During the 10 years or so I spent, either studying or working, at art college, I noticed that every year work was being wasted. After the degree show, the left-overs from the previous three years generally ended up (as a rule of thumb) in skips or grandparents lofts. It always struck me as a lost opportunity.
Walking around any art school reveals it to be a place of diverse interest, with (again, as a rule of thumb) something for everyone, should they have the chance to to view it: sketches, maquettes, multiples, paintings, prints, sculptures, odd things made from forks and so on. You know the stuff. So why not create an opportunity for the graduates to claw some money back, chipping away at the debt pile waiting for them?
I was thinking of something like a car-boot sale, but for new graduates. Cars full of eccentricities and crafted goodies. Figured, if I would get excited about going to something like that, then surely I can’t be the only one. There have to be other people would welcome a chance to browse through three years of creativity.
Speaking to the staff and students whilst still working at Winchester School of Art told me I was right: there were, in fact, lots of people who would like to take part in an arty boot-sale. This was encouraging, and when I started my role as Lead Artist at Chapel Arts Studios two years ago, the boot sale idea was one of the first to be floated amongst colleagues.
It’s taken some time, but now, the boot sale has developed somewhat. I’m now directing a two day art festival event, comprising of the boot sale itself, an exhibition, an a-n AIRTIME event and an open art market for 50 of the top art, craft and design artists in the South of England.
The Test Valley Arts Foundation (who run the Chapel Arts project) have taken a fantastic leap in supporting and underwriting this. They have provided a Project Manager, Elizabeth Hodgson to work with me, and along with two recently deputised graduates and studio colleagues, Alessandra Cattaneo and Tom Mortimer, we will be making this thing go. We have until the 7th of July, and this blog will keep a track of the progress we make and the lessons we learn along the way.
