We’ve been working on our events, so that we can publicise and let our mailing list know well in advance what is coming up. Forward planning and all that, particularly for Chloe gaining class participants.
This is The Queen of Hungary Project Space programme for the first few months:
Inaugural Programme
2011
November 24th – Isabel Vasseur: Curator’s Talk
December 10th – Chloe Mandy: Life Drawing Master Class
December 15th – Jacques Nimki: Artist’s Talk
2012
January 19th – Jacques Nimki: Master Class
February 10th – Chloe Mandy: Painting with Oils Master Class
February 16th – Caroline Fisher: Curator’s Talk
February 28th – Chloe Mandy: Generating Ideas Master Class
March 15th – Krzysztof Fijalkowski: Artist’s Talk
Queen of Hungary Project Space Event no.1
Our inaugural seminar by Isabel Vasseur went extremely well, once the technical teething problems had been ironed out and the audience members stuck the wrong side of a closed road arrived. We were full, it was warm enough and there was only one mishap with a glass of red wine. Even the Christmas tree made a creditable statement. I met several people whom everyone except me seemed to have known for years. I must get out more…
As you can imagine, Isabel’s presentation was crammed full of interesting observations on the mechanics, machinations and development of strategies, commissioning and getting public art made over the last 20 years. And the importance of establishing good partnerships and participation.
The Q & A session at the end was largely about vision, preferences and direction for the exhibition in St Margaret’s Church, Cley and its environs this July.
The Project Spacers, Isabel and a few others went back to Stephanie’s for food afterwards and the discussions about the Cley church show, funding and other issues continued, in a progressively louder, more energetic and enthusiastic way. I left them chatting as I had to get up for work the next day, but could not sleep as my head was buzzing with plans and tasks and excitement.
Dominique Rey
It is our first seminar this evening in the Project Space, which looks great by the way. Whilst I was away in Birmingham, Stephanie had been busy. Amongst other things she’d patched up the floor with the boards I’d painted. What a difference.
Today we’ve been buzzing around like blue-bottomed flies. The lettering for the sign still has not arrived, although promised, so it looks like we will be sign-less as we open. Instead we are going to plant a Christmas tree infront of the empty sign-board – some sort of improvised intervention I suppose.
Endless emails and print-outs to do. At least the bar and barman is sorted. Priorities…
And we are expecting a full house, with over 30 people confirmed. Will they all brave the trek out to a right-rural Norfolk field?
5.20. I’d better get down there and put the heater on!
We’ve painted the Project Space floor the requisite grey- I think we’ve got the shade of it just right for an art space and lots of interesting fluff balls painted into the surface from who knows where. Also dug and weeded the minuscule flower border under the facade – what shall we ever put in it that makes a statement and costs nothing???Suggestions please!
The lettering for our simultaneously plush and nasty sign is due this week and the side window frames have been sanded ready to paint.
Altogether, the space is coming up shiny with a bit of spit and polish. We’ve had the usual discussion about types of evaluation for visitors to the talk on Thursday, and importantly, glass shapes and sources of wine for the talk.
We’ve had a fair few people confirmed as attending, which is great news and a testemony to the interest in Isabel’s experience and vision.
I’ve included another image from St Margaret’s, Cley Church as a picture of a grey floor might be rather boring.
A Project Space trip out to view St Margaret’s Church, Cley. This was to provide a context for the inaugural Queen of Hungary talk on the 24th. Isabel Vasseur will, amongst other things, discuss her vision and approach to curating a show in and around St Margaret’s. Stephanie and I met up with artist Frances Kearney in the interior, who has a personal perspective on the building and stories to tell of it.
The church is beautiful, full of wrathful and comic carved beasties on pews, in niches and on parapets – full of myth, mystery and damnation. The arches are splendid and stonework looks filigree delicate with a sense of wear and erosion over everything. Standing on the high ground behind the church, it was easy to imagine the old, old harbour and the ships that would have bustled and busied just below the church. All grass, road and some houses now.
The grey sky became too grey for us to explore the coastal, marshy strip that will also form part of the exhibition.
It will be fascinating to see how the show shapes up and moulds itself into the niches.
