The private view for Atelier East Summer Exhibition was last Friday. The organisers were very welcoming (even though I brought along a large backpack and tent!) and it was great to be introduced to people. As well as celebrating the exhibited works the evening seemed to be about the exhibiting artists, the local artistic community and creativity in general. There was live music, a buffet, a raffle and people even discussed art.
Often I leave private views feeling disheartened. Private views are an important marketing tool but they can be more; something less cold. I am guessing most curators/galleries wouldn’t be able to afford to do the above on a regular basis. Would we be willing to occasionally donate a couple of pounds on entry to a private view to cover the costs? Would it help build creative communities? Is this naivety – would this system get abused by us or the curators/galleries?
The exhibition was held in Wisbech & Fenland Museum located in a pretty market town in Cambridgeshire. I was born nearby so it was also good to get back to my roots. Perhaps being outside London or a large city was a contributing factor to the friendly atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong I love London; sometimes its disjointedness is useful, sometimes not.
