"RUsSeT" - ArtHouse embraces Autumn

ALTHOUGH Autumn in Southport is guaranteed to bring cooler temperatures, it will also be welcoming a hot list of Regional artistic talent to the Town as the ArtHouse in Eastbank Street throws open its doors for its much anticipated, annual:- 'Autumn Open' exhibition.

Showcasing a truly diverse cross section of practitioners, the:- 'Southport Contemporary Arts Autumn Open' always champions the diversity and vitality of the local art scene in a cornucopia of both classically inspired and contemporary artworks.

Because the Autumn Exhibition is an:- 'Open' and is not restricted to entries by SCA members, it continually proves a valuable platform for local amateur artists and makers in the wider creative community to exhibit, together with SCA stalwarts, in a joint celebration of their craft and expertise.

Making art more accessible to all, there is always a wealth of skills on display as all the featured artists are keen to show off their latest creations, guaranteeing a variety of artwork to appeal to the most discerning visitor.

Director of SCA, Norrie Beswick-Calvert confirms:- "as well as regular exhibitors and SCA Members, there'll be a few SCA students taking part plus new to us artists, so it's always a real mixed bag of genre and creative style."

Taking inspiration from the profusion and diversity of warm, earthy seasonal shades, the distinguishing theme for this year's Autumn exhibition is:- 'RUsSeT' which Norrie interprets as:- "not only celebrating the beauty of the Autumn colour palette but also celebrating the beauty in aging of all things..."

Norrie's own submissions have their origins from her student days:- "I've always and forever been inspired by the old and overgrown- indeed my GCE Artwork was based on a broken down and overgrown Southport Station (no longer there). As things age they become a different sort of beautiful; the colour and texture changes and to my eye, often for the better. I work in all sorts of media depending on what has caught my attention but the common factor always seems to be colour and texture. The inspiration for my exhibited artwork came from a visit to a car yard where old and beautiful cars are either restored or scrapped and as I wandered around the site the things that caught my eye were the discarded bits and bobs lying around. The 2 found items making up:- 'Junk Weave' required something delicate to accompany them. Using both as a frame for a small weave seemed to fit the bill."

Similarly attracted to recycling the ephemera of everyday life, mixed-media artist Suzanna Gregg's 'Warm-Hearted', is a further example of her sensitive rearrangements of found materials incorporating imagery scavenged from a wide variety of sources:- "As part of a project for World Collage Day 2024 I made a mini-series of mixed media hearts in specific colours. It was a pleasure to experiment with colour, materials and processes to discover interesting and exciting combinations for each piece. My exhibited orange heart includes:- repurposed wallpaper, kitchen paper (used to soak up excess paint on another project), painted paper, pen and a touch of gold leaf. The aim was to create a sense of warmth using a good variety of different shades of orange."

Liverpool born artist, Pam Thomas, discovered her love of ceramics during her Foundation Course, at Mid Cheshire College, and went on to successfully gain a B.Des Degree in ceramics and textiles from Liverpool Hope University in 2000. Her latest experiments combining clay with found materials reflects her commitment to using her boundless creativity as a means of encouraging a positive change in the world:- "I am still dreaming, making and hoping my artwork will make a difference to how people care for 'Our Fragile World'. 'Fish' is the final fragment from a mixed media series I constructed using metal, glass and clay showing the way marine life are trapped by the pollution in the seas."

Having moved to Lancashire 2 years ago, painter, Marion Bayliss, is still finding artistic stimulation from her fond recollections of life back in Somerset. Her reflective oil painting:- 'The Lonely Tree' captures the scene of a solitary tree that sits alone at a famous beauty spot in the Quantock Hills. "This was an experimental piece for me, playing with cubism. I was intrigued by cubism and the forms that could be created, so I wanted to create an image that had solid shapes but adding shading or textures to represent the different elements such as the ferns and purple heather. I chose the contrasting orange of the ferns to give it balance with the streak of orange in the background. It also brings in the feeling that Autumn frosts are approaching."

Founding member of SCA, Claire Curran relocated from London to Birkdale in 2006 where she taught at Farnborough Road Junior School for 18 years:- "Painting and ceramics have been my consistent passion, but my art has taken many forms over the years. I have never really liked to be pigeonholed in any 1 area because different mediums allow me to pursue my creativity in exciting ways."

'Knitting it all Together' is a contemplative portrait of SCA Director, Anne Burman:- "I have always wanted to paint Anne because she exudes a quiet wisdom. This portrait was inspired by a moment shared with friends in her kitchen. The light fell across her in an interesting way and her expression showed a considered response. She was 'knitting all the facts together'."

Norrie concludes:- "We are hoping that visitors will feel uplifted and intrigued from their visit to the Gallery and that the artists taking part, will feel the positive impact of that creative connectivity, that is such an important part of what SCA sets out to achieve."

This year's Autumn Open will run from:- 8 October until 26 October 2023, at:- ArtHouse, 65 Eastbank Street, Southport, PR81EJ.

'Ready, Set, Play!' ... Countdown begins to River of Light

LIVERPOOL is preparing to turn into an epic night time playground as River of Light returns to the City's streets. Giant Gnomes, a celebration of Diwali and an interactive light battle are just some of the 12 light installations that feature along the 3km waterfront trail.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:- "This is going to be a stand-out year for River of Light; the variety and creativity of the artworks seems to have been elevated, and there is a real interactive feel to many of the installations which will make them a huge hit. It's an event that works on so many different levels; it's incredible to look at and post on social media, it gets people out and about getting those steps in and it's thought provoking. It really is an event for everyone and we do as much as we can to make sure it's as accessible as possible. We piloted the quiet hours last year, and the feedback was incredibly positive so we're extending them for the entire run this year. Revealing the full list of installations will generate a real buzz and we can't wait to welcome back tens of thousands of visitors this autumn."

