Restarted

It’s a strange feeling when the doors close for the final time on an exhibition.
How should we feel ? Elated ? Sad ? Relieved ?  Was there a great sense of achievement ?

I have a few mixed feelings but really, It’s too soon to say.

The positives were that people did come to see it . Some travelled quite a way ( Thank you Elena !)  and some left it until the very last minute  ( going by the flurry of instagram stories at the end of the day)

We left a comments book and some people did bother to write something . That’s always good for evaluating the exhibition later.  Good comments were made too which is always encouraging.

Yesterday, an arts group came in to discuss the work. They go to a different venue every month, so it was good that out of all the exhibitions in Liverpool on at the moment, they chose ours to visit.

We actually had several curators visit, though maybe put that down to Sufea being super sociable and just knowing everyone!

Actually, writing it all down like this has suddenly made me realised how much more we’d achieved than in any of our previous exhibitions. Curators have NEVER visited before !

On the negative side , It was disappointing that we didn’t get any reviews . Am I expecting too much?

We always hope that something will come out of having an exhibition to make it all worth it.  We do know we will work together again. Maybe that’s enough .

I slept in this morning – something I haven’t done for a long time.  I guess all the running around I’ve done in the last week, plus yesterday’s workshop at The Walker Art Gallery has finally caught up with me.
Although my workshop had been planned for a long time, it was difficult to advertise it in the ‘normal ways’ as the museums had been on strike and obviously the major exhibitions took priority when everyone returned back to work last week.
It was a case then of trying to push it on our social media channels in the hope of gathering interest.
I had five attendees which wasn’t bad and I was kind of glad really as I’d totally underestimated how many materials I’d have to carry on public transport.

I’d been collecting cartons, bottle tops and other recycled materials for months.

Thankfully the gallery provided all of the basics I needed – pencils, rulers, glue, paint etc , so that wasn’t an extra worry .
I had loads planned for the 3 hour workshop, but in the end everyone was happy making paper beads and ‘butterfly’ earrings . We actually ran out of time as they seemed to be enjoying themselves so much.

Back to normality now though as I’m babysitting tonight and then meeting Elena Thomas in Liverpool tomorrow as she’s coming to see our exhibition.
Looking forward to seeing her !

It’s two days since our exhibition opened –  three since the PV night…. and after the initial elation,  I’ve now got that ‘flat’ feeling.  After an opening, I always wish there was a flood of reviews ,  feedback … even the odd social media post , but there’s been nothing so far.  I know it’s early days, but we always hope for more don’t we ?

How do other artists generate interest ? Or is everyone the same ?

We haven’t posted the ‘official’ photos of the night yet, so maybe that will help.  The photos were taken by Cath’s partner, who thankfully did them for free,  so no extra costs there.
I only took a couple – before ‘the rush’ ( see below)  but they don’t really tell the story .

On the plus side , the exhibition looked good in the space ( not just me saying that!) We worked well together as a team and because of that we are planning more events .
I’ve also learned to promote myself more, which has always been a bit scary .

I just have to learn to sit and wait now , letting the exhibition speak for itself .

This morning, the 3 of us met at the exhibition space to do a final check before we  install our work on Monday .
We were really annoyed to find that the last exhibitors had left the walls in an appalling state. As a free independent gallery,  each exhibitor is given strict instructions to return the space to how it was before.
Not too much to ask really.
So our half hour meeting to have a chat and take some photos, turned into a couple of hours of filling holes and painting walls.

Work wise , I haven’t  been able to settle into it again. I hate everything I’ve done recently  and I don’t want to show it. I don’t know if it’s just the pressure of showing new work or just that I’ve got so much on just now.  I’m just glad that I worked hard at the beginning of the year so at least I have a small body of paintings.

I think we’ve done as much publicity as we can , so all we can do now is just hope that people turn up .

Something that I forgot to mention .. I was contacted recently by a Robert Bolick who had written a blog about me several years ago that I knew nothing about. He wanted me to update him on a few things .  It’s recently interesting to read other people’s take on your work . Read it here 

It’s been a busy week since I wrote my last blog.

The press releases have gone out to five different sites so far. These are the main ones here that reach the largest online presence : a-n events,  Art in Liverpool, Liverpool artists network, Eventbrite and Art Rabbit.  Hopefully people will read at least one of those.

After those had all been ticked off, I went on holiday.  Yes, I know its only a month since I went to Seville,  but I spend lots less on travel than I would on a studio space!

I went to Malta with a family member.  I saw several Caravaggio’s in the Cathedral there and listened to the audio talk on him.   ‘He  was always getting into fights’  . Ha ha that made me laugh.  Not the sort of thing I heard when I did Art History.

I briefly saw some of the Malta Biennale – the first time it had been staged there I believe .   What I did see were a lot of videos, which I’m not really a fan of.  We were only there for a few days, so didn’t want to spend the time traipsing from one site to another .   I wish there had been more outdoor stuff – that would have made it much more accessible.  But anyway, I’m glad that our trip coincided with the Biennale .

On my return to the UK, I checked the listings we’d made…. Yes, all had gone live.  We’ll do some follow ups in the next week or so.

Yesterday I went to the pop up exhibition space that convenience gallery had set up in Birkenhead.  I’d missed the opening  for  The town is the Gallery   as  I was away, so I was keen to see what they had achieved.

They had set up the space in an old M&S in town, which is a great idea.   It was quiet when I went, but I don’t know whether that was because it was morning or whether the general public were suspicious of the space. I’m used to going to gallery spaces on my own, but maybe the blacked out windows and not being able to see inside might be off-putting to others?

It is important to support other artists though – whether you go out to see their work or just to acknowledge what we have written on here.

I posted some of the images on my Instagram account and I think that alone has persuaded a few of my followers to pop in too.

Wendy Williams Instagram