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If you haven’t already heard, we’re engaging with the wonderful pandemic arts scheme #ArtistSupportPledge. Don’t know what that is? Well, here’s the two-minute explainer: It was all started by a guy called Matthew Burrows, an artist type, who could see the big burning issue around the arts in COVID, that, as is regularly the case, it was not to be a priority. Income streams ran dry as exhibitions were cancelled, studios closed, and audiences evaporated overnight. And the support that was there for visual artists? Well, there was nothing really. So, Matthew came up with a devilishly simple idea using a free tool that many artists already had at their disposal, and those that didn’t could setup in a couple of minutes; Instagram and a hashtag. And just like that, #ArtistSupportPledge was born. In his words, “Artist support pledge is a culture and economy in support of artists and makers. It is now a global movement of connected communities committed to an equitable and sustainable economy for artists and makers of all countries, media and ethnicities.” The process is simple. Take a work with a maximum value of £200 and post it to the platform adding #artistsupportpledge to the post. Supporters of the cause, collectors, and arts enthusiasts, browse the hashtag and if they find a piece they like, message the artist and make a purchase. There are no membership fees, no commissions, the only requirement is that if an artist finds fame and fortune to the tune of £1000 worth of sales they re-invest in the scheme and buy a #artistsupportpledge piece from one of their fellow community members. It has proven to be a popular platform for promoting, sharing, and selling work that has undoubtedly done a lot of good during these difficult times. We experienced this for ourselves when we adopted a slight variation on the pledge as part of our 2020 Winter Open Exhibition. Not practicing artists ourselves, we determined to reinvest in work under £200 featured in our exhibition every time we hit £1000 worth of sales. The artist receives payment and the work immediately goes back on sale as part of the galleries private collection, helping us to pass more profits back to the people that make our work possible. To date, we’ve made more than ten pledges and for 2021 we’re expanding the programme. We’ll now be applying the pledge to all sales across our collections not just those in current exhibitions. This means that every sale we make pushes us towards our investment goals. As well as this, we’re expanding the pool from which we’ll select work. Rather than it just being from our own collection, we’re inviting the wider Instagram #artistsupportpledge community to be in with a chance of receiving our pledge. All artists have to do, is follow @artizangallery on Instagram, and tag us in any #artistsupportpledge posts they make. Whenever we reach a target, we’ll include these works when making our selections. So, if you’re out there on the internet engaging with this wonderful arty initiative, make yourself known to us, we’re excited to show our support. #MatthewBurrows #ArtizanTorquay #EnglishRiviera

It’s all beginning to feel a bit “Groundhog Day” isn’t it? Add another notch on the lockdown tally and prepare yourself for the daily “Boris Briefings” because apparently something went wrong New Year’s Eve and January has confirmed we all in fact time travelled back to the start of 2020. Always keen to jump on the bandwagon, if the 2021 trend is to repeat oneself, we thought we’d take the opportunity to retread some positive ground from our pandemic response, with two cultural initiatives that we set up that have been helping support the arts in Torbay. The first, is our Postcard Collections. This all started as part of our plans to help artists take part in our Winter Open Exhibition. With the anticipation the exhibition might not even be able to go ahead, we decided to run free submissions to the show, instead asking artists to donate small postcard works that we could use to fundraise or otherwise help promote the exhibition. What we didn't expect, was the generosity of all the wonderful artists taking part, because what they donated in many cases can hardly be described as "postcard artworks" and we now have a stunning collection of small, unique, gift pieces exclusive to Artizan. After a bit of a rethink, we came up with a fundraising initiative which has been really popular. Somewhere between a raffle and a blind auction, anyone who wants to support us and our artists can make a donation of as little as £10 to have the chance to select work from the collection. You can find out more, make a donation, and get your hands on a stunning piece of original art at art-hub.co.uk/postcards The second, is the Artist Support Pledge. This one’s a little bit bigger than us, a global initiative established on Instagram in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Creatives can post their artworks using #artistsupportpledge giving details of their works and price (no more than £200 or equivalent). Buyers then simply message the artist to make an enquiry. Every time an artist reaches £1,000 of sales, they pledge to buy £200 of work from other artists through the pledge. We're supporting our artists by working with #artistsupportpledge and promoting exhibited works under £200. Starting with our Winter Open Exhibition, we regularly shared posts from the show with #artistsupportpledge and every time we reached £1000 worth of sales, we reinvested in work from our artists. The piece would then immediately go back on display, but the artist will receive payment straight away and see the benefit of a sale. You can find out more, view works under £200, and make a purchase that contributes to our pledge fund at art-hub.co.uk/artistsupportpledge #BeachHutMagazine #CultureUpdate #February2020 #ArtistSupportPledge #PostcardArtwork

