Friday is the last day to register your views on the disastrous proposal from Ian Wood to level UTG and essentially concrete over it, ripping out all the trees.

If you don’t act now what will you tell the next generation?  They won’t see the trees for the Wood.

Here are some things you can do today.

It’s VITAL that everybody who wants to save Union Terrace Gardens for future generations to enjoy takes part!

You can fill in the survey here: http://www.thecitysquareproject.com/consultation/

Or freephone: 0800 111 4881

Text: Send your thoughts by texting 60777 followed by the word ’square’

Email: consultation@thecitysquareproject.com

or write to: The City Square Project,

Weber Shandwick PR,

58 Queens Road, Aberdeen,

AB15 4YE

More information on both projects: www.comparethesquare.com

Other ways to get involved:

Please keep signing the petition! This petition WILL be included in the consultation results. We will hand this in at the end of the consultation period on 5th March – please do forward the link to everyone you think would be interested:
http://gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-new-contemporary-art-centre-in-union-terrace-gardens.html

If you have family or friends who aren’t online they may be missing the opportunity to express their views – please do think if you know of anybody who hasn’t yet taken the opportunity to participate and pass on the phone number and the postal address. Much of this consultation is being run online which may exclude many of Aberdeen’s senior citizens.

Recent news:Annie Lennox has added her voice to the growing campaign to save UTG and the contemporary arts centre – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8504483.stm

Jim Milne, leading Aberdonian businessman and Chariman of The Balmoral Group, speaks out against the “desecration” of UTG – http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/156374-leading-businessman-hits-out-at-aberdeen-garden-plans/

Professor Stuart MacDonald, one of Scotland’s leading authorities on architecture and former head of Gray’s School of Art, urges Aberdeen to scrap the City Square Project and adopt the Peacock Visual Arts scheme so it can benefit from the “Bilbao effect” – http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1593417

Peter Ross, in Scotland on Sunday, claims the debate is about more than the “heart” or “lungs” of Aberdeen – it’s about the soul of the city -http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/comment/Peter-Ross-Fight-for-the.6070675.jp

Thank you!

I ♥ UTG ♥ YOU

As the Herald announced today:

“It will be Scotland’s biggest display of the works of its most important painters – but the search goes on to find the lost Glasgow Boys.

“Curators of one of the most important art exhibitions ever staged in Glasgow have confirmed there will be 140 paintings at this year’s landmark exhibition of the group of artists who transformed Scottish art in the late 19th century and laid the ground for the more famous Colourists.

“However, the search to find lost works by the Glasgow Boys has, so far, failed to find most of the missing masterpieces that could have featured in the exhibition, held in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum from April 9 until September 27.”

For more info see:-  http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/boys-are-back-in-town-but-hunt-goes-on-for-lost-masters-1.1002525

Also the Kelvingrove’s website: http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/showExhibition.cfm?venueid=4&itemid=270

Peacock Printmakers plans for a new arts centre in Union Terrace Gardens were approved by planning committee and had secured funding.

Now Sir Iain Wood’s grandiose scheme to ‘transform’ the Gardens have stalled, and may even scupper those plans.

A new site has been set up allowing Aberdeen residents to compare the two proposals:  www.comparethesquare.com

Have a look at the different proposals then contact your concillor to let them know your views. Either visit the city council website or use the Write To Them site.

My suggestion is that if Sir Iain wishes to develop a city square then he should develop the site of St Nicholas House, opening up the square in front of the council’s new HQ,  Marischal College, and the area around the marvellous Provost Skene’s house which is hidden from view right now.

RU Books (who used to be a book club but now sell openly) have started their Christmas sale of art books. Some are substantially discounted.

There are 34 titles in the sale all at least 50% off the normal price. There are some materials and equipment too. For example grab yourself a rucksack/chair (normally £29.99) for £4.99!

You can find the sale here.

Lidl are selling more inexpensive art materials from Thursday 10th December.

Amongst the items are cheap canvases and a small table-top easel.

See the Lidl website for more details.

The Forecourt Art Group and Tornadee are very happy to present the first Open Exhibition at The Tornadee Community. The group has been displaying work for the pleasure of the residents and their families for a year in the main nursing home.

The Exhibition is open to all and refreshments will be provided. A percentage of all sales is donated to the Tornadee Comfort Fund.

Tornadee Nursing Home
Thursday 3rd December 2009
7-9pm

Map:-

View Tornadee in a larger map

After a week of diverse art programmes on BBC4, More 4 and Channel 4, we see a new type of art programme start tomorrow (Monday 23rd November).

BBC2 broadcasts at 9pm Saatchi’s School of Art – “the BBC and Charles Saatchi launch a nationwide search to discover the next generation of artistic talent.”