The festival will run from:- Friday, 25 October to Tuesday, 5 November 2024, and full details of all the installations, which are inspired by the theme of 'Play' have now been revealed. Trail goers can expect to enjoy:-

Rangoli Mirrored Cosmos - Mann Island Atrium - Created by British Sri Lankan artist MURUGIAH, this 3D sculpture stands at nearly 2 metres high and is a celebration of Diwali's Festival of Light featuring bright patterns, traditionally painted in the entrance of homes to welcome the Hindu goddess, Lakshmi. It signifies luck, positivity and happiness.
Illusion Hole - Royal Albert Dock - Inspired by the dynamic movement of light, UxU Studio from Taiwan, has created the illusion of water flowing into a mysterious black hole. The thought-provoking installation challenges our understanding of reality, exploring the boundaries between truth and illusion.
Positive Spin - Royal Albert Dock - A 5.5m high machine from the collective minds of illustrator Liz Harry and artistic experience creators Invisible Wind Factory - visitors are invited to step up and receive a random fortune. Inspired by a love of summers spent at beach front arcades it's part immersive experience and part spectacle.
Lightbattle III; Royal Albert Dock - This exciting, immersive piece celebrates the joy of cycling as participants can hop on and pedal as fast as they can in a race to intensify the colours around them. It is the brainchild of Dutch creatives:- 'VENIVIDMULTIPLEX.'
Firefly Field - Liverpool Parish Church - This mesmerising installation simulates the movements of fireflies. Created by Netherlands-based Studio Toer, this unpredictable piece has a soundtrack inspired by the natural habitat.
Bunch of Tulips - Liverpool ONE - Hungarian artists, Koros Design Studio literally inflates this iconic flower into epic proportions with an oversized bouquet of tulips.
Bubblesque - Mann Island Basin: Australian artists Atelier Sisu return to River of Light with giant bubbles floating on water and overflowing onto the land. When the land bubbles are touched, they dance with colour accompanied by a joyful and ambient soundscape.
No Place Like Gnome - Derby Square - No Place Like Gnome invites visitors on a whimsical journey, where each gnome transforms into a charming companion for a photographic exploration of iconic landmarks and hidden treasures. Artists Amigo and Amigo are embracing the essence of global travel with this piece.

Checkmate - Exchange Flags: Based on the popular board game chess, this:- 16m by 16m square chessboard by Amigo and Amigo has been designed to make visitors feel as though they have shrunk amongst the enormous inflatable chess pieces.

These pieces join:- Piano Walk, at Pier Head South, Impulse at:- Pier Head North and LAPS, at The Strand, which were all announced last month.

Liz Harry, Liverpool artist behind:- 'Positive Spin' said:- "River of Light has always been a highlight of the year for me and my family to visit every autumn and I'm so thrilled that this year I'll be surprising them with an artwork of my own. It's been a dream working on this with Invisible Wind Factory and we're the perfect mash up. I couldn't be prouder of our artwork of colour, play and lights!"

MURUGIAH, the artist behind:- 'Rangoli Mirrored Cosmos' said:- "I'm thrilled that Rangoli Mirrored Cosmos will be on display at River of Light in Liverpool and can't wait for the North to enjoy, experience and celebrate togetherness with this installation"

To mark Diwali, the Festival of Light, on:- Friday, 1 November 2024, Culture Liverpool is working with Liverpool based Indian arts and culture organisation, Milap to programme activity which will take place near to the Rangoli Mirrored Cosmos installation.

Each night the artworks will be switched on from:- 5pm to 9pm, with a number of special quiet hour sessions to ensure the event is even more accessible to visitors with additional needs. During the quiet hour sessions, all artworks will run with either no soundscape or at a very low volume and, where possible, lighting will be altered making it a gentler, more accessible environment for people with sensory differences. More information regarding the quiet hour sessions will be announced next month.

As in previous years the official River of Light website will have dedicated accessibility pages which detail each installation, providing descriptive information for those who are visually or hearing impaired. There will also be key pointers relating to access, seating availability as well as the locations of Changing Place toilet facilities and accommodation that provides accessible options.

The theme of this year's outdoor trail forms part of Liverpool's journey to become a recognised UNICEF UK Child Friendly City, where children can uphold their right to play, recreation, rest and leisure; as set out in the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child. #ChildFriendlyLpool

There will be a series of in-person engagement programmes, which will see some of this year's artists visit local schools, colleges and community groups to facilitate special workshops, bringing the inner light artist out in the next generation. More details will be announced soon.

Sean Morrison, Estate Manager for Royal Albert Dock, said:- "We're delighted to be an official partner of this incredible event, and play home to 3 installations at the dock for the 1st time ever. River of Light has become a calendar staple for locals and visitors looking for a spectacular free, family friendly activity, and it's great to be at the heart of this cultural event highlight. The dock offers visitors a vast selection of bars and restaurants to enjoy refreshments beforehand and after, whilst also providing an iconic setting to let the magic of River of Light truly shine."

This year's River of Light will be part funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as the lead authority. Royal Albert Dock Liverpool is an official festival partner and Avanti West Coast is the official travel partner for the event.

To get the latest information visit:- VisitLiverpool.Com.

Videos from previous years:-