QUARTZ Festival and 30 Years | 30 Artists at Black Swan Arts
As we head towards the year end, I’m working on some projects for next year and am looking forward to curating Quartz Festival in December. The dates for the Visual Arts Festival have been moved to Friday 16- Thursday 22 December, with the preview on Thursday 15th December from 6pm. I am grateful to Sara Dudman RWA for entrusting me with the curation and to Queens College for the opportunity to work on the Festival. This year’s Visual Arts display will feature over 40 of the best practicing artists in the South West (and beyond) displaying a mixture of Printmaking, Painting, Sculpture, Jewellery, Ceramic, Textile and Woodwork all in the Performing Arts Centre. It provides a perfect opportunity to find a gift for a loved one and with a great range of work on display, there will be something for everyone to enjoy, as well as be inspired, intrigued and amazed.
I will also be taking part in ’30 Years | 30 Artists’ at Black Swan Arts in Frome. The Black Swan Guild is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year and has hosted a range of exhibitions and events to celebrate this. Given current funding cuts, this is a huge achievement and the arts sector in this area seems to be using its inherent creativity and resilience to find solutions to this problem. ’30 Years | 30 Artists’ is a celebration of artists and makers past and present who have all launched their careers (or been involved with) Black Swan Arts and a reflection of the support provided to the creative community by this hub for the arts. The exhibition will run from Friday 25th November until Saturday 24th December, with the preview on Thursday 24th November. Again, it is the perfect opportunity to find something lovingly made and personal for Christmas and there will be a great choice of Glass, Ceramic, Print, Textile and two-dimensional work along with a few surprises!
Somerset Art Weeks
I will be taking part in this year’s Somerset Open Studios, based at Clerkenwell Fine Art in Castle Cary. It will be my first time taking part in this event so I will have a display of work in the front gallery as well as a set up of my studio, showing and talking about my working methods, influences and practices.
I will be exhibiting with Bridport-based sculptor Brendon Murless at Duke’s Auctioneers Fine Art Showroom in Dorchester from 2-23 March. This is an opportunity to see our work curated together in this great new exhibition space near Brewery Square.
2015
‘Nissen Hut Remains’ has been selected for the Black Swan Open in Frome, which runs from Sat 24th Oct – Sat 21st Nov 2015. I’m especially pleased to be selected given the calibre of the judges. This drawing is a study of some of the remaining buildings at Tarrant Rushton Airfield in Dorset, which was used as a base for glider operations in World War II.
‘Coastal Entrance’, a study of the old quarries at Winspit in Purbeck, has made the final hang for the Royal West of England Academy 163 Annual Open, running from 4th October- 29th November. More details here
‘In the Margins’ is one of 50 pieces by South West artists selected for the Evolver Prize showing at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton this summer.
paul newman 