NETWORK CATCH UP
Trawling through the Network e-mails I was answering a question from someone enquiring about NAN Networking Artists Networks which they’d seen acknowledged on our promotional cards. I clicked on the link to the NAN page, only to find… MY NAME… and a link to this blog in the middle of the page. Stricken with guilt about the huge absence of blog posts, I’m prompted to add this Network update! Of course the problem is that the more successful projects become, the busier life is and the less time there is for blogging!
However, I’m happy to report that we now have a grand total of 65 Blue Monkey Network members from across Sussex. We’ve been up & running for 7 whole months now, during which time we run 7 regular monthly events including an amazingly successful professional development weekend in partnership with Matt Roberts Arts during which Matt managed a spectacular total of 14 1-2-1 portfolio reviews and a talk on How To Apply For Open Submissions and Awards. More than 40 people attended the talk and many, unfortunately, had to be turned away such was the demand.
A small team of our members also had an absolutely unique opportunity during the autumn to curate an exhibition of works from the Towner Collection. The exhibition, New Eyes, has been a resounding success and can be seen at Towner until 22 April. The six members of the team found the project an unforgetable experience and put in a huge amount of effort, but reaped a rich reward in terms of professional development experience, insight, understanding and knowledge.
We’re now working towards our second year as a Network and planning and fundraising in an effort to move forward with our big ideas and plans for the future. We hope to move onwards and upwards with even more opportunties for artists in the coming months and years. We’ll keep you posted!
