Forecourt Art Group, Aberdeen’s longest-established art society, have had their plans for their biggest-ever exhibition scuppered by the Academy Shopping Centre‘s refusal to honour their booking.

Earlier this year the committee and members of Forecourt Art Group were elated when they found out that they’d secured partial funding from Aberdeen City Council to run an exhibition of works by their members and invited guests.

After some research they hit on using a vacant shopping unit in the Academy Shopping Centre as a city centre location for the show. After negotiations with Apardion Management Limited, who run the centre, their written booking was accepted. Apardion’s representative confirmed to the group in several telephone conversations that it had been granted the use of the unit for a week in November.

Ian Watt, President of Forecourt said, “The members were excited. 31 of them signed up to take part – which is the most anyone can remember exhibiting at a single show – and they were all busy painting new pictures, and preparing and framing their works to go on sale. We also had contacted potential guest artists – professionals who were keen to support the group and show their works with us. We anticipated there being over 200 works on display during the week.”

Then the group received the devastating news that their booking was not to be honoured. Just five weeks before they were due to move in, Apardion contacted the club to say that landlords of the shopping centre had negotiated a five year lease on three units in the centre and that short term leases, even those previously confirmed, were not to be honoured.

“This was a bombshell. Not only did we outlay money for insurance (which Academy insisted be in place before we submitted the booking form) but we spent hundreds of pounds on refurbishing our exhibition stands” said Ian Watt. “We feel let down by The Academy’s actions. Morally, this was a terrible way to act. We’ve invoiced them for our outlays – and if they don’t pay up we may have to take legal action. Meantime we also have to move and on look for an alternative exhibition space.”

Now the group are left looking again for a premises in which to exhibit. While they’d like that to happen this year, they accept that it may be the spring before they can mount a new show. By that point they’ll have missed the Christmas market that they were targeting with their exhibition.

Can you help? Do you know of a high street shop unit that the club could use? If so please contact Forecourt Art Group via their website: http://www.forecourt.org.uk/contact

The dates for our Summer exhibition 2011 have been announced.  The exhibition will be held at the Peterculter Heritage Hall.

Map

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 a wide variety of artists, including  new members who have not exhibited with is at Peterculter before.

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 at a range of prices to suit every pocket..

Art on the Green

‘Meet On the Green’

A Participatory Public Art Project

Exhibition Event Sunday 3rd April 2011 from 5-7pm

The Green, Aberdeen

‘Meet on the Green’ is a participatory public art project supported by Aberdeen City Council’s Arts Development team. The project focuses on the impact art in all its many forms can have for a community and the city as whole, breaking down barriers for long term engagement, participation and retention of creativity within the city.

Artist Amy Marletta has been working in and around the Green for the last few months attempting to gather stories and meet people who have a connection to the place. The aim has been to create an artwork that is a response to the environment and community, working with local people to build up a picture of the area, both past and present.

By allowing chance encounters to lead the way, the project has been shaped by those who have contributed. The outcome takes the form of a series of portraits and as song lyrics woven together from stories told and overheard.

Sixteen local artists have taken part in the project by creating portraits of local people, who live, work or socialise in the area. The portraits will be exhibited throughout venues on the Green in April, with the opening event taking place on Sunday 3rd April, 5-7pm at Café 52. The exhibition will continue on that evening at other venues in the area including the Carmelite Hotel and E.A.R.L.

These portraits have also been reproduced as a set of postcards that will be distributed around various venues on the Green and can be collected for free. The song, which has been recorded by local singers, will also be available to listen to and will be produced as a CD.

In addition to this, artist Chris Biddlecombe will also launch a limited edition beermat art work on the night, that links items lost and found on The Green over a period of 500 years.

(Details of all participating venues will be provided on the night!)

For more information please email – art.eastgreen@gmail.com

http//:artonthegreen.blogspot.com

Forecourt’s summer exhibition is now in its final week. But there is still time to grab some great pieces.

It runs from 10am to 4.30pm daily until Saturday 7th August at the Underpass Gallery, Broad Street Aberdeen.

We have over a dozen artists showing both framed and unframed works in Watercolour, Oils, Acrylics, Pen and Ink and Mixed  Media.

All works purchased can be uplifted immediately and these are replaced with fresh pieces, meaning that the exhibition is constantly refreshed.

If you are travelling by car please note that from 2nd August there are restrictions on the Broad Street / Gallowgate / Kirkgate junction.

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.

Olga Ferguson, Assistant Keeper (Fine Art) gives a half-hour talk at Aberdeen Art Gallery on Wednesday 9th September 2009 at 12.30pm.

See Aberdeen City Council’s website for more details.

An Art Exhibition by William and Anita Inverarity

Kelly’s Cafe- North Deeside Road- Peterculter
During the month of October 2009

Local Artists and members of the Forecourt Art Group, William and Anita Inverarity, will be displaying around 30 new pieces of work at Kelly’s Cafe and Gallery (the ideal place to meet with friends for coffee and chat). All works are for sale and 10%  commission goes to local charities.

William (Father) and Anita (Daughter) both  have sharply contrasting styles. William paints in thick, vibrant oils and acrylics with subjects including Scottish Scenery and Flowers.

Anita favours intricate pen and ink illustrations with a lean towards fantasy and whimisal art.

Both artists will be on hand on Saturday 3rd October between 12 and 2pm to discuss their work with visitors.

All welcome.

The new temporary exhibition,  Artists Rooms, featuring the work of contemporary sculptor Ron Mueck,  opens at the Art Gallery on Saturday.

http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/xev_EventDetail.asp?id=2260

His work features the human form in precise detail but either scaled up massively or scaled down to sub-miniature size.

One not to miss!

I noticed in the press last week that Hobbycraft are opening a new shop in Union Square, the new retail shopping centre which is being constructed beside the railway station. According to their website, it will open in Winter 2009.

I have mixed feelings about this. While it will undoubtedly bring cheap(er) materials to our doorstep will it have the odd things that you can get from my favourite shop – The Artist’s Pad.

Just as we can get cheap blockbusters from Waterstones, but have no small independent book retailers in Aberdeen, stocking items that you won’t get in the chain of book superstores, would we really like to see a shop shop as the Artist’s Pad lose out just to get 10p off our tubes of paint?

Generally, I dislike large chains, be they book shops, supermarkets or art shops, and their power to dominate the market and even control supply chains through their enormous buying power.

What do you think?

I’ve added a new links page to the site. For the moment it has local art supplies, framers and galleries but I’ll add to it.

All suggestions welcome – either for categories or content for those categories!

You can access it from the top navigation strip of the site.