Belper Art Trail 2011, venues.

we've added images of the venues that took part in this year's trail.  


after the summer holidays, work starts on concluding this blog and thoughts turn to future endeavours...

we now have the final descriptive sentence for the art trail...

In the 2011 pilot year, we have 9 artists across 7 venues, a peripatetic work and a performance.

house keeping and invitations

i've been feeling a little 'behind' with the trail organisation for the last 10 days and i'm pleased to say that today i am feeling on top of it all again. the penultimate work is being installed tomorrow and the final piece will go in on monday, the double booking of that last shop meaning there is a delay, oh well, no worries.

on the corridor main website the guide and map are available to download. both are formatted for smartphone useage. the thinking behind it is that after say downloading at home or out and about, the smartphone can become a source of information about the artists and what venues are in the trail. chris has done such a lovely job with the map, including the essentials like where to get coffee and cake.

the downloads are available here...

this afternoon we've set up a facebook event to promote the trail, so far there is just over 1,100 people who now know that the trail is happening now. we urge all of you to invite your friends too...spread the word ! let's experiment into seeing how many people we can all get to know about the trail via social media. the great thing is they will be able to download (for free) the Art Trail guide. so even if they cannot make it to Belper, they can find out about the work and the people taking part...

bringing it all together.

with less than a week until 11th, i turn my attention to the art trail again after 3 fairly solid weeks concentrating on my arts council funded snee snaw project. i am quite tired from the performance on sunday, however the later stages of co-organising the art trail is giving me some space from the snee snaw. i reflect that in later years that maybe leaving it all to the week before might not be such a good idea.

having said that, i contacted the participating artists and their collective responses to mounting the exhibition has been brilliant. we're on course for the exhibition to be viewable by the 11th. i acknowledge the help and support of chris and all of those other artists exhibiting at this year's belper art trail.

in terms of learning about mounting the trail, i am certainly doing that and there is a slight risk that the downloadable brochure might not be ready until the 14th july.

as a pilot scheme, i feel i am learning loads and i can't wait to see all the work installed in all the shops.

on a personal note, i have been over ambitious with attempting a new piece of work for the trail. i had hoped to show the new work in lester and nix. it is looking very likely that i will be unable to show any work this year, as the involvement with organising the trail this week leaves me no viable time to make the new work. the work was going to be thinking about the artist as potential. in this case i have not reached a potential i had set out for myself. i hope to make this new work in the future and show it at another opportunity.

I'm thinking of a strategy to include lester and nix in the trail, even though i am unable to show within the premises.

getting a step closer.

the trail planning is ticking over nicely. i remain busy in my own practice with the snee snaw.

we're at the point of putting the exhibition for the art trail together on paper. it's exciting and daunting and fun and i'm looking forward to doing that part of the process and stuff.

on a personal note, i'm starting to wonder if the new work i plan for the art trail will be possible to realise in time, with the snee snaw and realising the art trail organisation on my plate already, will i actually be able to make the work in time...?

time will tell...

we're in good shape.

i've added some more words to the artists page this morning. i'd like to write a post this morning, but i can't decide what to say really.

that old dillema, to blog or not to blog and what to say if one does...

what i can say is a big think you to the so far confirmed artists, it'll make the next food festival meeting so good to tell them about our progress.

working at the weekend

i find myself working at the weekend. well that's not exactly correct as what i'm actually doing is editting and adding words to this legacy blog for the art trail while cooking and preparing brunch. i would rather play on this blog adding stuff and stuff than watch ebay continuously waiting for another bidder on an item i have for sale.

now my funded project within my practice has begun, the art trail has become a thing of beauty that i tinker and play with when not in full practice mode. i've added some additional pages to this site, they are for listing the artists and venues of the art trail. i very much get a sense of a work in progress for the whole thing. my funded project to receive funding had to be planned and thought through before any decision could be made about the award. with this project, it is very much in real time and i remain aware of the risks involved in this approach. the benefit of it of course is that in subsequent years of doing the art trail, the basis of knowledge about it will be from this pilot year, so there is everything to gain.

i've placed my own words on the artist page. they are short and to the point. the work will be made during an upcoming residency in derby. i'm quite excited about having an opportunity to show something only a few weeks after having it made. from talking to some of the other artists, there does seem to be a spirit of new beginnings and possibility.

i'm looking forward to how all the work sits together.

it also remains that i view this site as a work in progress and will only be complete once it becomes a legacy of the event. which is a round about way of saying that at any point it's viewed, there's still more to be added to it. so the list of artists added today is not the final list...

risks

as we enter may, i am all too aware of the risks associated with attempting this project.

a large one is that of time being spent on the project being in line with those working on it during the day light hours. potentially the risk is that i cannot spend as much time on the planning as those who daily jobs allow for time to be spent on it.

i hope that all parties are able to accomodate my risk and be patient and supportive as this project develops.

we are at the point of approaching artists that we would like to be part of this pilot year. as discussed before, there is a risk that we do not reach our target figure. time will tell of course.

waiting...

i keep wanting to do something on this project.

the main thought is getting details and information from those participating artists and shops and getting more information onto the webpage. being realistic and honest, as we all approach the long weekend of easter and the large public wedding, i can't help feeling i should leave all what i want to do until we get into may.