Short notice but if you can, listen to Dean Sullivan’s programme on City Talk FM 105.9
http://www.citytalk.fm/ today.
You should hear me and the curator Tomas Harold talking about the Art Prize – due on at 3.15pm.
Monthly Archive for February, 2008
Calling all artists…
JLA gives local artists a platform to showcase work
Today, Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) launches its Community Art Project enabling local artists to display their work within the terminal, throughout the European Capital of Culture year.
Working alongside the Liverpool Culture Company, JLA has allocated five large areas of wall space throughout public areas of the terminal, to maximise the audience who can observe the artist’s work. JLA is offering the space to a wide variety of local artists including schools, photographers, weavers, embroiderers, art and community groups to display their work as part of a four month rolling programme to showcase new exhibits throughout the year.
JLA has created an application form to help with the selection process and artists and groups interested should log on to www.liverpoolairport.com to download the form or to request a hard copy via the post, telephone 0151 907 1622 and leave a contact name and full postal address.
Neil Pakey, Managing Director at JLA, said: “John Lennon Airport is an emerging northwest public arts venue and therefore we are delighted to be giving local artists the chance to display their work to our thousands of passengers and visitors, especially during this Capital of Culture year. We hope that some of the local artists may be inspired by John himself, but regardless we are looking forward to working with a wide range of artists, offering people something different to look at alongside the current exhibits at the airport. It will be great to show-off the local art talent to European visitors and who knows; maybe we can help be a springboard for the careers of the Liverpool artists of tomorrow.”
Phil Redmond, Creative Director of Liverpool Culture Company, said: “I am delighted that JLA is providing a platform for local artists to showcase their talent to a truly international audience. To embrace art and culture throughout a public building such as JLA is fantastic, as it vividly promotes why we are European Capital of Culture from the moment you arrive in Liverpool and right up until you depart.”
Following the launch late last year of JLA’s unique collection of photography and art displayed around the terminal building known as ‘Collection ’08, JLA is keen to work with local artists and give them the opportunity to showcase their work to an international audience.
JLA’s latest addition to Collection ’08 is The Taxi Project which was part of the Tate Liverpool’s Turner Prize 2007 exhibition and displayed alongside the Prize nominees. The Taxi Project is now on display in the arrivals area within the airport and already provoking interest with arriving passengers.
For further details on the Community Art Project and/or to apply visit www.liverpoolairport.com click on ‘Art at the Airport’ icon and then ‘Community Art’ and download the application form.
If you are very quick you can watch the item about tonight’s launch of the Liverpool Art Prize 2008 exhibition online on the BBC Liverpool website (click on watch North West Tonight). Its overwritten each day sadly. I was too busy / knackered to do an interview but curator Tomas Harold, artist Mary Fitzpatrick and prize judge Terry Duffy all spoke well.
It was a fantastic evening, several hundred visitors and a great atmosphere. We really have to thank everybody involved and everybody who came along.
There were short speeches by myself, Phil Redmond, Michael Wake (founder of Novas) and Mary Connolly – the gallery is named after her in honour of all the work she has done for the charity over the years. (Must get loudspeakers next year!)
The winners of the overall prize and people’s choice prize will be announced on Sunday March 9th. Do call into the gallery before then and cast your vote for the People’s Choice prizewinner.
Last week we had a tour of the University of Liverpool’s Victoria Gallery and Museum.This is in the old Victoria building on the corner of Brownlow Hill and Ashton Street and is scheduled to open in July 2008 after a £7.5 million conversion.
Its a great old building, I remember it well from when I worked at the University and I also took some exams in the Tate Hall on the second floor which has a splendid Gothic style ceiling but will now be the main museum room.
The original Female Student Common Room has ornate tiled columns, this will be the Ceramics Gallery. There are several small gallery rooms for various parts of the University collections, including a whole room dedicated to John James Audubon works.
The main gallery space will be show a Stuart Sutcliffe retrospective during the Liverpool Biennial.
I’m really looking forward to this opening in the Summer – another great addition to Liverpool’s cultural venues.
Liverpool artwork of the week No. 8 – ‘Zodiacal Stream’ etching by Fanchon Frohlich at The Grange until April 12 2008
Just one of the many works on show at the Grange as part of a retrospective of some 5 decades of works by Fanchon Frohlich. The exhibition features paintings, etchings, drawings, ‘Collective Phenomena’ works and philosophical writings.
Sarkin & McHugh
at Novas CUC NW, Greenland St, Liverpool
Private view: 26/02/08 6pm-9pm
Exhibition: 27/02/08 – 25/03/08
Open: Tuesday – Sunday
11am-6pm
(Close on Monday except bank holiday)
Entry: FREE ENTRY
Novas Arts presents an inspiring show to launch the arts programme within the Novas Scarman Group’s new Contemporary Urban Centre – North West.
