Archive for May, 2009
site09: Stroud’s contemporary arts festival
Posted by Culture Vulture in Events on May 19th, 2009
site09
‘We are used to measuring a place by how busy the tills are. This is about measuring somewhere by its ideas’
This site festival now in its 13th year, presents the work of over 300 local artists in 83 sites across the Stroud Valleys during the whole of June. The site festival creates a platform for artists and artist collectives to show new work, to initiate new projects, and work collaboratively with other artists. Stroud Valleys Artspace (SVA), the festival host organisation, will be opening its doors to invite you to a month long programme of exhibitions, open studios, film screenings, talks and performance. site09 is working in partnership with Alias, which is celebrating its 10 year anniversary to a programme of activities.
One of the best things about the festival is the opportunity to meet artists living and working in the Stroud Valleys and get to know their work. There will be two weekends of Open Studios with 116 artists inviting you to see their work within their working environment, buy directly from them and to talk about their practice. Pick up the Open Studios Directory for all the information you need to plan your studio visits. site09 also brings you an eclectic mix of performance nights ranging from experimental music with Sarah Kenchington and Daniel Padden, performance poetry from festival favorite John Hegley and punk jazz from The Blessing. More information can be found at www.sva.org.uk
Tall Ships return to Gloucester
Posted by Culture Vulture in Events on May 12th, 2009
Gloucester Tall Ships Festival
Gloucester Tall Ships Festival will take place in and around Gloucester with a range of on and and off water activities including live music, street entertainment, comedy, boat trips and family entertainment. Residents and visitors to Gloucester are promised a spectacular weekend with the return of the city’s multi-award winning Tall Ships Festival.
Quenington Old Rectory – only every two years
Posted by Culture Vulture in Art, Events on May 11th, 2009
We’re already getting excited at the thought of June’s FRESH AIR 09 set in the riverside gardens of Quenington Old Rectory, near Cirencester. It’s a mash up of traditional posh Cotswolds house and outdoor sculptures by 90 artists. The event only happens every two years and is a brilliant excuse for a weekend in the Cotswolds. In spite of there now being a vast range of gardens and parks showing contemporary work, FRESH AIR OFFERS one of the broadest range of ideas in a smallish space. Work is for sale too – from £50 up to £12,000 with one or two more expensive pieces up to £35,000.
Just taking this year’s entry on materials alone there is cement, bronze, mosaic, glass, resin, steel, wood, mixed media installation, textiles, buon fresco, ironwork, ceramic, rubber, brick, lettering, water, perspex, willow, slate, astro turf, scrap metal and sound,.
FRESH AIR is very different from an urban gallery or public art. Visitors love the chance to wander free – physically, intellectually and visually. It’s a kind of freedom and some of the sculpture is breathtaking.