Happy new year!
This is the first post, and definitely a beginning, but also this project has been in development now for nearly 2 years… researching, planning, testing our ideas and fundraising.
We ran a pilot programme in 2010 for 2 artists, S Mark Gubb from Cardiff, and Samantha Donnelly from Manchester. It was pretty great for both of them, and I was delighted with the response from curators etc – these are the advisors they had studio visits from:
Ellen Mara de Wachter – curator 176 Projects, Anita Zabludowicz collection
David Thorp – independent curator
Sandra Ross – director Pumphouse Gallery
Sarah Williams- curator Jerwood Space
Vincent Honore – curator David Roberts Arts Foundation
Sacha Craddock- curator, writer and critic, Bloomberg space
Kirsty Ogg – curator Whitechapel Gallery
Cathy Lomax, director Transition gallery
Pieternel Veermortel – director FormContent
Sarah McCrory – curator Frieze Projects
You can see images of the work Sam and Mark made and more info on them on our website.
Out Grants for the Arts application was accepted in early October, then we were full steam on getting out the call for applications.
We had 85 entries.
We selected 6 artists for 2011 over December, we shortlisted 15 artists from their applications, who we then interviewed (2 by skype as they were across the pond) All this with the help of our regional partners and some independent experts – Michaela Crimmin, Alex Finlayson, Sacha Craddock.
We will announce the selected artists shortly.
