Get ready for the art

This weekend is a great chance to see some art with the Glasgow International drawing to a close and the annual Streetland festival kicking off. Here's a little guide to the Southside Art Scene this weekend. Spread the word to your art loving geographically challenge friends over the river and get them to come see some culture.

GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL 2012

Main event 4th/ 5th May times vary
The biennial Contemporary Arts Festival which is really starting to make a name for itself. A host of art is happening throughout Glasgow but lots of it is in the Southside or involves Southside Artists stepping over the river ie our very own HIMP, one half of Southside Happenings, who has an exhibition on At The Arches (*).

STREETLAND
Main event 4th/ 5th May times varyGovanhill's very own festival of creativity, community & the street, Streetland returns for a third year, with a packed programme with a little something for everyone.  Its a kind of art exhibition meets performance meets community day extravaganza and it aims to "liven up the streets and back lanes of Govanhill while striving to celebrate the many diverse cultures that exist in the area and make up the community as a whole."
The last two years have been a lot of fun and they have always made the sunshine so fingers crossed for tomorrow. This year the festival's themes are focused on the universal appeal of music, food & cinema. There will be an opening event at Westmoreland St Gardens (Fri 6:30pm) in conjunction with the fabulous Glad Café, a Baby Disco party and a grand finale cinema event, Govanhillywood!

You can download the full programme here Streetland programme 2012

THE CHALET
Streetland - Opening event 4may 7pm/ prize giving 5 May 5pm

Celebrating excellence in fine art, The Chalet, a premier Govanhill contemporary art space, hosts this year's juried competition known for high-quality, poignant, yet vastly eclectic works from local and international artists.

See more info here The Chalet Prize 2012

SOUTHSIDE STUDIOSStreetland/ GI2012 - 5th May 11am-6pm / 8pm - 12pmThe south side studio is also getting involved and will have a naming ceremony for their new art gallery. I vote they call it Steve. They also have a workshop called Animate: Dance an exhibition called Familiar which is part of the GI2012 and a temporary installation/structure which is "placed at the heart of an urban block in response to its immediate context, and the pattern of tenements that define the streets, movement, and the character of Govanhill. The new structure invites people to explore the shared external space of the South Side Studio. Clad in stretch wrap the surfaces reflect light, changing in response to the weather and time of day, and at night the object glows revealing the structure within. The project was inspired by the aims of the Streetland festival ‘to engage and inspire the community in a creative exploration of streets and communal spaces."

See more info here Southside Studios

TRAMWAYGI2012 - Majority end on Sunday 6 May/ Monday 7 MayThe Tramway  is one of our favourite venues in the City and it has four different events on during the GI2012 festival. One "The Making of Us' is a collaboration in which a film was performed and recorded within a series of installation/ sets with the audience viewing the performance becoming 'extras' in the background. The resulting raw footage can be viewed on loop in the remains of the installation/ sets and an edited version will appear later as a film.

The other works on display and an installation/ dance "Black Forest" by Kelly Nipper and sets of films by Moyra Favey and Redmond Entwistle. I found the "Making of Us" to be the most interesting piece.

See more info here Tramway

EVERYTHING FLOWSGI2012 - 5/6 May 2:30 - 6pm Quenns Park Train StationPatricia Fleming Projects launch Everything Flows, a limited edition EP bringing together a selection of tracks and artwork from the experimental art into music scene emerging from the Glasgow visual art sector over the last twenty years. There is an accompanying exhibition at the artist-run Queen’s Park Railway Club where artists James Thomas and Solina Hi-Fi present a new installation transforming the space into an experimental workshop and listening booth.

See more info here Everything Flows

THE GLASGOW SCHOOLS
GI2012 - Sat 6th May, 2pm-4pm, Scotland Street School Museum
The Glasgow Schools is a project by artist Ruth Ewan. It maps out the city’s Proletarian, Socialist Sunday and Socialist Fellowship Schools, part of a network of alternative educational organisations that once spread across the UK, of which Glasgow was a particular centre. The schools explored a spectrum of left-wing ideologies with children and young adults.

