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"I hate being filmed." It's a phrase I've heard often and I've always tried to be sympathetic to it, especially given its a sentiment I thoroughly agree with. But last week it was my turn to wrestle with this thought as I took a disconcerting step out of my comfort zone when Josh Pratt of Wonder Associates, visited Artizan Gallery to interview me about the Artizan Summer Open Exhibition and the work we do on Lucius Street to support Torbay creatives and visual arts. Those in the know will be aware that we produce all of our exhibition photography and event videography in house, and the person behind the majority of that content is me. You would perhaps therefore guess correctly that I am far more comfortable stood behind a camera than sat in front of one! As such, I cannot definitively say that it was without trepidation that I awaited Josh as the hour of our interview approached. Time constraints had meant that we ultimately filmed in two separate locations across two days; with both spaces to be manned a window where I could spend the required time in the Summer Open venue on Fleet Walk was not forthcoming, so eventually we settled on filming the majority of the interview up at Artizan Gallery with Douglas Bardrick's recently hung "Aspects of Abstraction" as backdrop. Josh arrived punctually, dashing my hopes that maybe he'd forgotten, and I'd avoid the whole experience, and began unpacking kit. This first day also coincided with what was perhaps the peak of the heatwave we've been having, a fact which did nothing to help my already parched mouth. We chatted as he setup, I gave him some background on the gallery to inform the interview, and we shared our experiences of working in amongst the landscape of Torbay's cultural offer, both expressing similar enthusiasm and frustration at "the way things are round here". Ready to go, I sat down, (on what I still maintain was the wrong side of the camera) and was immediately overcome with the urge to break every rule I tell people when I'm interviewing them; my eyes dragging themselves to stare down the lens, a sudden inability to rephrase questions at the start of my answers, the overwhelming urge to "um" and "erm". But the urges were repressed and the whole thing was over before I knew it with very little trauma involved. I went about my day telling myself that I didn't even have to watch it back and hear myself talk, knowing that in reality this was never going to be an option. And then yesterday it landed on the internet and helpfully also in my inbox, on my twitter feed and in my pages notifications… It was clear there was going to be no avoiding it. So, I sat down with a coffee for what I anticipated would be an uncomfortable two and a quarter minutes of self-conscious viewing. The reality once again was nothing so traumatic, and in fact, I hope I've done an alright job of explaining what it is we do at Artizan. I shan't be watching it again too many times though! The sad news is, that the release of this interview marks the final stages of the Summer Open. We have just 7 days left to enjoy in our wonderful Fleet Walk venue, to show off our 100 participating artists and to shout about the 200+ pieces of gorgeous work. We're marking the final week with 10% off online purchases with the discount code SUMMER2018 so make sure to take advantage of that over the next few days. We wish we could stay longer, despite the fact its meant over a month of 7 day weeks and far too many hours, this has been our favourite project to date since we started here at Artizan. We're coming away with more knowledge than ever before, from an event that we hope you'll all agree can only be considered a success for Torbay arts. We know this won't be last project like it for us, and we hope that all of our participating artists will join is in the future. We're already thinking about what comes next and we've still got some huge shows to look forward to in our Summer Season including Creative Coverage at the end of August, Devon Open Studios 2018, and our September exhibition "Distractions". Our next calls will be for our October, "We Are Building a New World" show curated by Becky Nuttall, followed by our Winter Open in December which will have further details of soon. In between, we hope to also have a couple more sneaky interventions on the cards before the end of 2018 and perhaps even a big announcement about the main space on the cards... Until then though, thanks to everyone who has supported the Artizan Summer Open 2018 from partners to visitors to artists. We'll see you on the other side! #Arthub #JacobBrandon #Artists #Exhibitions #Video #Interview #ArtizanSummerOpen2018

The other art fair presented by Saatchi Art showcases 100 talented independent and emerging artists hand picked by a committee of art world experts. Moving from the Arnolfini, Bristol to its new home at the Passenger Shed at Temple Meads train station. Highlights of the show include abstract landscapes by Venice based artist Stacey Gibboni, Metamorphica prints by London based artist Paul Kingsley Squire, Lawrie Hutcheon optical illusion work and Elaine Kazimierczuk vivid landscapes. #TheOtherArtFair #July #2018 #CatherineKennedy

