The event will be held in the MacRobert Hall at Gordon’s, Schoolhill, and will be launched with a private view evening on Friday 16 April for around 100 invited guests including the artists.  It will then be open to the public, free of charge, from 10 – 5 on Saturday 17 April, and 10 – 4 on Sunday 18 April.  Over 160 pieces of framed art from around 40 artists will be on show, ranging in price from £25 to £750.

Kenneth Watt (age 15), a member of the Charities Committee at RGC said: “After meeting Peter Hutchison and hearing about the work The ARCHIE Foundation does at the hospital we felt inspired to put on an event to help raise money.  We thought of various options and decided to do something a bit different that would hopefully reach people outside the Gordon’s community.  20% of all sales will go to ARCHIE and we hope that this and catalogue sales will raise a good amount for the hospital.”

Mr Hugh Ouston, Head of College said: “It is great to see Gordon’s getting involved with such a worthy charity.  Last year the College raised over £20,000 for various charities and this is all down to the commitment shown by the pupils on the Charities Committee and the generosity of all who attend the events and donate.  I am sure that this will be another successful event.”

Mr Peter Hutchison, Community Fundraising Manager for The ARCHIE Foundation said: “I am delighted that the charity committee of Robert Gordon’s have taken on this event in aid of The ARCHIE Foundation. They are a very well organised group and I am sure the ‘Forecourt and Friends’ event will be a fantastic success”

Firstly, at 5.10pm on BBC1  there is Painted With Words a drama based on Van Gogh’s letters to his are dealer brother Theo.  “Every word spoken by the actors in this film is sourced from the letters that Van Gogh sent to his younger brother Theo, and of those around him. What emerges is a complex portrait of a sophisticated, civilised and yet tormented man.”

Secondly, at 9pm on BBC2 Scotland, there is Bellany – Fire In The Blood a documentary about one of the UK’s greates living artists made by his son Paul, who “takes us on a journey through the hurt and pain of a decimated family at the point of implosion, and unearths many unseen masterpieces along the way.”

Essential viewing, both of them!

Opening Night: Friday 2nd April

Cheese & Wine Open Evening – 7pm-9pm (Free Admission)

The Exhibition will then be open for the public during the month of April

Opening Hours

Fridays: 12pm- 6pm Daily

Saturdays & Sundays: 11am- 6pm Daily (with Teas & Homebaking from 2pm-4pm)

Note one exception -  Saturday 17th (which will be open 1pm-6pm)

The Forecourt Art Group is a not for profit organisation which organises exhibitions
throughout the year for artists living and working in the North East of Scotland.

The Exhibition will showcase Original Works by 19 artists. All artwork is available for
sale and to take away at the time of purchase. Artists replace sold works on a daily
basis, so the exhibition always provides new work throughout the month.

Framed Originals, Unframed Originals, Prints and Art Cards will all be available

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

“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

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.

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.

Opening times 1000am -1600hrs

Works from £35 to £450.

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

See the Lidl website for more details.

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