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

Applying for Jobs and the feelings that come

It's like going on a blind date. you are showing what is most appealing of yourself and answering the list of requirements. age range, hair colour, must know Spanish, believe in Jesus, be able to kiss your elbow. The list is very long. You happen to find some lists that you fit and you start to respond, you write it all down, it seems long, you get tired of thinking of new description words that convey how you did it all by yourself and have sincerity not boastfulness and then you feel resentment that they want to be so prescriptive. Do I really have to drive or is a clean driving licence euphemism for wanting a suggestion of compliance of rules to the point of never having had a speeding infringement? I start to suspect their motives, I feel interrogated, challenged, you are not good enough and you will never meet my long exacting list. Then they want references and honestly by now I just want to give them my previous owners telephone numbers and say go on ring them, they'll tell you, why ask me? They won't be coy and they'll recall more because its not oppressive and tiring and almost offensive to them.

I'll wear a shorter skirt, make my intentions clear, I will prostrate myself, lie down at your mercy, consider me for this job? You won't regret it.

There is some, oh god why should I do this again. Every application wants your education and employment history in a different format, each list item is worded differently and each person reading it wants to see different things. I know I have all you need and yet getting you to see that, bother reading it, is all chance and after how many I've started and all the ones I've finished, and nothing to show for it, each word you write I wonder why I bother.

Having left a job and a workplace I was at for 15 years I feel that I am rusty, I am conditioned to the way we recruited there. Each word fine tooth come, considered and thorough. Don't suppose it yielded better results, but it felt fair.

So an interview at last. I feel some hope but this weight of effort and dissapointment must be thrown away first and how I wonder?

London Baby Yeah

So as usual said lovely friend and I met up at Paddington Station for a day of following our noses and talking lots. She thinks I put real care and attention into making a day that suits her but it seems we fortunately enjoy the same things, I just drag her out of her comfort zone just enough. We went into a few intimate galleries in Camden and Fitzrovia, saw lots of works in ceramic. Slip molded tubes stuck to a canvas that as my non art gallery going friend noted, captured movement. We also saw canvases with sculptures attached boxed in as if one of Rene Magritte's Empty Mask paintings had taken three dimensional form. We saw a painting by a trained draughtsman of london and Thames in the snow, slightly sentimental depiction of the late 50's with some Lowri influences if you ask me, sells really well.

Then when I was thinking lets do no more galleries across the street I spotted in the corner of a window a small scale David Begbie piece, I was sure. I'd seen a show of his in Shad Thames about 15 years ago and had the catalogue for years. We crossed and entered and sure enough it was, we looked at the new work and the lady in the gallery said she preferred the early stuff. We agreed that his amazing accuracy in capturing the human form, muscles, flesh and so forth and them mixing genders in one form was so intriguing. I always found them compelling and here they were lit so well that you got the shadows to mirror the objects. In the basement gallery his newest reproduceable work in 2D cast the same shadows as the 3D, one of Amy Winehouse was part of a recent charity show. Impressive but not as compelling. We talked about all the work and she introduced herself as David Begbie's wife, this was so exciting, normally I'm not phased by the cult of the artist bull' but he'd become part of my mental landscape so ot was so nice to be connected, plus she kept asking me my opinion and shucks who doesn't like that?

David Begbie 2011

It's nearly Chinese New Year so we had lunch in Soho, the Royal Dragon, can not say how delicious it was, so fresh, its not the best looking place from the outside, but trust me, its good.

We walked lots and tubed little so by the time we reached festival hall I was grateful for a sit down and cake. Outsider Tart produced my second ever real life conversation with a New Yorker and a very chocaletely satisfyingly textured Hepburn, after visiting Tiffany's earlier all the possible get ready for NYC Art scene and holiday in May puns were complete.

Jen

New Year New Ideas?

For the first time since leaving school I had all the days off between Christmas and New Year and I was not well, in fact only this last weekend have we touched the Christmas alcohol in our home, we spent our family time together playing Skyrim and drinking soup.

Since then I've been working as a receptionist at a Charity which has been badly paid, hectic and lovely. I've felt vital and capable and useful and quite proud of my abilities to learn quickly, get along with everyone and recall people's names for at least as long as it takes to put them through or call the staff member to meet them in reception. Thenk goodness for my talent in deciphering bad handwriting and upside down for being able to use the sign in book as a guide before saying goodbye! Talented, yes.

Also my new stationery friend the Dymo label writer, can I get a woo for "Integral Guillotine" I mean the joy of pressing a chunky silver button with a scissors icon to hear a satisfy Crrrunch and a perfectly trimmed label drops effortlessly on to the desk, hmmm. I made one typo Friendi when attempting Friends, was I going for Welsh or Italian? Anyhoo I now have my own label, Friendi, it may just label my mobile.

So my To Do list in the Art World has been quietly growing. I realise that its all of my own making and I know I need to stop adding to it as it as just tiring to think of.