On Monday 6th August for one week only, an amazing programme of Olde Tyme Music Hall bursts onto the stage of the Little Theatre in Torquay. The evening is jam-packed with favourite tunes of the Victorian era, interspersed with comedy sketches, dance routines and audience participation, evoking the best of British Music Hall. TOADS presents a stellar cast of favourite artistes, with Alan Tanner presiding as Master of Ceremonies. The entire show is directed by Martin Waddington, for many years Musical Director of the Players’ Theatre in the West End of London. In the past Martin provided piano accompaniment to many Music Hall artistes such as Clive Dunn (from BBC’s Dad’s Army) and also worked alongside veteran comedian Roy Hudd in pantomime. He is particularly looking forward to presenting TOADS’ Olde Tyme Music Hall as a flamboyant opening to their 2018-19 Theatre Season, and he is certain Torbay audiences will come along to join in the fun! Runs from Monday 6th to Saturday 11th August. Tickets on sale from Box Office [01803 299330] or online @ www.toadstheatre.co.uk #TheLittleTheatre #August

Now we know you wont want to miss this. We had a month off from our rather fabulous Cocktails and Conversation evenings and there will certainly be no half measures as we return to them in August! Join us for Torbay's favourite after hours networking evening at the Bays only independent fine art gallery. In association with Accounting4Everything, Artizan Gallery hosts a relaxed evening of Conversation, with Cocktails, Canapes and an exciting annual lineup of guest speakers. To celebrate our End of Summer relaunch, we're welcoming MP for Torbay, Kevin Foster to the gallery for this exclusive event, as we invite guests to preview our August exhibition "Aspect of Abstraction". 2018 has seen these events flourish into a vibrant networking opportunity that you wont want to miss, and with Summer looking set to continue indefinitely, we can think of worse ways to enjoy these extended evenings! So, come and have a drink with us, we promise you wont regret it! #Artizan #2018 #CocktailsandConversation #KevinFoster #Accounting4Everything #DouglasBardrick

We all start small and in my case, very small. As a child, I saw the heights of creativity and ambition amongst the adults. I lifted myself up, crept out of my shadow and stood at the very edge, nervous of being out of my depth. Today I am a strong swimmer. But we all start out small. I have the pleasure of being selected to exhibit at the Artizan Summer Exhibition Fleet Walk Torquay. I am also a member of the Torbay Guild of Artists, twelve members are in the exhibition, which started out small in the 1960s. All the artists in the exhibition started out small. The gallery started out as small. My mixed media picture Child Artist represents the artist as small. The blue and white motif is a pattern I made at school in 1971. The fox is a picture I created in 1976. The necklace is made from Milton Head Pottery motifs,1950-59, designed by my father, when the pottery was small but his ambition was big In Pot Family Tree I am represented as a small pot, moulded by my father. Both pictures are made from small works that make a larger one, representing the steps we make to become artists, hoping one day to become big.

Another WooHoo event, this time the UK’s first ever Art Maze at Powderham Castle Barn, near Dawlish. 1 July -12 August 2018 (excluding Saturdays) 10am - 5pm A maze and a gallery. A free fun art experience ... you could lose yourself... no really you can! Prepare for fun, light-hearted art, sculpture and humour within the clever indoor maze, suitable for all the family, with an art shop at the end of the maze, if you can find it! Rhian will be exhibiting, alongside 100 other artists, and she will also be there as Artist on Thursday 12 July all day. Free entry with Powderham Castle ticket. #ArtMazing #PowderhamCastle #RhianWynHarrison

Good afternoon all. We’re midway through our second day in the space at Fleet Walk and it’s the morning after our July artist preview of Alan Price-Roberts exhibition Portraits to Abstraction up at the home base. And we’re feeling all round good vibes at both spaces…. Despite the sweltering heat making a nap on the beach the most inviting prospect, the team are working pretty hard across both venues and we’re making really good progress. This morning I went into the space having left at lunchtime the day before and I could not believe the transformation; it really is amazing what a lick of paint can do! Builder Paul has been phenomenal, and we’d expect nothing less, he’s been our go to guy since we opened the gallery and he’s never seen us wrong. Even better, he knows our hanging system like the back of his hand so from getting into the space first thing today, he had the whole thing up before our first coffee break! In the meantime, I’d received probably another 20-30% of the art for the exhibition this morning, including some exceptionally heavy pieces today! We’re now well over halfway there to receiving all the artwork and with the hanging system up, it could well be time to start the hang… I also made the vital discovery, that our next-door neighbours, Greggs, do coffee and a bacon sandwich for £2; these are clearly the priorities we need to be worrying about for the next month! All in all, we say it with caution, but we’re happy that progress is good. The temporary office is proving sturdy enough to hold laptop and coffee. We’ve had lots of lovely conversations as people look in, everyone’s intrigued with so many deliveries. The bus stop outside is bringing loads of people to our doorstep which is great news. Participating artist, framer, printer and friend of the gallery Kevin Cowell has really kindly printed us out a nice big sign today which is now up in the window and we hope we’ve come up with a creative solution for our slightly patchy ceiling that will add a bit of Artizan flare… more on that tomorrow! Last night we settled in for a lovely Artist Preview at the gallery with Alan Price-Roberts and co. and what a wonderful evening it was. Pimm’s, strawberries and cream, great art; do you need anything else for a great party?! We don’t think so. The night rounded off with some mounted originals heading home with happy collectors and an Artizan blue dot on “The Big Apple”, our featured window piece due for collection next week. And now, we’re anticipating a quiet afternoon as the streets empty, the pubs fill up and the BBQs fire up as the nation settles in to watch some good old-fashioned kicking of a ball around a field. We hear it’s a bit of a major event... #ArtizanSummerOpen2018 #July #JulyExhibition #AlanPriceRoberts #2018 #Portrait #Abstract

