HVA Newsletter – June 2015

In this issue:

• Intro

• Herts Open Studios 2015

• Exhibitions & Events

• News

• Creative Digest

Intro

Linda Warminger

Welcome to the June 2015 edition of the Herts Visual Arts newsletter. Our exhibition at the Hungry Hare cafe at Harefield Hospital is in the process of being installed (images to follow), and we are turning our efforts to getting the brochure copy off to the printers, and prepare for the Herts Open Studios Launch Exhibtion at the New Maynard Gallery.

With so many interesting Opportunities crossing my desk this month and the holiday period looking, I thought it would be useful to remind members how to amend the frequency with which they receive our automated email alerts.

Our website program automatically sends you an email alert as soon as opportunities and news and exhibitions are loaded to the HVAF website. If you prefer to receive these as a weekly or monthly summary login to the website and update your preferences at www.hvaf.org.uk/notification/settings If daily is too much for you then weekly is probably best – to ensure that you do not miss some of the tight deadlines. You are in complete control of these settings and can change them, at any time, by logging in to your MyHVA page - notifications is the last on the list of Member details links.

This month we welcome to Brendan Kearney, Audrey Imber and Sheelagh Frew Crane who joined HVA during May.

The finishing touches are being made to the Herts Open Studios brochure and we are preparing for our launch exhibition at the New Maynard Gallery.

Here is a selection of some of the ceramic and glass work and jewellery that visitors can enjoy when they visit Herts Open Studios this year ...

Ruta Bartkeviciute

Elizabeth Finerty

Rachel Jeffrey Jewellery

Maggie Barton

Lesley Pollock

Alison Berthelsen

Caroline Harris

Patrick Joyce

Hopton & Furlong

Opal Seabrook

Exhibitions & Events

A wide variety of exhibitions this month - something for everyone !

AYOT ST. LAWRENCE ART FAIR

'ABSTRACT BRITAIN'

'STRANDED', 2 Feb - 5 July 2015

The saying goes that one person’s trash is another’s treasure and that is certainly the case for Hertfordshire born artist, Jo Atherton. With a new exhibition opening on February 2 at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth, Stranded features her colourful tapestries, created from fishing line, netting, rope and other unexpected items left washed up on our beaches by the great ocean currents.

DISCOVERY

SALLY EVANS EVENTS 2015

JUDY BYWATER & KAREN MURPHY

'I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE'

Anne-Marie Stijelja is a mixed media artist, workshop provider and art space curator. Her latest exhibition entitled ‘I spy with my little eye’ fulfils a long held desire to explore art using the five senses and will be on display in the Foyer Gallery of Bedford School from 5 June – 3 July 2015, where Anne-Marie also works part-time as an Art Technician. Further information ...

OPENING HOURS Mon-Fri 9.30-4.00 / Sat 9.00-12.15 www.bedfordschool.org.uk

THREADS OF TIME 2

Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies at County Hall, Hertford. Open from 9 June - 11 July 2015, during opening hours.

All the work produced was inspired by the Delme Radcliffe Collection in the County Archive. Find out more at www.hertsdirect.org/services/leisculture/heritage1/hals/whatson/threadsoftime and atwww.hertsmemories.org.uk/category/threads_of_time_2

SPRING ART FAIR at RSPB SANDY

'ENCOUNTERS', 21 May - 28 June 2015

Praesentia - three artists based at the Digswell Trust studios present artworks in a wide variety of media.

The Gallery at Parndon Mill Off Elizabeth Way HARLOW CM20 2HP

01279 426042 info@parndonmill.co.uk www.parndonmill.co.uk

THE SMELL OF ROSES

'FLUVIAL' 30 April - 28 June 2015

Artists Beverley Purdue and Claire Zammit present their latest body of work.

