Diary of an artist writer online

Forth Valley Open Studios – the future?

http://forthvalleyopenstudios.com/

How do we progress Forth Valley Open Studios into a more formal structure?

How do we ensure that if we run out of steam, inevitable after the first wave of enthusiasm for a new project is over, that there is sufficient structure in place to ensure it continues in perpetuity?

I asked a lawyer (15 minutes for free) under the Cultural Enterprise Office in Glasgow, an excellent facility by the way.(www.culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk)

I explained our dilemma that we were self financing operation supported by a little money from advertising money but the bulk of it coming from artists paying £75 each to go in the brochure and this was further supported in kind by Delta Studios who provide a free exhibition space each year for us. And their manager acts as our Volunteer Coordinator for free.(http://www.deltastudios.net)

We want to ensure not only that the organisation continues in perpetuity but also that we can apply for sponsorship or grants so that the organisation can grow.

To do this we need to firm up our structure. We discussed a variety of options from charities to limited companies then the lawyer told me about a fairly new piece of legislation designed to help small organisations like ourselves, which are for community benefit.

This is known as CIC or Community Interest Companies.http://www.bis.gov.uk/cicregulator/

A charity is another option and we could go down that route if we wish though he pointed out that there would be more hoops to jump through since they have tightened up the regulations on charitable status.

Asked if this might not deter people from giving since we were not a charity he says what determines whether people give or not to your organisation is whether they like what you are doing.

Oh yes, what clinched the decision is the discovery that Spring Fling, the Borders Open Studios, (http://www.spring-fling.co.uk/) which is very well established already uses the CIC model.

So this is the proposal that will be going to our committee: that Forth Valley Open Studios becomes a registered Community Interest Company.

Fingers crossed….though someone once said getting artists to agree is like herding cats.

Video performance: Wales – Essex

This is a video I made with Jon Piccolo during a workshop organised by the Changing Room gallery in Stirling.

I come from Wales and Jon from Essex, both areas of the UK which have a reputation for being uncool.

Video performance : “Wales- Essex”, two artists, Ann Shaw and Jon Piccolo give their views

I am always curious to see how galleries hang my ipad work. Now for the second time recently two galleries (Delta Studios and Transmission) have chosen not to mention that the work is created on an ipad using Brushes app.

Yet it hangs alongside traditional work in both galleries where the method of creating it – etching, painting, drawing, mixed media or even digital is stated.

I think it reflects the dilemma galleries have when confronted with work made using new technologies: they still don’t know how to deal with it.

So they choose to ignore the method of production. This is a pity because I think this is the most innovative aspect of the work.

Anyway, the ipad work is now hanging in the annual members show at the Transmission gallery in Glasgow.

Every year I make a point of submitting work and over the years it has acted as a monitor of my developing artistic practice.

It started off before going to Glasgow School of Art with fun sculptures, and then it moved to video.

(One year the television set got stolen but then the Transmission is a very edgy gallery on the fringe of Glasgow’s East End).

Last year I submitted documentary photography portraying immigrant workers returning from Saudi.

This year it has a much lighter theme – my latest ipad work.

I was curious to see how they would hang it.

I gave no instructions instead asking them to decide themselves how they wanted to hang it given the space available.

Moreover I wanted to see what these recent graduates (for Transmission is run as a collective) would come up with for I knew it would be something original.

And they did. Brilliant.

They chose to exhibit it in a block of seven so the overall impression is that of a very large screen-print.

It works so well that it is a method I shall use myself in future. Of course in an ideal world it should be shown in a darkened room on rows of Ipads – that is what David Hockney did with his exhibition in Paris – but that of course is in a different league.

Now that Forth Valley Open Studios is over we can all relax for a while. However we had a committee meeting earlier this week and we have decided that we are only going to allow ourselves a short break before planning begins for next year.

Trying to cram it into three or four months is just too stressful…..

I have been delegated ( well I volunteered for it) to find out how we can become established either as a charity or not for profit arts organsiation. After all the ethos behind our group is that of artists helping other artists.

With charitable status it will give us an added layer of kudos when we seek sponsorship. While the project has been self financing and this has worked it has resulted in some very tense moments as we try to balance the books between money coming in from artists on one hand and printers etc. asking for payment on the other. It would be nice to have a small financial cushion.

Meanwhile I have been going around some of our Open Studios since I never got the chance while the event was on – a common complaint from all artists. How do we get to see other artists when we are tied to our own studios? The answer is to pick up the phone and invite yourself.

One artist whose work I have admired for a long time is Charmian Pollok, who works with material found on her walks, bits of metal, wood etc, then uses them in conjunction with her own hand made paper. She has studied in Japan and at Glasgow School of Art.

Charmian took a whole morning off to talk to me about her work and explain her intricate artistic processes of working with found materials an then incorporating them into a piece of her work.

This is Charmian’s web-site:

http://www.charmianpollok.co.uk/

And this is a video I made of midges in Glencoe:

Midges in Glencoe