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

So simply put yes, and we're sorry that we have to do this but it's the only way we can get what we hope will become an annual show off the ground in this location. The truth is there's lots of costs to be considered but we want to be as up front about fees as possible so we're going to tell you a bit more. All the fees can be found on the exhibition page, but your entry could cost you as little as £10 and we're also supporting young people with free entries to the exhibition. Beyond that you could pay up to £45 to submit the maximum of 6 pieces at the highest price, which we personally think is fairly reasonable. We're then charging a tiny 30% commission, which we're sure you'll agree is better than a lot of other exhibitions and venues but has always been our standard rate. Now, this is a submission fee, so there is a minuscule chance you could pay for your entrance and not get selected, but we're not looking to turn anyone away. The judging process is there for moderation but we hope to absolutely fill this venue with submissions so the odds are good! But where does your submission fee go? Well there's two main costs ahead of us; marketing and maintenance. Lets start with the latter. Now, we're going into a lovely space and there's not much more we need to do than painting a white box, but as many artists out there will be aware, paint isn't cheap and we need a lot of it to get this space gleaming. We're also installing our professional hanging system to make sure that the presentation in this pop-up is as high quality as you'd expect in our main venue. There won't be any cutting corners here, we're serious about making this the best exhibition we can offer you. And then there's the marketing pot. As far as we're concerned, we wont settle until everyone this side of Bristol has heard about this exhibition so a big chunk of money is going to go into spreading the word and making sure that no one can say they didn't know the exhibition was happening. That sort of goal doesn't come cheap though, so we're raising funds to make sure we get the coverage just right. Most importantly though, we're running this exhibition sustainably, so your fees and commission payments will not just go into making this exhibition a huge success, but they'll be poured into funding future opportunities year after year after year. We're committed to making opportunities happen for you, not lining our own pockets so this exhibition is intended to build a legacy that will last. For more information on our Summer Open Exhibition, head here! #ArtizanSummerOpen2018 #2018 #TheBigQuestions

Want to feel like a kid again? Here’s how! There are two universal truths in life and they both share a common thread; Lego. The first of these indisputable facts is that there is nothing more painful than stepping barefoot on an upturned Lego brick. No, I’ll hear no arguments against this, you all know it to be true if your completely honest with yourselves so let’s just accept that I’m right and move on. The second of these irrefutable veracities, is that Lego has similar restorative qualities to the Fountain of Youth. Simply place a box of the colourful stuff in front of any individual aged 21 to 101 and the results are instantaneous, with the subject immediately regressing to an age somewhere between 6 and 12 and defiantly shouting at you, “Just 5 more minutes, please!” Maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but its undoubtedly fair to say that Lego is universally loved, officially being the world’s favourite toy and rolling 2.16 million pieces out of its factories every day. The construction blocks are also famed for cultivating the architects of the future, inspiring minds and developing mechanical reasoning through play. Its names origins therefore seem pretty apt, “leg godt” or “play well”; surely playing cannot be done much better than this. Today, a whole subculture surrounds Lego, with a seemingly infinite range of kits recreating iconic buildings, fictional worlds, historic eras and beyond. Creative minds have spawned Lego contraptions ranging from drawing machines through to fully drivable vehicles. There are board-games, computer games, colouring books and even a series of films surrounding the franchise, not forgetting the Legoland theme parks around the globe. The Lego phenomenon is celebrated around the world and now, that celebration has found a new home in Torquay. If you’re looking for a family activity to pass off as being for the kids this Summer that’s just as enjoyable if not more so for mum and dad, then Brick Built at Torquay Museum is where you need to be. We had the pleasure of attending the preview last week for the exhibition which is the museums feature display for the Summer season, created by artist Warren Elsmore and sponsored by architects Kay Elliott; suspicion was raised that the local firm may have had ulterior motives for their support, perhaps looking to recruit the architects of the future! Conspiracy theories aside, the exhibition is every kid’s dream with a collection of some of Elsemore’s best creations from the Brick Built and Brick City series. Constructions range from small 10-piece items of food, through to a full-scale airport scene encompassing thousands! The pieces represent what has been a lifelong passion for Warren, whose company now supplies museums and galleries throughout Europe with carefully curated shows of the Lego bricks. Why? Simple, to demonstrate that with a little time and imagination, just about anything is possible with these little bricks! And it certainly does that. I challenge anyone to not spend an hour sat at the builder’s zone and guarantee that many will be rushing home from the exhibition to break out their own sets of Lego to embark on ambitious projects which will inevitably end up swathing large portions of the living room. Maybe you’ll even take inspiration from the model of Torquay Pavilion built especially for the exhibition and construct some of the Bay’s other iconic landmarks? Oldway Mansion perhaps, or maybe Parkfield House, or possibly Bishops Place? Regardless of where your inspiration takes you, this is the perfect family exhibition for Torquay Museum’s Summer Season, so grab the kids and clear your afternoon for Brick Built. I'll leave you with this. Whilst researching exciting Lego facts I stumbled across this quote in an article from an American publication: “In 2009, a man named James May in Surrey, Great Britain, constructed the world’s first full-size LEGO house, using 3.3million bricks” I for one loved James May’s “Toy Stories” series, hopefully since The Grand Tour landed at Amazon he now also has greater recognition across the pond! #TorquayMuseum #BrickBuilt #Lego #Exhibition #Summer #Preview

We're excited to have Torbay Guild of Artists partnering with the exhibition and assisting us with the promotion and management of the event. As one of the English Riviera's premiere art societies, Torbay Guild lead the way in grass roots support for the Bay's visual arts. Officially working with them for the first time, we're hopeful that together we can make this a spectacular celebration of Torbay's visual artists, of course, with the help of their exceptional members! For more on Torbay Guild of Artists visit their Facebook Page and remember to check out all of the information about the exhibition here. #ArtizanSummerOpen2018 #Announcement #TorbayGuildofArtists

I love the local art community, its supportive embrace and its enthusiasim. I am its loyal advocate and standard bearer. I'm also a member of Torbay Culture Board and as such I'm it's representative but also its challenger, critic and questioner. I attended the launch of the Cockington Sculpture trail 2018 by invite and thoroughly enjoyed the launch, the artists and the meeting up with fellow culture lovers. Putting aside not being a great enthusiast of junk music and colander vibes, I'm currently listening to Foxtrot by Genesis so who am I to judge, I instead took an early turn around the walled garden and places where the sculptures called out. For me this is what public art does, calls out above and beyond the everyday and familiar. It challenges us to see through a different lens, refraction of the norm into the little jagged edges of the artists perspective that somehow re-forms back into a familiar territory, a raw assault on our complacency. The best sculpture were the ones that by size and boldness stood in the landscape and refused to compromise, the less successful sat slightly reduced and diminished; I can see you but I can't quite hear you. I hope this concept at Cockington grows and embraces some of the louder voices and encourages the smaller ones. I'm a lover of WH Auden and in particular: "You owe to all to us to get on with what you are good at" I live by this daily. Get better, bigger and bolder. The trail has built on last year and long may it grow in beauty alongside the loveliness of Cockington

We've got big news, literally! After many enquiries, we've come up with an offer to allow the submission of larger works to the Artizan Summer Open 2018. Standard submissions still carry a size limit of 80x80cm for 2D works and 60x60x100cm for 3D works, but, you can now double up your piece allowance if you wish to submit a larger work. So, if you have a piece which is 100x100cm, you can now submit this as two pieces, meaning you could submit up to three large works! We think that's a pretty fair deal, and we hope you do too! For more information on the exhibition, head here! #ArtizanSummerOpen2018 #CreativeCoverage #Announcement