Two artists with an extremely rare condition called Sudden Artistic Output, Jon Sarkin (Boston, USA) and Tommy McHugh (Liverpool, UK) will meet for the first time to talk and work on their art together. Both artists had a stroke a number of years ago and have since developed a compulsion to write, paint and sculpt. They have become prolific, full time artists with exceptional talent.
There are only a handful of other cases in the world of artistic output following sudden onset brain damage, and medical science is yet to fully understand the condition.
Tommy McHugh was born in Liverpool. He worked as a builder, and had a history of violence and drug abuse and had served time in prison. Since suffering a stroke in 2001, Tommy has felt a need to create, and has experimented with painting, drawing, writing and sculpting, dealing with themes relating to his ’split-mind’, which Tommy states has changed his personality.
American chiropractor, Jon Sarkin, sustained frontal lobe damage in 1988 and found that his primary impulse was to create. He went on to become a successful artist, with hundreds of drawings and numerous shows; there has been intense press interest in him and his work, and a film production company bought the rights to his life story in 1997.
Granada Productions will be filming the exhibition as part of a forthcoming documentary series for Five, charting some of the rare and unusual effects of brain injury.
Erwina A.Ghafar, Director Art & Design for the Contemporary Urban Centre – North West, says,
“We are delighted and very honoured to be working together with Granada and two brilliant artists, Jon and Tommy. Giving out support to these artists reflects our ethos in working with and showcasing the work of people traditionally excluded from arts and cultural activity, and allows us to communicate the real issues of those struggling with or overcoming complex social issues. “
“In conversation with Roberto Saviano”
Venue: FACT Centre, 88 Wood Street, Liverpool
Date & time: 4th March 2008, 7pm – 8.30pm
££ free
Booking: FACT box office.
The high profile author of the much publicised “Gomorrah: Italy’s other mafia” will be talking about his own personal experiences of the Camorra – the Neapolitan mafia – and the far-reaching effects their influence has had on Italian society.
The lecture will be chaired by John Dickie of University College London, one of the leading UK experts on the mafia. A short debate will follow the lecture including contributions from selected law enforcement experts across Europe and questions from the floor.
Followed by…
UK premiere of “Biùtiful cauntri”
Time: 9.00pm – 11.00pm
The films director Andrea d’ambrosio, and producer Peppe Ruggiero will present this unmissable and important film. Their documentary examines the growing environmental time-bomb the Campania region of Italy is wrestling with, highlighting just how far the influence of the Camorra can reach. An organisation now even prepared to profit from people’s rubbish and put the lives of the general public at risk through their actions.
“Is it possible to live like this in the third millennium?
The waste problem covers vast and complex mechanisms that involve public health, politics and the economy.
It is a problem that has erupted like a monstrous volcano in the Campania region, one of the most beautiful and renowned corners of Italy.
Yet the problem lies there, below the surface; an apocalyptic massacre waiting to happen to humankind”,
Esmeralda Calabria, Andrea D’ambrosio, Peppe Ruggiero
This event is produced as part of Liverpool Culture Company’s “Cities on the Edge” programme – a European cultural partnership of port cities (Liverpool, Bremen, Naples, Marseilles, Istanbul, Gdansk).
Get your skates on for HUB
o Time is running out to apply to perform at HUB, the UK’s largest urban youth festival
o Bands have until 10am, Thursday 28 February to get their entries in
o Up to 20,000 people expected at two day event on 17-18 May 2008
The best unsigned bands have just a few days left to apply to play at HUB 2008, the UK’s biggest urban youth festival.
Event organisers launched a search last month for talented bands and artists to perform live in one of the highlights of Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture celebrations. And they’ve been thrilled by the response so far.
Susan Whitehead, event organiser from the Liverpool Culture Company, said: “The number – and quality – of applications has been absolutely brilliant. But with the deadline looming, we’re urging artists and bands not to miss out! And we’re especially keen to hear from more funk and soul artists.”
HUB annually takes place at Otterspool Promenade, Liverpool and is expected to attract up to 20,000 people on 17-18 May.
Applications from bands/artists into indie, funk, rock, soul, hip-hop or metal are all welcome. Successful artists will get a slot at the festival, joining confirmed headliner Shlomo, one of the world’s finest human beatboxers.
The deadline to apply, with a demo, artists contact form and band biography, is 10am, Thursday 28 February.
A panel of music industry professionals will judge all entries and successful bands/artists will be notified by Monday 10 March.
Application forms can be downloaded from www.liverpool08.com/hub or requested by emailing marketing@liverpool08.com. (Please type ‘HUB’ in the subject field of your email.)
The HUB festival, now into its sixth year, was established by Liverpool Culture Company during the city’s successful ‘08 culture bid. It celebrates a vibrant mix of urban art, music and extreme sports including skateboarding, BMX, in-line skating, breakdancing and body popping.
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