THE opening of an exhibition at Gallery150 in Leamington is always a bit of an occasion.
It’s the only gallery where you get called sir or madam as you’re handed a glass of wine, and the canapés are always beautifully presented.
But tonight’s opening was the first where at opening time the exhibition was still being hung! LSA Chair Gerry Smith, fresh back from holiday, and an able assistant were busy fixing the last digital prints to the wall as the first drinks were poured, but they were soon all in place and in a straight line too.
Reviews
Quotes inspire Solihull Artists Forum show at Gallery150
A THEMATIC exhibition which stretched the artists’ creative powers is the main exhibition at the ever-busy Gallery150 in Leamington until May7.
The Solihull Artists Forum are showing Text & Texture, works by 19 members, created in response to the title. All have to be shown alongside a quote or reference which relates in some way to the work – some are fairly obvious, and some don’t seem particularly related.
Frank Sidney Smith’s paintings at The New Art Gallery show beauty born from trauma
A LIFE full of trauma and tragedy has helped create some paintings which are enchanting and enthralling.
It seems as though Frank Sidney Smith decided to use his creative urges as a type of therapy, to try to come to terms with everything that had happened to him.
There are times when it’s impossible to look at some paintings without reference to the artist who created them and what he or she has endured, and this is one of those times.
The images are pretty and child-like in initial appearance but many tell stories of unbelievable sadness. It’s vital to read the paragraphs underneath each one in this exhibition at The New Art Gallery, Walsall, to have an understanding of what the innocent-looking pictures really show.
Belfast galleries take your mind off Troubles
They may not be on the doorstep, but if you find yourself in Belfast for a few days and need a respite from Troubles tours and Guinness, there are several great galleries worth checking out.
I went to see two ice hockey games but spent as much time in different galleries as the rink.
Three small galleries have often-changing exhibition. (more…)
Give The Public a chance
A BUILDING dogged by controversy and financial catastrophes before it even opened is well worth a visit – especially if it’s hosting a temporary exhibition which attracts you.
You can even get to go for quite a pleasant walk during your visit, without having to go out into the cold.
The Public in West Bromwich is about a 45 minute drive from Coventry. It looms startlingly out of a rather bleak West Midlands landscape of a shopping centre and cleared wastelands, and you catch glimpses in gaps between buildings as you try to find your way to the nearest car park.
Gallery150 knows how to stage a first night
Gallery150 in Leamington upped the stakes with its private view last night.
There was a rather good buffet spread, and wine served by a bow tie-wearing, besuited gentleman who called the guests sir and madam. Impressive!
If only what was on show had managed to live up to this welcome.
How teens took to morris dancing for art’s sake
An interest in how current identity is shaped by the past inspired Faye Claridge to look at morris dancing during her year as artist in residence at Rugby Art Gallery & Museum.
She had a bit of a head start on the subject, as her dad was a member of Green Man’s Morris in Birmingham, which itself is interesting as morris dancing comes across as much more of a village pursuit.
She said: “I am very interested in how people connect to history and relate to history and my dad was a morris dancer so I spent a lot of my early years going to folk festivals.”
Welcome to Private View
This blog has been launched as a spin off from the art column which appears in the Coventry Telegraph’s What’s On guide on Fridays.
I’ve been writing the newspaper column for four years and it follows the format of a review of a new exhibition, listings and short bits about other exhibitions in the area, or events at galleries.
I’m often frustrated by having more things I want to write about than there’s space for – interviews with artists, pieces about excellent but brief exhibitions which have been and gone before I get a chance to write about them in the paper.
So in this blog I want to go beyond the column, to include observations on the Coventry, Warwickshire and larger art world, gossip, interviews, plus bits of news I’m not able to squeeze into the newspaper column.
This is of course the worst week of the year to launch a blog – but it’s not long til January and I’m already looking forward to sipping a glass of wine at the first exhibition private views of the year.
Private View II 