum with new work. A wide range of exhibits will be shown including oil & acrylic paintings, ceramics, bronze, glass, photography, textiles and many interesting forms of mixed media.
The Splash! Group comprises Tony Allen, Jennie Bayntun, Lynne Bingham, Rob Daniel, Gina Lelliott, Jean Lofts, Robin Muckle, Nick Pilcher, Nick Rowland, Catherine Smart, Suzie Smith and Susan Watts.
Jessica Levine in AF2 17 – 29 November. Jessica is a member from Kent, who exhibits widely throughout the Southeast.
Exhibitions Elsewhere...
Alan Wright. ”Light and Life“. Stained glass, drawings and paintings at The Isabel Blackman Centre, Winding St , Hastings Old Town. Mon – Fri, 9 – 5. Sat / Sun 10 – 2pm. Private View Tue 1 Nov, 6 – 8pm.
Members’ Announcements
Marybeth Haas posts:a reminder that Ecstatic Trance Dance, a moving meditation, starts again from: Weds 26 October, then on 9 & 23 Nov, 14 Dec. Performing Arts Studio, (room signposted 1.029), First Floor (up the steps and to the left), Sussex Coast College, Station Plaza. Please sign in at reception on arrival. Times: Doors Open 19:00; Begins 19:15, Finish 21:00, Building closes 21:15. More Info: www.conscious-arts.co.uk/dance or call 01424 460477.
Jessica Levine will demonstrate collage on Sat 19 Nov at 3 pm. All welcome. Paper and glue will be provided, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer. Billed as ‘great fun’
Vanessa Fowler posts; On a Wednesday night between 7.00 – 9.00pm, Vanessa Fowler has started evening classes for adults, all levels welcome at her gallery/shop/studio at 6 Marine Court. At present there are four students. The groups are small, max six. At present making will be in terracotta allowing brightly coloured glazing. A short course of 8 hours costs £60, materials extra. Vanessa has been a tutor at the college for 22 years but has recently left to pursue her own business and art. Please check FB page Adult Pottery Classes – St Leonards on Sea – Vanessa Fowler for further information or contact vanessanfowler@yahoo.co.uk or call 07732987643.
Caroline Macey posts: a life drawing session will be running on Sat 5 Nov 11-11.30 with two models. Ore Centre. Cafe and Parking on site. For more details call 0792349 4415.
Poetry…
The Poetry Group will meet on Sat 5 Nov at 4 pm – note the earlier time this month. The theme for this session will be ‘Fire’ in recognition of Bonfire Night – although this may be interpreted as freely as you wish. As always, if this particular theme doesn’t ‘fire you up’, do feel free to choose another subject that inspires you.
“C’mon Baby, like my ………”
A’am 65 next birthday, Ethel.
Gonna throw dose slippers on de fire,
Swap my cocoa for viagra, gal,
Den light that ole blue touchpaper
And retire.
© Bob Zimmerframe
