Russell Martin’s guide to running your own gallery demystifies the process of setting up an artist-led space and highlights the issues to consider before taking such a step.
The evolution of public art is an ongoing process and as an arts practitioner I contribute my share through work with Chrysalis Arts, which is currently celebrating twenty years of live and public art practice. As a co-founder and director I feel it is time for some reflection on the climate for creating artwork in public places and consider what the future holds.
a-n’s Exhibition Payment Guide says artists should make sure they provide clear evidence of their work and experience when approaching a gallery with a proposal. This quick guide offers advice on the main areas to consider when developing a proposal, and includes tips on what to include when responding to an approach from a gallery or making a speculative pitch.
In recent years many artists have moved from major conurbations to smaller towns or cities in the UK, with access to cheaper work space and accommodation, improved health and wellbeing, and the need for stronger community networks among the factors influencing their decision to relocate. In this guide, Dan Thompson explores the many and varied reasons why artists move to a new place.
Contemporary Arts Programme Manager at the National Trust Grace Davies explores the benefits to non-arts organisations of commissioning artists outside of traditional gallery spaces, and offers some top tips for artists to consider when making an application.
Hannah Pierce, who has held curatorial and programming roles with organisations including The National Trust and Jerwood Visual Arts, offers advice and explores the key issues to consider when applying for a residency with non-arts organisations.
Kevin Hunt explores the nature of temporariness and expiration, morphing and longevity in artist-led initiatives. Written to coincide with the launch of the Artist-Led Hot 100 (version ii) and Assembly Liverpool, May 2017.
Negotiation is one of the four core principles of a-n/AIR’s Exhibition Payment Guide. This quick guide offers 10 tips for better negotiation.
A best practice reference guide to use when creating an agreement for a solo or group exhibition with a gallery or organisation presenting visual arts. You can also use the a-n Contracts Toolkit to build a contract to the specific exhibition context, and this checklist will support you with this.
Rosemary Shirley explores new approaches to curating in rural contexts including New Geographies, a project developed by a consortium of nine arts organisations based in the East of England, and Ian Giles work as part of the project, Open Ramble East, which looks at queering rural places through rambling walks.
Proactively seeking out opportunities to realise exhibitions and projects is an important strategy in the arts. Adam Smythe, Curator at the Bluecoat in Liverpool, gives some advice on the best methods of approaching galleries with exhibition proposals for your own work or for curatorial projects.
For this follow up to her Approaching galleries guide, Jennie Syson asked artists, arts managers, curators and gallery directors to share their top tips, and dos and don’ts advice.
Jennie Syson offers some advice on approaching galleries, through setting out the different research routes and methods you might use.
The Bethlem Gallery in Bromley provides a professional platform for artists who have experienced mental health difficulties. Alistair Gentry speaks to the gallery’s director Beth Elliot about the organisation and how it fosters a supportive artist-focussed environment.
Joining a board can provide artists with a voice in the decision-making room and a way to steer the arts agenda. Nicola Naismith explores what’s involved, and hears from artists and their fellow board members about the important contribution artists can make and why being a trustee matters.
Writing a manifesto was one of Dan Thompson’s first acts as an artist and he has since written several more including one about using empty shops, and The Paying Artists Manifesto for Artist-Led Work that showed how artists working with their own ecology, economy and excitement ‘make the world around them better’. He explores the history of artists’ manifestos and shares advice and tips on how to write your own.
In 2017, New Contemporaries, an annual exhibition of emerging artists from UK art schools, opened up its application to include artists from alternative learning programmes. Director Kirsty Ogg discusses this decision, the changing climate for emerging artists in the UK, and what artists really need to develop and challenge their practice. Interview by Michaela Nettell.
Karen Mackinnon, curator at Swansea’s Glynn Vivian Gallery, introduces her work and talks about the importance of art having a social purpose. Includes a video interview recorded at a-n’s Assembly Swansea event in May 2019.
A collection of reflections on Social Art Network’s two-day event in Sheffield, November 2018.
Steve Dutton discusses the outcomes of a-n’s Artist-led Bursaries, awarded to six artist-led groups in 2017 to explore how artists and artists’ groups adapt to navigate turbulent cultural and political landscapes.
ecologies of care was initiated by artist Ria Hartley in 2018. The project comprises a growing toolkit of resources designed to support artists who have access requirements to express their needs. Hartley speaks to Lydia Ashman about the toolkit and why artists’ health and wellbeing should be a sector-wide priority. This resource is available in text format and also as a video format sound recording.
A psychogeographic opening up of the city through an aural tour of artist-led venues and other listening points of historical and cultural interest.
In this short introduction Paulette Terry Brien, co-director of International 3, and co-curatorial co-ordinator of The Manchester Contemporary, sets the context for the symposium Fair Cities.
Paulette Terry Brien chairs a panel discussion with Leila Alexander, Liv Vaisberg, and Alys Williams, exploring the ecology of key art market centres in relation to the context of Manchester and the North West of England.
What are artists’ associate programmes and what do they offer within the broad landscape of artists’ professional development? What should artists consider before applying? Based on extensive research into sixty arts organisations across England, Scotland and Wales, this guide by Dany Louise offers artists help in thinking through the various options available to them.
Read guides and profiles that offer valuable information, insights and strategies on art practice from a range of expert voices. Plus extensive archive of past publications.
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