Do you know someone with an idea worth spreading? Someone who's changing lives and changing the world? Or just someone with a unique perspective that made you stop and think. Well TEDxTorquay wants to know about them! If you've not heard of TED, you need to! It's a global organisation spreading ideas from every discipline and culture to encourage a greater understanding of the world we live in. Their snappy and informative talks cover subjects from design to science to entertainment, with their videos reaching huge audiences across the globe. TEDx, forms a part of this programme, allowing small community organised "TED-like" events to be organised by volunteers around the world, to celebrate innovation and open minds. Now, TEDxTorquay has been welcomed to the tribe, and the town will be hosting its first event later this year. They're currently seeking speakers and welcoming nominations until the 17th June. So if you know someone with an idea worth celebrating, make sure their names on the list, by filling out the form here. For more on the event follow them on Facebook /tedxtorquay Twitter @TEDxTorquay and Instagram @TEDxTorquay. #TEDxTorquay #2018 #IdeasWorthCelebrating #TED

"It's better together", as the old adage goes, and we think that's probably fair enough. We like to think our Summer Open is no exception, bringing together local artists and local people, to build something we can all be a part of... But why not take this principle a little further? Why not take it all the way back to the submission process?Well, there's no good reason not to really! So, we've introduced Joint Applications, the principle being if your bring a friend, you both get to submit a second piece of art absolutely free! Why? Because it's better together! If this is something you fancy, all you have to do is grab an updated joint application form here and in the "Joint Artist" box at the end of the form put the name of your fellow creative. They then put your name on their respective form and your free piece is confirmed! Simple as that. It's just another great reason to take part ;) Remember to check out all of the information about the exhibition here. #ArtizanSummerOpen2018 #Announcement #OnlineGallery #Free

Another day, another update! Are we excited? Good, because that's the sort of positive thinking we need to take this exhibition to the very top! As far as we're concerned, there's two really important groups of people when it comes to The Artizan Summer Open; the artists and the audience. So, today, we've handed more control over to you guys to help shape this exhibition into your exhibition! How are we doing this? By launching the "Audience Favourite Vote"! But what does that mean? Well, it means we're inviting you, the people who are going to support our show, the chance to shape what you see at the exhibition by guaranteeing entry to the 5 artworks with the highest audience vote! With loads of fantastic submissions, it would be great to show them all but unfortunately that's just not possible, so if there's a piece you're dying to see on the exhibition wall, make sure to show it some support by giving it a quick vote on our online form. The process couldn't be simpler; find your favourite piece in the online gallery, tell us the title, and that's it, you did your bit for your favourite art! Everything you need to vote can be found here so, what are you waiting for? Go vote now! Some important bits to bear in mind: - You can only vote once (so make it count!) - Votes will close at the same time as our submission deadline, that's Midnight June 15th! Don't be late! Remember to check out all of the information about the exhibition here. #ArtizanSummerOpen2018 #Announcement #OnlineGallery #AudienceVote