The exhibition brings together, for the first time, archive material relating to the schools from a number of public and private collections. This is accompanied by an events programme of talks and discussion, song, performance and magic. Ewan presents a series of poster works, pamphlet, and a new documentary, made using archival footage and first hand accounts of the movements, exploring the affect they had on the lives of those involved. The project’s chosen exhibition space, Scotland Street School Museum, purposefully brings this influential and largely hidden movement into the wider context of Glasgow’s educational history.

See more info here Glasgow International

I AM THE ARCHITECT, THIS IS NOT HAPPENING, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE

GI2012 - Until Mon 7 May daily at 10am and 5pmNew film and paintings by Henry Coombes exploring ideas of relationships, hierarchies and rules. The work is a response to Bellahouston Park by the artist while on residency.

See more info here House for an Art Lover

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW

SGI2012 - at 5th May, 8pm - 2am. Kinning Park Complex, £5 (Tickets available from Mono).
An event to mark the end of the world as we know it and see in the bells of the new dawn on the 5th of may 2012. Bar on site.

NOW NOW are newly set up at the Kinning Park Complex across from Kinning Park tube. The complex is a community interest company and houses 12 studios for creative stuff, artists and musicians. We are trying to rally up some support for the complex and advertise the hall spaces here. There are two hall spaces that can be rented out (for a good cheap price), KPC is non profit so all cash raised goes back into the building (and our mammoth repairs list).

See more info here Now Now on Facebook

THE UNIVERSE IS VERY BIG, YOU ARE VERY SMALL, ACT ACCORDINGLYGI2012 - The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, Glasgow / 02 April - 31 May 2012 (Noon - 11pm)

Taking direction from the GI's programme "Real Time" Hole in my Pocket explore the experience of time from a macro/micro view point. Trying to understand the concept of "the moment"/ "the present" when viewed against the enormous background history of the Universe.

Taking the theories of Hugh Everett III the duo explore ideas of multi-verses, alternate realities and the pressure and resulting action of Choice.

"An exhibition of astro-geek-brilliance, a splendid meeting of Science and Art for all budding Brian Coxs or Stephen Hawkins'." 

See more info here Hole in my Pocket  (**)

Right I think that's it. If I've missed anyone or anything out then very sorry. Please add your events in the comments below.

(*) First Blatant Plug

(**) Second Blatant Plug

Albert Drive Studios

At the start of 2010 a new and exciting venue opened on Albert Drive. The Albert Drive Studios is the brain child of Hilary, an environmental artist who is in the process of converting the beautiful original detached Victorian villa into a three story home for creative extravaganzas.

Eventually the building will house artist studios on the ground floor, exhibition spaces on the first floor and a workshop and meeting space in the attic. There's a lot of building work going on in the ground floor at the moment as the studios are readied for a series of interesting tenants but the upstairs and the attic have been renovated and are bright, airy and ready for creativity. Tenants will include Bean and Mouse (textile artists), Sans Facon (an art and architecture duo), a hat maker and a clarinetist. The idea of them all working in the one house sounds like the setup for an arty based sitcom. There is also a huge list of different workshops and classes taking place at the studios which are open to the public, including hat making, screen printing, interior design and silk painting. Advanced screenwriting begins on Mondays and Life drawing will be starting soon on Tuesdays. As these are confirmed we'll try to update our calender to include them but if these sound interesting then email info@albertdrivestudios.com for more info.

There will also be events happening soon too, with various art exhibitions planned for the gallery spaces, a music event taking place in the attic, gourmet dinner parties and an open studio and music concert in the extensive gardens. When we find out more we'll add some more posts.
It was really interesting to get a tour of the old building and very exciting to hear all the plans that Hillary has for the studios. I loved all the little nooks and crannies of the building and the little snippets of history that await discovery - for example while being given a tour of the gardens we found what looked like a medium sized stone lion on its back half hidden by leaves. Its definitely a house where you can imagine stories taking place and a new life as the home to creativity seems entirely fitting.

www.albertdrivestudios.com
info@albertdrivestudios.com
07805 346 314

Queens Park Camera Club

The Queen's Park Camera Club is on the large list of Southside places we've been meaning to write about for ages. I was reminded and spurned into action today when I saw an advert for a group exhibition they are putting on at the Mussel Inn (runs until 3Feb). Anyways take a look through the Club's website and you'll see why we think it such a great Southside resource and you'll be amazed that its not better known.