Back in 2020, in one of the few short windows we were able to open, it was great to participate in Devon Open Studios, which thanks to the exceptional Devon Artist Network Committee went ahead against all odds. With the year having been pretty quiet we were determined to put on a bit of a show, and thanks to a lot of hard work and some good fortune we were able to do just that, with a huge Summer Open show, a retrospective showing of never before seen works of Richard Slater, and an active studio hosting with Open Studios Bursary winner William Mills. It was all topped off with a new event for us that we hoped would be a big hit with Devon Open Studios audiences, The Sculpture Studio. And we’re pleased to say, a big hit it was! The Sculpture Studio brought together eight talented 3D artists from Devon and beyond to showcase with us - Kate Lyons Miller, Eilean Elland, Ezra Bailey, David Newman, Rose Ellis, Bev Knowlden, Elisabeth Hadley and Gesche Buecker - and despite the unusual year, we welcomed one of our biggest audiences for the annual event. We even extended the show, with work from the group ultimately being shown right up the end of the year. And in 2021, we’ve decided to keep the ball rolling. Not only will The Sculpture Studio be returning for Devon Open Studios in September, but it will also have a permanent year round place with us, as we look forward to opening South Devon’s first dedicated Sculpture Gallery. Welcoming back some of the 2020 artists and also inviting some new faces, the Sculpture Gallery will occupy our newest space at Lucius Street, with five artists currently confirmed to join our ranks and two still to come. We’ll be announcing details of some of the amazing work you can expect to see over the coming weeks, and until we re-open, you’ll have the chance to get a first glimpse of collections online. To be the first to hear announcements about our new Sculpture Gallery, make sure your signed up to our newsletter, and if you want to get a feel for what it’s all about, why not check out The Sculpture Studio as it was in the 2020 Devon Open Studios event. #DevonOpenStudios #DevonArtistNetwork #TheSculptureStudio #SculptureGallery #ArtizanTorquay #EzraBailey #KateLyonsMiller #EileanElland #DavidNewman #RoseEllis #BevKnowlden #ElisabethHadley #GescheBuecker

I was thrilled this year to have a painting selected to be shown with the 'ING DISCERNING EYE ART EXHIBITION IN LONDON'. 'National Carols' was chosen by the art collector Mervyn Metcalf from 6000 works down to just over 184 pieces in his gallery including my painting. This is an amazing art exhibition, that, sadly, as with many exhibitions in 2020 ended up online only. If you have any spare time please do log on and have a look. My painting National Carols was inspired by a trip last December. I went to london to meet a friend. We had parted and I was having a wander before catching my bus home. It was a special night, a beautiful night and I do think the painting works really well to capture the atmosphere of the evening. There's something else with this painting. This does not happen every time. Some works just have that extra edge, something almost unnerving and yet very beautiful. The screen unfortunately does not do it justice. In my work I am currently drawn to what entertains us. I am pulled into certain situations normally with brightly coloured lights that have the effect on people and objects around them to give a feeling of warmth, cold or a mystery of some kind, often casting shadows. In this painting I was interested in how the lights connect us. The carol singers literally had them strung around each other. I get a certain energy from lights, a buzz, I think we are all a bit like moths to the flame. We use the lights around entertainment to attract attention and in my case they help to lift your spirits. This special painting was not pre planned, I don't think about what I will paint next. I let my mind wander and my feet take me to new situations. If I find something that interests me I will take pictures and make sketches which may or may not make it to the canvas. A picture like this is so rare, everything has to come together at once. For an artist to paint they must be inspired, be in the right frame of mind and full of energy. This year Mervyn Metcalf said about his choices: 'In my mind art should talk to you. It should draw an emotion. You should notice the piece as you walk by. It’s something you are excited to tell your friends about. The works I have selected for my virtual wall all said something to me. They all had a presence that made them stand out from 6000 works I saw over two long days on zoom. If you are lucky enough to purchase a piece in the exhibition then get to know more about the artist. Follow them on Instagram. Post the work once it’s hung and tag the artist – let them see how you display their talented work. Maybe in future add more works from that same artist into your collection. If you see a piece you like, buy it. Don’t worry what someone else might think of you. Collecting and displaying art is showing a part of your soul. If a piece of art has spoken to your soul then it's right for you. You have made a connection.' https://www.ingdeexhibition.org/mervyn-metcalf #jaynefarleigh #ingdiscerningeyeexhibition #contemporaryart