I shall write for a local website about Art, just when I decide precisely what

I shall review and promote another artist's great idea, just when I can find the tone for its non-core audience, hard.

I am writing a proposal for an Auction for an artist;s approval

I have begun my monthly group for viewing and discussing visual art. I will be designing posters and marketing for this venture but so far every second Saturday at 2pm I have a venue booked and some people who will come again! Plus a plan for the next three months.

I will apply for at least one of those three jobs I found.

I'm off to London this saturday to see my good friend and this will be after squeezing in getting my roots done on Friday, hopefully the hair confidence and time on a train will help magic all this along.

I think learning so many temp and volunteer jobs and meeting so many people and reading so many books has just depleted me, even aside from the studying applying and getting rejected.

I have devised a beach in which I can not sit, but a pebbly surface that bruises gently and slips me toward the sea where I am buffeted by the steady and relentless waves. I need a cushion, a windbreak, a towel, a boat - sand even and a bucket and spade and one day an ice cream damn it and a bit of sun.

I've had two events to go to over the last weekend, Friday night a thank you event for Madeinroath where I finally got to meet the poorly panel member, she did not dissapoint. I saw and reacquainted myself with people form made in roath, had a home made mince pie and slice of christmas cake, logo decorated and all. Also had some Mrs Beeton's recipe mulled wine, best I've ever had, will be looking that recipe up.
I did, here it is:
TO MULL WINE.
INGREDIENTS.- To every pint of wine allow 1 large cupful of water, sugar and spice to taste.
Mode.-In making preparations like the above, it is very difficult to give the exact proportions of ingredients like sugar and spice, as what quantity might suit one person would be to another quite distasteful. Boil the spice in the water until the flavour is extracted, then add the wine and sugar, and bring the whole to the boiling-point, when serve with strips of crisp dry toast, or with biscuits. The spices usually used for mulled wine are cloves, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon or mace. Any kind of wine may be mulled, but port and claret are those usually selected for the purpose; and the latter requires a very large proportion of sugar. The vessel that the wine is boiled in must be delicately clean, and should be kept exclusively for the purpose. Small tin warmers may be purchased for a trifle, which are more suitable than saucepans, as, if the latter are not scrupulously clean, they spoil the wine, by imparting to it a very disagreeable flavour. These warmers should be used for no other purpose."

Not sure that helped, but I can confirm you can heat it with tea candles, about 20 of them for a 6 pint saucepan on a stand, just be patient.

g39 had their opening, they are now just off City Road behind the Earnest Willows pub. Spent Friday daytime leafleting and scanning more library books, by Saturday the library had transformed into an intimate slide show space of shots of the previous venue and shows, it seemed warmer.

The main space contained the 18ft Christmas Tree with lights, I was told the story of treacherous balancing and stretching that made it so, I only hope that getting them down will be accomplished more easily. Also the outlines in real dimensions of the old space over three floors wer marked out. Tiny.

I remarked that use of the space was so cunning and of course in the new space new cunning ways will be needed. One visitor pointed out its all horizontals whereas before it was all verticals, too true. But it's still bigger and one wall being used her to project words with comfy chairs infront of it did make you realsie how easy it is to visually divide. 2  staff members were up into the early hours making soup and mulled cider was also on offer. Yum, worth the effort on this cold day and it was great to here people who had never visited g39 before had come for the first time. Brilliant. Always like a new audience.

Talking of which have started my Art Club Discussion group, feel welcome do, 14th January Gower Pub, Roath, Cardiff, 2pm

I will be taking time this festive season to assess my options. Currently working tomorrow and then first three weeks in January temp wise. Lots of other things have dissapeared been reduced or just gone quiet. Suspect busy time has part to do wth it. Hav eheard talking to people over the socialising about some interview questions and I am not the only one to perceive that feedback of why did not get it does not refelct the job advert. This was true of my first application for a finance person for a Theatre over a year ago, feedback was everyone else wrote pages on their enthusiasm for Theatre, wheras I had killed myself getting a Foundation in Financial Management qualification to boost my chances. Suggestion was they put very broad requirements so they can narrow the field. Makes sense, that or considering how many applications they choose the obvious known person, the one who suggests something they didn't even think of they liked or something like that. It's totally a recruiters market and It was suggested to me i was knew to the field. Well yes and no. All my life all my hobby time has been spent on the Arts, only followed sport since I got a son, not interested in shopping, oh well another hobby is food I'll concede that, but A level and degree choices and all the books I read nope, Drama, Film, Visual Art all the way.

At least I'm making more friends who share an interest and that's great. resources of time were too small to indulge my interests enough and I suspect that resources of money will dent it too now. But I shall try and maintain and look for work that will not detract too much from my goal.

No decisions till after Christmas is the plan, still have wrapping and delivering to Finish and a list of I shoulds to get through,

Jen