Formed in 1945 a few months after the end of WWII by a small group of friends the club has spent the last 60+ years working to promote the study, practice and knowledge of the art and science of photography and proved so popular that by 1946 they had to put a limit on the membership to 75. In the 50's to try and accommodate the ever increasing waiting list and to provide proper photography facilities the club moved into 54 Millbrae Road, which they subsequently purchased and where they live to this day.

Image by Michael MacLean

The club as a whole meet every Thursday night from September to May and each week there is a talk or presentation of some kind. (Non-members are welcome to come along and listen to these talks). On other nights of the week there are various special interest meetings such as digital images, projected images or contemporary photography. Every third Tuesday the club also hold Instruction nights where guidance and instruction are given to members on all levels of photography techniques.

The Club also hosts annual social events and runs numerous competitions and exhibitions.

If all that sounds like your cup of tea then have a read of the club welcome pack for more info or fill out an application form and see if there are any membership vacancies left.

Queen's Park Camera Club
54 Millbrae Road, Glasgow, G42 9UG

Autumn/Winter Show at the Tramway

The Tramway will launch their Autumn Winter exhibitions this Friday night with the opening of two major shows. Lara Favaretto, an Italian born artist, sculptor and performer will exhibit new work alongside London based film artist Hilary Lloyd until 20th December.

Lara Favaretto, uses sculpture, photography, film and installation to create artworks that produce a sense of magical fantasy and urgency, forming an immediate bond with the viewer through a sense of play.

For Tramway’s epic main gallery space, Favaretto will create a kinetic sculptural environment with various motor powered elements. These choreographed and durational sculptures will explore Favaretto’s ongoing artistic investigations into the idea of festival in its various incarnations, drawing on its popular forms and associations such as the carnival or circus. These themes often assuming the form of sculptural objects, installations or events united by the careful planning of their collapse, disintegration or corrosion, thus exploring the significance of an artistic gesture that accepts eventual compromise.

Lloyd creates video, film and slide installations which to date have focused on the themes of the modern city, its subcultures and the people that operate at it’s fringes, her gaze articulating both a personal relationship with her subject, and the processes of reconstructing the act of looking. Lloyd creates a form of ‘anti-portraiture’, shooting situations and protagonists with a contrived passivity that allows the viewer to form their own narratives from her rhythmic and highly charged compositions.

For more information click here

Seedbom

We had meant to mention this ages ago when the product launched back in August but completly forgot.

Seedbom, the brainchild of Darren Wilson an artist based at the Southside Studios in Govanhill is an innovative and eco-friendly guerrilla gardening tool. As the website says-

"Filled with flower seeds and made from recylced materials, Seedboms are ready to explode with life and colour. Join forces with nature and make a visible impact by throwing Seedboms into derelicy land, neglected spaces or even your neighbours garden and watch them grow."

Guerrilla gardening is becoming a bit of a craze at the moment with more and more occurances happenings around Glasgows streets. You can read a bit more about upcoming events here. There can't be any harm in trying to brighten up some of the waste ground sites. The only sad thing is that eventually the developers seem to roll in and all the hard work and flowers get concreted over - like the community garden that was set up just off Pollokshaws Road in the line of the new motorway, but I guess the fragile nature of the guerrilla gardens is also a part of their charm.

Anyways - if you know of a spot of waste ground in need of some brightening up then why not get out your gloves, a trowel a Seedbom and get gardening.

Patricia Cain Exhibition at House for an Art Lover

If you came along to Art in the Park this year, then you would have seen the work of Patricia Cain. A Glasgow based artist, Trish uses drawing and painting as a means of exploring the artist's process of thinking. Her focus in doing this has been on the destruction and re-construction of the urban landscape in Glasgow. She has a particular interest in the River Clyde and it's regeneration, the construction of the Loch Katrine Water Project and the new Riverside Museum.

Trish is exhibiting at the House for an Art Lover, in Bellahouston Park, from the 22 September - 2 November.

QP Camera Club show 2009

As part of the Southside Festival Ann organised the rather brill Art in the Park show in the Glass Houses in Queens Park. During that weekend we got chatting to members of the Queens Park Camera Club and suggested the Glass Houses might be a good venue for their upcoming summer show. I'm pleased to say that they took up our suggestion and on Sat 22 and Sun 23 August they will be showing a selection of their new work in the main space of the Glass Houses. They will also be showing a selection of work in Shawlands Arcade the following Saturday.