As an Academician with the RWA, and, given that it has been a year where opportunities to show work have been a rarity, I was delighted to be invited to display two of my works in their 168th Annual Open Exhibition that was due to open on 2nd January. But alas it is not to be and although all work has been delivered and is hung, this exhibition, like so many has had to be postponed. One can only imagine how eerie the space must feel, bereft of the crowds of people who would normally attend, lacking those murmurs of reaction and appreciation and conversations around the pieces that made it through the selection process. All works can still be viewed online via their website and whilst no substitute for the experience of visiting a space and to be able to take in the diverse array of art that is a signature of this annual show, at least it is something until such time as the show can open to the public. Shows such as this are to be treasured as they invite submissions from both established and emerging artists working across all mediums, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, installation and mixed media and offer that rare chance to discover a new artist or invest in a well-known name. https://www.rwa.org.uk/collections/events/products/rwa-168-annual-open-exhibition More about my selected pieces View All Works Here Jennifer Harris RWA Academician #contemporaryart #jenniferharris #RWABristol

An interview with artist Fred Gray on his exhibition "Chelston in Lockdown: A Sleeping Beauty" #fredgray #chelston20

I am exhibiting my work at an exhibition at Wildwood Arts entitled 'An Extraordinary Exhibition’. It will be showing new work completed this year and previously not shown.  The exhibition opens on 14th November and continues until 24th December, Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm.  The  gallery will be closed during lockdown but the exhibition will be available online during and after the restrictions.' https://www.wildwoodartsdartmoor.co.uk/artists/art-paintings/artists/rosemary-bonney/ Wildwood Arts, Chapel Lane, Horrabridge, Yelverton PL207SP. #rosemarybonney

Are you a creative enterprise in the fields of design, arts, architecture, crafts, games, createch, film, TV, radio, music, performance, photography, heritage, publishing, etc.? The creative industries is one of the key sectors supported by the Low Carbon Devon project. Low Carbon Devon provides an excellent opportunity for Devon to limit global warming by advocating change and taking practical steps to reduce emissions. Supported by investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the £2.6m programme runs until early 2023. As an exciting new catalyst for low-carbon economic growth in Devon, the project supports Devon-based organisations to access research, business support, and engage with the University of Plymouth around the low-carbon agenda. Do you have an idea that engages with the low carbon agenda? Would you benefit from: Sustainability Hub – use of this innovative, living lab for events (your own, or attending ours), enabling business, social enterprises and community groups to mix with researchers and students? Research & Innovation – to support you to develop a new low carbon product, process or service through collaborating with the project’s academic colleagues (particularly in areas of green/living walls, power electronics/photovoltaics, energy efficient buildings/behavioural change and creative industries)? Carbon reduction – support to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of your building? A student or graduate intern paid for 1-3 months to develop, promote or explain a new product, process or service, within the renewable energy sector, or relating to the low carbon agenda? Knowledge Exchange – joining a specialist event regarding carbon reduction? Please follow the link to complete the expression of interest form: Low Carbon Devon – enterprises’ expression of interest For more information: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/sustainability-hub-low-carbon-devon Dr Emma Whittaker Email: sustainabilityhub@plymouth.ac.uk #LowCarbonDevon

This exhibition brings together all aspects of the Nonsense art I've worked on over the past five years. Nonsense is an intrinsic part of British humour. We are introduced to Hey Diddle Diddle early on in our lives, and most people know it by heart. It is our Nonsense Baptism. One of the most frequently heard cliches in times of joy is "over the moon". Nonsense is often referred to in everyday speech-------- someone somewhere is pursuing something down a rabbit hole. Recently it was said that a key book to understanding the Trump administration was Alice in Wonderland. ("The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for a moment like a wild beast, began screaming "Off with her head!") This exhibition is sponsored by Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, and the cow who jumped over the moon. THE STUFF OF NONSENSE featuring the works of Mike Tingle is on show at the . Devon Guild of Craftsmen. Riverside Mill. Bovey Tracey, until 3rd January 2021 #miketingle