We're going to keep this simple and give you 50 reasons why you need to be a part of the Artizan Summer Open 2018! So, in now particular order, lets go! 1. This is the only Open Exhibition taking place on the Torquay High Street this Summer! 2. It's at the height of the Summer Season, that means peak tourist time and huge audience reach! 3. Applications are quick and easy, simply fill in the forms here. 4. Or if you prefer, we've made the application available through CuratorSpace. 5. We're partnered with expert PR agency Creative Coverage to help promote the exhibition nationally. 6. The Artizan Summer Open has now been running for 4 years and has an outstanding reputation for celebrating visual arts in Devon. 7. There's specific categories to promote local Torbay and South Devon artists... 8. But we'll also be inviting national and international submissions to celebrate Torbay as a great place for outstanding visual arts. 9. There are reduced fees for young artists up to the age of 21... 10. And we're partnering with schools and colleges to make sure the exhibition supports emerging youth talent. 11. We're committed to putting on a family friendly exhibition, exciting for kids, and interesting for parents. 12. We'll be organising an exciting programme of events to support the exhibition and appeal to a wide range of audiences. 13. Our exhibition partners, Torbay Guild of Artists, have a wealth of experience amongst their membership to help support the success of the exhibition. 14. You can submit large works to the exhibition! 15. We'll be kicking the whole thing off with a VIP drinks reception for artists and their guests. 16. As soon as we receive your submission and payment, your pieces go live on the online gallery, regardless of final selection, meaning guaranteed exposure. 17. Once your piece is live, it can be voted for as an "Audience Favourite" guaranteeing its selection! 18. The exhibitions main objective is to be accessible to all; that's all artists and all visitors, even dogs! 19. As with all our exhibitions we're not charging exorbitant rates of commission. 20. You'll also be part of Torbay's biggest 2018 exhibition. 21. If you need any assistance, submission help is available every day at Artizan Gallery, just book an appointment! 22. All applicants get the offer of a reduced Arthub membership with online profile and e-commerce package; check out our featured artist to see how awesome that is! 23. There's a dedicated exhibition page with details of every work, blog updates from the team and contributing artists, and regularly updated image galleries so, the whole exhibition can be explored online around the world... 24. And there'll even be a VR walkthrough archive of the exhibition! Checkout our past 360 scans here! 25. The exhibition will be open 7 days a week to make the most of our time here. 26. By taking part you help us to grow our external exhibition offers, meaning more sustainable exhibition opportunities in prime retail locations and other premises across the Bay. 27. This is another example of how we support our local visual arts community... 28. Artizan has a reliable reputation for professional, high quality exhibitions... 29. And our local artists are at the heart of what we do as we continue to develop our offer and services to better promote and support our community. 30. Which makes this exhibition great for first time artists... 31. But it's also what makes it an incredible opportunity for professional full-time artists too! 32. Did we mention we'll be there for a whopping 4 weeks! 33. We'll also be producing a commemorative brochure of all the works. 34. And we say "open" we mean completely open? Any theme, any medium! 35. And that includes 3D work! 36. Plus the opportunity to display browser pieces and cards. 37. And with an allowance of up to 6 pieces per submission! 38. With entrance fees starting from as little as £10! 39. And in the large venue we'll be displaying in excess of 100 works! 40. By taking part, you'll be playing a role in Torbay's Cultural Regeneration as we put visual arts at the heart of the town this Summer! 41. Oh, and then there's the fact we've got the support of our wonderful sponsors, Edinburgh House Estates! 42. We're committed to delivering exceptional standards... 43. Providing a clean white box space... 44. Which includes the same professional hanging system we use in our main venue... 45. And a weeks maintenance before we launch to get things just right; this isn't just a rushed pop-up! 46. The exhibition is being run on a sustainable model, with profits going into future exhibition projects. 47. And by bringing it to an empty retail space, you'll be helping us do our bit to help revitalise the Torquay High Street for our Summer guests. 48. But most importantly this is a great way to meet other South West Artists... 49. And Celebrate Visual Arts in Torbay! 50. And finally, the main reason you should apply, is because we need you! Ultimately, we can't make this exhibition possible without you, so apply today! For more information on our Summer Open Exhibition, head here! Who knows, maybe you'll come up with some more reasons of your own! #ArtizanSummerOpen2018 #2018 #TheBigQuestions #50Reasons

With so many lovely entries coming in and the knowledge that at some point we're going to have the hard task of judging them, we decided to make a small change to the call. We know that all the work that is coming in deserves to be seen, and to be honest, we can't wait to show it off, so someone at Team Artizan had a bright idea. Why not show every single work? The only thing that's stopping us is the small issue of wall space, but that's not an issue on our wonderful website. So, we've decided that every entry will now feature in the online exhibition gallery regardless of selection, meaning, every piece you submit will appear on the Summer Open 2018 digital platform. Not only this, but works will be going live as we receive them and will stay live on the site for the rest of 2018 in line with our exhibition offer. This effectively means you get a free listing on Arthub, which is a pretty good deal when our E-commerce offer is usually £150! So, to recap, submit a work, get it online straight away, and then its up for selection for the main show. You can't say fairer than that really? Remember to check out all of the information about the exhibition here. #ArtizanSummerOpen2018 #Announcement #OnlineGallery #Free