These events are meant to publicise the club's activities in advance of the new membership year which starts on 3 September. At the moment they are over subscribed for members but would love to encourage anyone interested to add their names to the waiting list.

For more info about the club and their exhibition check out http://www.qpcc.org.uk/

Crafty as a crafty fox who's just won craftiest fox of the year

We recieved an email from Fiona to remind us about the craft fair at Langside Halls this Saturday. We still haven't made it along to one the craft fairs and again this weekend I'm going to miss it as I head to London for the judging of the Common of Houses competition I set up. Hopefully Ann will make it along in my abscence and even more hopefully she'll buy me a present!

Glasgow Craft Fairs

Masters of Fine Art Show @ Tramway

We also visited the MFA degree show at the Tramway at the weekend. The exhibition was located in Tramway 2 and 5 and also in the first floor foyer. It was a really interesting show with a good mix of media. There was alot of film, which I am never that interested in, though I can appreciate the hard work that goes into creating them and some were very interesting.

There were some interesting sculptures, I particularly liked the untitled piece by Theodoros Stamatogiannis a large sculpture made from concrete and timber [see below]
The trawway is a great space for exhibiting work and the layout and lighting helped to enhance the whole experience.
We were very interested in this piece [above] - Could the Pigeon Napper be an artist?

Southside Studios Exhibition Opening - 20th June 2009

The preview/opening of the Southside Artist Studios new show is being held on Saturday night at 7pm, in the Gallery, on Westmoreland street in Govanhill.

The Gallery will be showcasing work by Carol Rhodes, John Robertson and Michael white from the 22nd of June until the 19th of July. The gallery is open every Saturday and Sunday and during the week by appointment.

MFA Degree Show @ The Tramway 18 - 28th June

This years Master of Fine Art degree show will again be held at the Tramway. The exhibition opens on Thursday 18th June and will be on until Sunday 28th June. We have been several times in the last few years and have really enjoyed it. There is always a wide range of work and it's definetly worth a look around.

For more info click here

Art Installations in Govanhill Baths

The Govanhill Baths will be opening its doors, for the second time since the Baths was closed in 2001, on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th of September. I ve never been inside Govanhill Baths and would be really interested in getting inside and finding out more about plans for its future redevelopment.

The Govanhill Baths Art and Regeneration Team are inviting people to propose ideas for artwork to be sited in the space for the weekend. The work should be relevant to the space, its architecture, social history or the campaign to save it. There are lots of different spaces in the building, including three pools, individual baths, the old steamie (laundry) area, changing areas, reception.

The building is in a poor state of repair (because it hasn’t been maintained since it closed) although structurally sound. Most of the contents of the building has been removed.

The artwork can be in any medium: a sculpture, painting, performance, photograph, text piece, intervention etc. It can be solo or collaborative.

for more information - closing date for proposals is 30th June 2009

Common of Houses

This isn't specifically a Southside project but it does cover the entire country so thought it might be of interest to all the Southside creative types.

Hole in my Pocket (My design and art collective) has just launched a new competition in association with the Architect's Journal to come up with creative solutions to the MPs two home/ expenses fiasco. Our thinking, how do we sort it all out, so that the majority of honest MPs don't get tarred and punished by the same brush?

The competition is open until the 21 July and full details can be found on the website http://www.commonofhouses.co.uk/.

We are also pleased to announce that Ken Livingstone and Kieran Long are the first two judges to sign up and there will be more big names from the worlds of politics, art and architecture in the next week. Get your design pens out and get thinking - there is a top prize to be won.

Crafty as a fox

Doh, the arty craft fair is coming to town and again we are away while its on. Those of you who are not out of the city should pop along to the Langside Halls and tell us what its like as we think it looks and sounds like good fun. Its on 10.30am - 4.30pm Saturday 6 June.

For a list of who will be exhibiting and for the dates of future craft fair events in the Southside take a look at the website. Glasgow Craft Fairs.

Art in the Park 2009

Well the art in the park show that Ann organised at the Glasshouses as part of the Southside Festival was a lot of work but as you can see from the photos here it was all worth it.

