First rule of Art Club is Talk about Art Club

Here is the article, thanks Geraldine!

http://roathcardiff.net/2012/02/11/art-club/

Art Club

Posted by Geraldine ⋅ February 11, 2012 ⋅ Leave a Comment

Filed Under art, art club, exhibitions, gower pub, roath, roathcardiff

Jennifer Pearce, arts professional, and volunteer with Made in Roath and art gallery g39 (recently relocated to Roath), has written us a guest post about her new venture, Art Club.
Meeting today at 12 noon, Saturday 11th February, to visit the Contemporary Galleries at the National Museum, and later the Martin Tinney Gallery, Jennifer introduces Art Club here.
ART CLUB IS FOR YOU
So many people say art isn’t for them, or feel they need knowledge or money to access the subject. Art on television and radio has improved, making it more accessible, whilst treating the audience with respect and giving in depth discussion. But the audience has not expanded as much as this would suggest. Art Club exists to break down barriers between this interest and the reality of gallery visits.
Book Clubs helped people expand their reading, try new things and meet people. Why not do that with art? I created Art Club to begin the process of encouraging people to feel included and enjoy the visual arts by inviting friends along one by one, and every time, they wanted to stay longer than planned.
Art Club expands the invite to all to come on this voyage of discovery, see more, see something new, discuss old favourites, meet people and have an enjoyable and interesting time.



Each month a show or exhibition is viewed in your own time or at the group view. We’ll then discuss it over a drink at The Gower Pub (located on the borders of Roath and Cathays), Cardiff on the 2^nd Saturday of each month at 2pm.

Visit www.artclubcardiff.co.uk for full listings.
You can follow Jennifer on twitter here.

Scared but Prepared

So went to interview, lovely people, I was scared but prepared. They were smiley to the point of looking insincere at times but I used my homework, mentioned my South Korean Government Delegation learned a Korean greeting, used it for my communication example. Maybe I waffled a bit due to nerves, some of their questions were wide ranging like "The job entails HR, Finance and Health and Safety functions tell us about when you have been involved with this?" "gulp"

Anyway got a great tour of the Art School understand their safety labelling now and felt I created rapport, did not get it. Someone else had used the systems they have previously. Three jobs down with that feedback. Best to accept that's true and not speculate. Hope is slightly diminished but I am pushing those negatives out, they don't help.

Went to work today, only wept a bit on the bus, first time been alone, reminded myself Stephen Fry says feeling sorry for yourself is justified but pointless. Ok day in work, getting to know the job and playing catch up, lovely colleagues who taught me more HE things to help in my future applications (bless, how nice)

Visited gallery on way home now committed to Library cataloguing every thursday. Good. Best to be involved.

Wrote a blurb on my Art Club idea for Roathcardiff.net, they have kindly agreed to do a feature on the concept so that helps. Got a lovely feedback from a local gallery owner via the website, made my day.

Tomorrow month 2 group view, none of my bankable turner uppers are available it may be just me!

Will in that case research my article for cymruculture.

Ho hum, busy in many directions but meaningful employment not so much. Just glad my bank balance was for once more than I had thought.

Art Club has a website

Designing a website, I read quite a bit of a website for Dummies book, I tried to refresh my html, limited though it was and then found out the world had moved on and hosted websites for things other than blogs also exist. Had a personal reccommendation for one and now 1 day and £50 later I have my own domain name forever, a simple site for a year and a logo.

The logo was the hard part, I have no talent and no design software. There are logo design websites, some are awful, I searched long and hard and found a lovely one. Free to use on website logos are everywhere and then pay to use in print.

As my point was to get a recognisable logo so everyone knew all my advertising was me I had to pay. Only I couldn't, they wanted dollars, I have that ability (don't ask I won't tell) but as I don't have a USA address I couldn't so 2 or so hours of logo design, I miss it now, gone. It was lovely.

I made one that was similar to it with clipart, well it's like a Golf. Anyway it will work.

I wrote some leaflets and getting it printed needed nice design software, used desktop and did it myself. You may see me on a Library noticeboard near you.

www.artclubcardiff.co.uk

Feel free to link to this and tell your friends.

I have been asked to give some background on why I'm doing this...

I love Art, i'm a culture vulture, always have I think. I spent years in museum's as a kid, it rains in Wales. Both my parents paint a bit, they said "ooh look at that" a lot to me in my life, the way the sun is coming through clouds or a flower in a hedgerow, I started noticing peeling paint or saw faces in scaffolding. I've always looked at buildings and redesigned them in my head, dreamily imagining living in them, well actually lately not so much too grown up now I can imagine the maintenance too.

I talk to people who say art isn't for them. Don't get it, it's ugly, why do we spend money on that crap? I could make that. Galleries just for posh people. But they'll talk for hours about the best pair of trainers they ever had or hankered after or a vinyl record cover or a tattoo they admire. It's all really the same.

They can talk about music or film or adverts or the colour of their neighbour's front door.

Visually they care to some extent and if they can feel that their opinion is as much worthy, which it is, then great, share it.

Everyone should see art lots of it and see artistry in everything they see. They'll be happier, I'll be happier, we may get people buying art not just expensive wallpaper.

This is a dream of mine, art for all

IMAGINE

Jen