According to the BBC’s press office, http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/01_january/25/saatchi.shtml, “Following a selection process, just six people will be selected to attend an Art School established uniquely for them where they will develop their work under the tutelage of some of the most innovative names in the art world today.”

This reality TV show for the cultured set will be a four-part series and “is part of The Modern Beauty Season, a range of programmes coming to BBC Two and BBC Four which look at the concept of beauty in modern art.”

Country Frames Gallery has announced its  ‘Winter Lights’ exhibition.

They have  some stunning new originals by regular exhibitors including Seonaid Clarke, John Clelland, Chris Craigie, Frank Donnan, Donald Murray, Mark Leggett, Barbara McPherson, Roselyne O’Neill, Jill Pickup, Helen Rushton, Letitia Smith-Burnett & Marion Wills, together with a number of new releases in the Limited Edition Print Collection including the ‘Shed’ Collection by Kate Sisley-Rayner , ‘Frosty Breakfast’ by Rona Skinner and ‘Highland Gathering’ by Angela Davidson.

There is also in stock the fantastic new collection of greetings cards and Christmas Cards from photo artist Alison Kenyon who is raising funds for Deveron ARCHIE Group, Kidney Kids and buying presents for children in Royal Aberdeen Children’s and Yorkhill Hospital at Christmas time.

New exhibitors for ‘Winter Lights’ include Lorna Crawford with her lovely pastel landscape and lilies, some superb wood-turned pieces from Margaret McLean, bird studies by George Parkinson and animal studies by Rona Skinner & Lily Taylor.  One of Lily’s works is entitled ‘The Last Post’ which was inspired by a rather cheeky cow she saw in a neighbours’ field whilst on a visit to the gallery.

‘Winter Lights’ opened on Saturday 14th November.

Their  normal opening hours are Tuesdays – Saturdays 10am – 4pm all other times are strictly by appointment.

Lorna, who submitted this article says  a really nice welcoming gallery if you are out and about, but a bit difficult to find!  If you travel up the A96,  take the left hand fork at Oyne and keep driving through Auchleven until you come to Leslie.  There is a “castle” type house on the right hand side which you pass, and the gallery is up a country road on the left.  (She thinks it is signposted)

10 International artists, 100 days = 1000 New Pieces of Art (on the theme of girls).

This exciting project is the brainchild of Heri and Erica (USA) and features our very own Anita Inverarity (representing Scotland).

The project starts on Wednesday 28th October and runs to 4th Feb (each artist will upload a brand new work every day).

A book will be published in 2010.

You can follow the Blog here:  http://1000girlsin100days.blogspot.com/

Dear all,

We wanted to update you and to ask for your help.

As many of you will know Peacock’s major new arts centre in Union Terrace Gardens is under threat from Sir Ian Wood’s plan to build over Aberdeen’s only city centre park.

Sir Ian wants to create a street-level square and underground real estate at the cost of at least £50 million to the public purse.

Meanwhile, Peacock’s funding is attached to our original scheme, which was designed to be sympathetic to Union Terrace Gardens, retaining the green space and as many of the trees as possible.

Since Sir Ian Wood’s plan involves filling in the Gardens in their entirety there is no place in it for Peacock’s scheme.

In short, if his goes ahead Peacock loses it’s funding and Aberdeen loses the art centre.

In spite of this, our funders at the Scottish Arts Council agreed to ring-fence Peacock’s money for 12 months until December 2009 to allow the viability of Wood’s proposal to be investigated.

This deadline is now fast approaching. Without a positive decision by the end of this year Peacock will lose its money and be forced to abandon the Arts Centre. Aberdeen will risk ending up with nothing.

We have only a few weeks to convince the City that the people of Aberdeen do not want to lose the Gardens as a beautiful piece of our environmental heritage, and Peacock as a vital part of our cultural future.

PLEASE sign the petition now and pass on to your friends.

Going forward, ACSEF (Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future) is planning to run a public consultation that will decide the fate of the Gardens. Whilst ACSEF have been vocal supporters of Sir Ian’s scheme, we remain hopeful that a sensible option might still be pursued; one that uses Peacock’s money and planning permission to deliver a new arts centre in the Gardens as a first phase of a wider redevelopment of the area. This inclusive option could, we believe, give the city a win-win.

If you are interested there is more information on our website http://www.peacockvisualarts.com/new-building/

We will be in touch as soon as we know more.

Thanks, as ever, for all your support.

Elly and the Peacock Team.

Elly Rothnie
Campaign Director

P E A C O C K visual arts
21 Castle Street (off Castlegate)
ABERDEEN
AB11 5BQ

t: 01224 652996
f: 01224 627094
e: elly@peacockvisualarts.co.uk