I explored the Art Trail thing a bit further but I still feel it's a no-goer for me. Laurence Rushby (currently blogging on this site) has a proposal in for an installation/performance so I'll let her pave the way first and see what emerges. Salisbury sometimes feels like a bit of a black hole when it comes to support for the visual arts. It's a shame as the Art Trail is an ideal opportunity to mix in something more challenging alongside the commercial crafts etc ( not undermining their contribution in any way) but it would be nice to see a mix. What grates on me though is the £75 fee to apply (I assume their is no selection process) and the £20 membership to the overseeing organisation.
I understand it's a self supporting exhibition but if the artist run BCO show in Bristol was able to produce a really high qualtity show at a fraction of that price, bearing in mind this also meant renting a large and equipped warehouse space, then surely the Art trail where artists open their own studios, should be less. Unless the cost is somehow restructured Salisbury's main local art event will continue to lose out when it comes to more challenging work and perpetuate the kind of 'no man's land' feel Salisbury carries in contemporary art.
Anyway, not much work done this week apart from the usual schools work and an interview with a new mother I am just about to leave for. Hopefully tomorrow I will catch Emilia Telese's talk at Artsway. That's the plan anyway if the car holds out as it's beginning to fall to pieces. The 'monster truck' as my wealthier fellow villagers kindly refer to my bashed up Fiat Multipla has alas seen better days!