Watford Museum, 194 Lower High Street,Watford WD17 2DT

Tel:01923 232297 /www.watfordmuseum.org.uk

'SPRING'

EMMA HEALY

SANDON BURY ART SHOW & OPEN GARDENS

Internationally acclaimed artists will be exhibiting at this year’s Sandon Bury Art Show in Hertfordshire that is held in conjunction with the Open Gardens on the weekend of 13 & 14 June 2015 to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care and the National Gardens Scheme. OPEN: 2.00pm-5.00pm

Tickets for Sandon Bury Art and Gardens are £5 each, children free. Parking is free. Tea and homemade cakes will be available in Sandon Village Hall. Further information ... Sandon Bury, Sandon, Buntingford, Hertfordshire SG9 0QY ST. ALBANS ART SOCIETY SUMMER EXHIBITION

INCOGNITO

'INSIGHTS', CARERS IN HERTFORDSHIRE

COLLEGE LAKE ARTISTS

ARTISTS AT HASTOE

ARTISTS IN WONDERLAND

See full article...

'RUNNING WILD'

In Running Wild acclaimed British artist Frances Kearney presents a new series of large-scale colour photographic tableaux. Immaculately choreographed and featuring young girls, these works explore the artist's interest in landscape (and its depiction in art) and the collapse of children's engagement with nature. All of the photographs are staged outdoors and all were made in East Anglia.

University of Hertfordshire Galleries at the Museum of St Albans Hatfield Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3RR Gallery Opening Times: Mon-Sat 10.00am – 5.00pm Sun 2.00pm – 5.00pm Admission Free Read full article...

'Untitled I', Running Wild

FIERCE TO FRAGILE

ART IN CLAY

Further info...

MARK 5

SOLO EXHIBITION: RENOS LAVITHIS

See the latest body of work by Renos Lavithis at Coffee Seeker, 297 Ballards Lane, North Finchley, London N12 8NP 1 June and 10 July 2015. Open:Mon – Fri : 8am- 6pm / Sat to 4.30pm

And for Open Studios events across the UK and beyond visit

www.openstudiocomms.org

News

Members of the HVA Textiles Group take part in 'Threads of Time 2', work by Des Gould selected for the 2015 Environmental Photographer of the Year Award, and … our monthly postcard from Shetland.

'THREADS OF TIME '

Look out for work by a group of HVA members Linda Gifford,Catherina Petit Van Hoey, Joanne Bowes, Sian Fenwick, June Faulkner, Connie Flynn & Jackie Hodgson at Threads of Time 2 on show at Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies at County Hall, Hertford. Open from 9 June - 11 July 2015, during opening hours. All the work produced was inspired by the Delme Radcliffe Collection in the County Archive. Find out more at www.hertsdirect.org/services/leisculture/heritage1/hals/whatson/threadsoftime and at www.hertsmemories.org.uk/category/threads_of_time_2

Connie Flynn

Catherina Petit van Hoey

June Faulkner

Linda Gifford

DES GOULD

Delighted that 'Bumper' by Des Gould has been selected for the 2015 Environmental Photographer of the Year Awards.

"Taken in Pripryat, just 3 km from the nuclear reactor that burned for 11 days, 29 years ago. The bumper was a part of a funfair and sports complex in the town that was due to open as part of the May Day celebrations. It was never used. The accident occurred a few days ahead of the opening.

I had to turn this shot into black and white because I was shooting into the sun. Time was at a premium, as I was only allowed 1 hour inside the 15km exclusion zone. Pripryat, Ukraine, October 2013."

POSTCARD FROM SHETLAND

HVA Member Connie Flynn records her experiences whilst studying for a degree in Contemporary Textiles in Shetland via a monthly 'Postcard'. JUNE 2015 - HONS DEGREE SHOW IN SHETLAND

Photograph by Connie Flynn

Click here to view the series of postcards to-date

Creative Digest

Jo Atherton

Have you ever thought of taking an artist residency? This month, we consider why so many artists choose to leave the comfort of their studio to embark on a project in an unfamiliar location, and examine how the often unpredictable results can work wonders for your creative practice.

There are different types of residency, so this month I reflect on my own experience whilst providing a few examples of opportunities closer to home along with some for the more adventurous!