The English Riviera Winter Open Exhibition has seen a couple of changes this year if you’re a submitting artist. For starters we’ve made the opportunity free which you can find out more about here art-hub.co.uk/post/how-can-we-cut-submission-fees-for-our-winter-open. But you will have also hopefully spotted another change that makes this year’s submission process a bit unique and that’s the “Postcard Work Donation”. It’s an important change and it forms a part of your submission, so we thought we’d take a little time to explain it and why we’ve chosen to make it a part of this year’s opportunity. So, let’s break it down: “All selected artists will be asked to donate a postcard work to the exhibition.” Simple enough, if your work is selected, we’re going to be asking you to donate a small work as part of your submission. But why are we asking you to do this and what will we do with these pieces? Well, the plan is that all the postcards will form a part of a collection that will be used to fundraise for a programme of support that will run through 2021 given the likelihood that creatives may continue to struggle in the coming months. We want to make sure we’re ready to lend a hand and this is the next step in expanding our offer to artists. What the fundraiser will look like, we don’t quite know yet; we may run an affordable art sale, a silent auction, an envelope lucky dip, but the aim will be to build up a fund that can make its way back to the artists we work with. This may be in the form of bursary exhibitions, small grants, investment in new resources and services, again we’re open to suggestions here, but it will be something that makes a difference. We should probably also talk a little bit about what we’re expecting in a postcard donation: “This should be a small work, no larger than A4 and need not be mounted or framed in anyway. It might be a sketch, study, collage, print or experimentation but whatever form it takes you should be comfortable presenting it as a representative example of your work or process.” So, we’re really only asking for a very small piece, literally a postcard, a sample of what you do that you think will be a nice keepsake for an art buyer. There doesn’t need to be any frills but if you do want to make the piece a bit special that’s also fine. Ideally, we would ask though that this is an original piece of work as opposed to an fine art print or card. But what if you’re a 3D artist? We understand that this submission format is not suitable for people working in all mediums, particularly 3D artists, so do contact us to discuss suitable submissions. Perhaps you sketch out concepts before creating pieces, maybe you do glaze tests or even have “seconds” sat on the shelf. It just needs to be a little something that someone could take away and love. Once again, the Postcard Work, will form a part of your submission, so do think about what it might be when you apply. We hope you’ll agree this is a worthwhile endeavour we’re embarking on as part of this years exhibition opportunity and as always if something doesn’t make sense, just reach out and ask! The English Riviera Winter Open 2020 – A Port in A Storm for Devon’s Visual Arts - https://www.art-hub.co.uk/ex/erwo20 Call Details - http://art-hub.co.uk/calls #erwo20

If you’ve seen the call for our annual winter open show, you probably know the big headline; this year, submissions are absolutely free. There’s no charge to have your work considered, and if you’re successful you still wont pay anything to have your work displayed. It’s that simple and that’s the point; because with continued uncertainty, and the reality that none of us know what lies around the corner, where we can remove barriers, we feel we should. And if you’re wondering what’s in it for us, there is some incentive from our perspective too. For one thing, we’re just as in the dark as everyone else at the moment. We don’t want to tempt fate, but for the first time ever the possibility of shows being cancelled is something that features as a headline in every one of our planning sessions, rather than just an outside chance or worst case scenario. Managing the fallout from this is a significantly more challenging task if we’re holding fees from artists; the choice to refund, postpone, reallocate submissions, all come into play, and not everyone will agree with the decision we chose to make, so by taking this out of the equation, hopefully we can ensure that no one is left with a bad taste in their mouth. On the more positive side of things, we hope no fees means increased accessibility, and in turn might lead to some new faces. We know that some of the biggest barriers to accessing the arts are economic factors, with success in an artistic profession disproportionately linked to higher income backgrounds (https://hyperallergic.com/497270/economic-study-artists/). Now scrapping a few fees we know doesn’t solve these inequalities, but it does mean that we can be certain that the only criteria for this show will be the quality of submissions, which is better news for our audiences too. And we hope this also makes it an easier opportunity for you to share with your networks who may not already know about us! So that’s the story behind free submissions, it’s a big step for us to take but it will be more than rewarded if the community of artists we know we can depend on, helps get the word out about what we’re doing so that as many people as possible can be a part of this exhibition. 😊 The English Riviera Winter Open 2020 – A Port in A Storm for Devon’s Visual Arts - https://www.art-hub.co.uk/ex/erwo20 Call Details - http://art-hub.co.uk/calls #erwo20