Celebrating 10 years at ArtHouse

10 years ago Southport Contemporary Arts decided it was finally time to find a more stable home for their escalating activities after several years of pop up exhibitions and classes around the Region. Launched in 2009, the SCA network was originally established to embrace the fact that Southport is home to a wide spectrum of independent art practitioners working across various disciplines and techniques, including:- painters, textile artists, filmmakers, photographers, printmakers, sculptors, jewellers, musicians, poets and performance-based artists. Having found and refurbished the building in Eastbank Street, in which ArtHouse is now housed, they have to date clocked up 170 exhibitions; no mean feat for a completely self-funded, voluntary organization.

Establishing a permanent ground floor gallery and upper studios that are let out to resident artists, SCA Director, Norrie Beswick Calvert confirms:- "We were able to not only fulfill our objective of celebrating the creative work of our members, but it also allowed us to extend that opportunity to non member individuals and organizations. The success and longevity of ArtHouse is testament to the passion our community has for art and contemporary craft and we look forward to continuing to offer this opportunity for creatives of all ages and working in all artistic genres."

To celebrate ArtHouse's 10 year Birthday in 2023, SCA will be hosting a number of special events in the Eastbank Street Gallery throughout the year kicking off with a special invitation exhibition during February that will showcase the work of those artists who have held solo exhibitions at ArtHouse during the last decade.

Sculpture/Artist, Russell MacDonell, held his 1st solo show in the summer of 2019:- "I love ArtHouse and the vibe it creates; it gives a rare opportunity to local artists and makers to showcase their work in a small and intimate, but special space."

Constantly developing his skill base, Russ now works across a variety of mediums employing an assortment of tools to create his work:- "The chainsaw art is a completely different process to working with clay. Working with the chainsaw you take material away to create a finished piece whereas with clay you add to your work by building up the piece with clay. I also draw, paint and do illustration and caricatures which influence my clay sculpture style."

Ex-Sandgrounder now living in the Wirral, Pauline Horner, who also has fond memories of her time at the ArtHouse said:- "I was delighted to have a Solo Exhibition at the ArtHouse, in September 2020. I had painted every day throughout the 1st Lockdown and had plenty of paintings to exhibit. My overall title was:- 'Beautiful Britain' and paintings included mountain and water scenes from England, Wales and Scotland. Many of these originated from sketches I had done in previous years. It was an amazing experience to see the gallery covered with my own paintings."

Avid Ainsdale based potter, Chris Hughes, had his 1st solo show at ArtHouse in 2021. A former primary School teacher, Chris began making his pots in the late 1970's and following retirement in 2007, enhanced his existing garden studio by building a workshop and installing his own kiln. "I believe that most artists are drawn to the medium that suits them the best. I like clay. I like the feel of it the way it changes, you can model it, stick it together and build with it, carve into it, colour it and just leave it as the colour of the earth. By training I am a geographer, clay is all about earth, fire and water, pretty similar really."

All Chris's stoneware pots are hand built using pinching, coiling and slabbing techniques and glazed in sympathetic natural tones. Favourites are blue and black (Tenmoku) and iron, cobalt and copper oxides to enhance his trademark surface decoration.

Chris will be displaying his latest ceramics during the ArtHouse exhibition:- "This jug grew out of a commission received at the Open Studio weekend I held as part of the SCA Arts Trail in 2022. I was asked to make a 'wonky jug' by a visitor to the studio, which I did, and it led me to make several more including this huge jug, by far the largest I have ever made. It weighs quite a lot and is even heavier when full of liquid; not the most practical jug in the world, but it was never intended to be so!"

Artist and writer, Alice Lenkiewicz, now based in Liverpool, who will be displaying her textile mixed media and figurative wall hangings, also 1st exhibited at ArtHouse in 2021 prior to embarking on a 3-month textile art residency at The House of Annetta, in London's Brick Lane. Alice's work is mainly sourced from her own fertile imagination incorporating a heady mix of African art, Symbolism and Post Impressionism realised using a combination of digital drawing, painting and appliqué. Alice Lenkiewicz said:- "My work is inspired by dreams and art that I have observed on my travels abroad. I have always enjoyed textile art, predominantly pattern and design and dreamlike subjects, particularly of women in nature and in surreal landscapes."

On display will be Alice's latest mixed media stretched canvas:- 'Under the Sun and Trees' Alice added:- "This is a technique I really enjoy although it can be quite time consuming but worth the time spent. It involves painting the image 1st and then creating an extra layer of fabric and stitch on the surface of the painting. This creates a rich and tactile surface with layers of paint and stitch merged together. It can be quite minimal or it can become quite intricate."

This wide ranging celebratory showing is certainly not 1 to be missed. Catch it while you can. The work will be on display at ArtHouse, Eastbank Street, Southport, from:- 8 February to 25 February 2023.
 

SAE Institute Students Celebrate The Handover of Eurovision to Liverpool

SAE Institute provides creative media degrees to students across 28 countries globally, with 27 campuses in Europe. Steffan Davies, Managing Director SAE Institute Europe said:- "SAE Institute is thrilled to welcome the Eurovision Song Contest to Liverpool. SAE students have celebrated music and creativity at our Liverpool campus for more than 20 years, and we know there is no better City on earth to do Ukraine proud in 2023!"

Currently studying Audio Production at SAE Liverpool is Ukrainian student Yehor Mamontov who arrived in September 2022 during the conflict:- "I have wanted to study at SAE Institute for a long time and the opportunity arose to come to the Liverpool campus. It was quite a journey to make it, and I have been made to feel incredibly welcome! My main passion is making beats and it's amazing to hear that Liverpool was chosen to host the event on behalf of my country"

SAE Liverpool has a large European student representation who are excited by the arrival of the song contest and looking forward to championing their home country.

The Big Model and Hobby Show 2023 is heading to Formby High School!

WE can reveal that the The Big Model and Hobby Show is returning for 2023, but it is moving from Aintree to Formby High School. This move is down to a number of issues, but we are told the the organisers of the show return to Aintree at some point in the future, when their event calendars do not clash. For those trying to save money, it now means we can now hold the price of enter at the same price as it was in 2022! Plus, this years event will be housed within several big halls, that are all on the same level, making it easy access for wheel chair users. We are also informed that Formby High School will offer show goers free parking to those attending, plus a full catering unit. As in 2022, the show will provide a wide range of interesting hobbies and activities for you to discover, along with some new attractions along the side of many of the old favourites! For example this year the show will have a LEGO competition, that will be open to children up to the age of 12, and judged by a Master Builder. An entry form can be downloaded from the shows website nearer the time. The updated show website will be online very soon, with lots more details about how you can get get tickets and how to get trade stands! For more information, pleases keep an eye on:- ModelAndHobbyShow.Com.