Despite many artists having a dedicated space to work, be it a studio, shed or room at home, it can be surprising how easily daily life distractions can creep in. A few snatched hours here and there may be the only opportunity you have to dedicate to your creative practice. There is much to be said for dedicating an entire block of time which enables you to immerse yourself fully in your work, something a residency can allow. This is long enough to explore ideas thoroughly, disappear down creative rabbit holes to experiment and see where your thoughts take you, without the background worry of daily chores, schedules or a pet hate of mine - having to pack things away!

Brisons Veor, Cornwall

Over Easter, I was lucky enough to spend a week down in Cornwall as a Brisons Veor Artist in Residence. This was an opportunity I had applied for, deciding that time away from my usual routine would give me the space to honestly reflect on my work and try out some new ideas. I could not have predicted how useful it was going to be, and would never have heard of it had it not been listed on the HVA Opportunities.

With an entire week to myself, I had the time to experiment with new ideas, play and allow myself to make mistakes. If something didn’t work as expected, that was fine as I had the whole week to work through themes and thoughts - something I had simply not been able to realise in my home environment.

The Brisons Veor Artist in Residence Scheme has a rolling application deadline each quarter and I would encourage anyone to apply. The experience had such a positive impact on me that I have been evangelising about it ever since! Located down in Cornwall near Land’s End, it is the perfect spot to immerse oneself, far from distractions and surrounded by the constant soundtrack of the roaring tides. You can read reflections from artists who have spent time at Cape Cornwall and enjoy their different interpretations of this special place and learn why they chose to spend time on this beautiful peninsula.

Closer to home - opportunities within the Home Counties

Residencies often crop up in the county and are posted in the Opportunities section of the HVA website. This month, Courtyard Arts in Hertford are inviting applications for an Artist in Residence, along with an opportunity to work from a quirky shed in Norfolk!

Schools often invite artists to spend one day a week to work alongside students. Usually unpaid, these residencies typically offer space and free reign of equipment in exchange for interacting with students and possibly running a number of workshops. The arrangement is mutually beneficial, allowing the artist more room to work on a dedicated project, the use of facilities such as kilns, and the chance to gain teaching experience. Keep your eye on the HVA website for these opportunities over the summer, ready for the start of the new academic year.

Artists Access to Art Colleges (AA2A)

The AA2A project provides placements for visual artists and designer makers in Higher and Further Education institutions across England. Within our county, placements are available at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield and North Herts College in Hitchin.

I was lucky enough to be selected for a residency placement at North Herts College back in 2012-13. This was my first experience of a residency and I cannot stress how much value there is in sharing techniques and explaining ideas. It was a fun environment to be part of a learning community, especially as any artist is used to spending periods of time working in solitude. In a different studio, with different tools, new materials and meeting interesting people was all I needed to inject a new direction into my work. In the residency situation, everything is unfamiliar, which made it easier to take risks and try new things.

Further afield - international residencies

ResArtis is ‘a worldwide network of artist residencies’ listing opportunities from a wide range of countries and organisations. Some of my favourite opportunities from the past year include a visit to the Arctic Circle, working with ‘a growing network of curators, gallerists, arts presenters and institutions to engage with the public and to communicate ideas resulting from the expedition’. Or how about spending 23 Days at Sea, travelling on a container ship across the International Date Line from Vancouver to Shanghai?! Access Gallery in Canada ran an international Call to Artists earlier this year calling for those who would like to spend time in what must be the perfect location for solitude and reflection. And if neither of those appeal, don’t despair as there is still time to get your application ready for the Hadron Collider residency in Geneva!

Create your own opportunity

One final point I would like to stress is that if you are inspired by a particular place, a collection a community group you would particularly like to work with, don’t wait for a residency to emerge. Why not make a direct approach and propose your project?

In a recent Arts Council report, Animating Museums: Working with artists, engaging audiences, the value of artistic reinterpretation is recognised. ‘Artists often draw on, and draw out, stories, collections and connections previously unseen and unknown to visitors.’ By inviting this creative input, new expertise can develop both the skills of both museums and artists. During times of austerity, ‘these partnerships enable arts organisations, artists and museums to pool their resources and to attract new support and income streams.’

By JO ATHERTON