The show went really well and we have had lots of nice comments from visitors saying how much they enjoyed it and there was lots of work sold too with all the commission going towards paying for next years event.

Thanks to all the artists who entered work into the show - hopefully it will be even bigger and better next year. The artist shown this years were Joe Hendry, William Dobson, Joe O Brian, Stuart Gibb, Malcolm S Dobson, Alexandra Milsom, Graham Govan, Carole Gillman,, Gillian Orr, Sam Cartman, Patrica Cain, Doc Haliday, Becky Wilson, Kathryn Pender, Margaret Mariotti, Sheila Cameron, Sarah Connolly, Johanna Henderson, Brian Inglis, Mark Thomas McGhee, Allistair Burt and Alica McInnes.

William Dobson

Joe Hendry

Joe O Brian

Allistair J Burt

Stuart Gibb

Sheila Cameron

Patrica Cain

Art in the Park

The stunning Victorian glass house’s, in Queens Park, is to host Art in the Park, during this years Southside Festival. The art show aims to promote both established and emerging locally based artists.

Alongside the work of Artists such as Joe Hendry, Patricia Cain and Sam Cartman, the show will also exhibit work from amateur artists and groups from the surrounding area. Art in the Park will be exhibiting paintings, sculpture, prints, glass work and photography in a fun and relaxing atmosphere. So whether you’re browsing or buying make sure you visit the show. Art in the Park will be open from 12pm until 5pm, 23rd and 24th May.

Art in the Park

It seems that the plans for the Southside Festival are moving along at a fair old pace and word has reached us of a new element for this years event. Art in the Park is a two day "selected" art exhibition held, as part of the festival, at the victorian Glasshouse in Queens Park.

To be in with a chance of being included in this exciting event then all budding artists have to do is download an application form and send all the relevant information to the Southside Festival. Selected artist will then be contacted and will be responsible for delivery and removal of their from the show. I understand that it is open to most mediums but check the form for details.

I think this sounds a lot of fun, it might even be my favourite bit of the Festival so far.

Application Form

Everything must go

This sounds like a lot of fun - Nadia of Now Now Projects has been in touch to invite everyone to an exhibition at a flat on Victoria Road. The exhibitons theme will be cheap and cheerful art brought by you the guests. Works will be on sale from 9pm and anything not sold by 4am will be destroyed so be prepared to lose the things you brought or at the very least buy them back yourself. Have a look at their site for the full scoop on the night or email nownow@email.com for more details.

I'm going to go draw a face on an egg and take it along.

Final Reductions: Sat 25 April - 5pm onwards - 456 Victoria Road

Crafty stuff

We were emailed by Bianca to alert us to the craft fair taking place in two weekends at Langside Halls, Sat 21 March 10am - 4pm.

Should be fun - there are a selection of the exhibitors on their site glasgow craft fairs but I think they are still looking for more so if you've been making crafty things of your own then check out the site and try and get yourself a stall.

Its on the same weekend as the farmers market so why not wander through the park with a nice ice-cream cone, pick yourself up a necklace, a painting, a bunch of carrots and a venision sausage.

I really enjoy wandering around these kind of things so am very disapointed that we're away that weekend. Not anywhere as exciting as Riga or Japan this time - just London town, might try to pick up some cockney slang for our return posts guv, init.

24 Fragments

Ive just received an e-mail from our friend Stephen, about an event being performed at the Hidden Gardens, this Saturday. Sounds like a really interesting event.

24 hours of music, neuroscience and performance at 24 sites across the UK

The Fragmented Orchestra is a huge distributed musical structure modelled on the firing of the human brain's neurons. Twenty-four sites around the UK are connected to each other to form a “neural” network. The sonic information captured at these sites is transmitted over the internet, causing other sites to “fire”.

Alasdair Roberts will be performing at the Glasgow ‘neuron’ at the Hidden Gardens, Tramway on Saturday 21st February at noon.

Intimate acoustic performance from fine Scottish folk singer Alasdair Roberts and invited guests. Roberts is noted for both his own compositions and recitations of traditional songs. 'Roberts effortlessly makes explicit the shared vocabulary of folk's natural weirdness and experimental music's studied strangeness.' The Times


For more information www.thefragmentedorchestra.com/