South London Gallery’s Fire Station annexe to open September 2018 The Grade II-listed former fire station building on Peckham Road will open to the public on 20 September 2018 with new exhibition and education spaces, as well as an artist studio and communal kitchen. The building, which is London’s earliest surviving example of a purpose-built fire station, has been redesigned by 6a architects to maintain much of the original layout, while letting in the light.
The building, which was gifted to SLG by an anonymous donor, sits across the road from the gallery’s main site. Its redevelopment has been supported by both public funding and private donations with the final £400,000 being sought through a public fundraising campaign.
Margot Heller, SLG’s director, said the opening would be marked with a weekend of events that “will highlight some of the many exciting possibilities afforded by a host of distinctive new spaces beautifully designed by 6a architects and transforming the experience of visiting the South London Gallery”.
Southbank director Jude Kelly to step down Kelly is to leave the Southbank Centre after 12 years in the role. She intends to focus on the WOW – Women of the World festival, which she founded eight years ago and this year takes place 7-11 March.
Kelly said: “It is difficult to imagine a more stimulating and enjoyable time than the 12 years I’ve spent here – and I shall miss it terribly. With the Southbank Centre in excellent hands, now is the perfect time for me to move on.”
Arts Council England chair Nicholas Serota said that Kelly’s direction “has made Southbank Centre the natural home for some of the world’s most celebrated artists and organisations, whilst bringing more visitors than ever through the doors”.
Towner Art Gallery appoints Joe Hill as new director The current director of Focal Point Gallery in Southend-on-Sea will take up the post at the beginning of March. Hill, who originally trained as an artist, has over the last 10 years worked as a director, curator and project coordinator for various visual arts organisations, including Camden Arts Centre, Firstsite and internationally as part of the Venice Biennale.
Towner’s previous director, Emma Morris, left the gallery last July after criticising Eastbourne Council’s plans to drastically reduce its funding of the organisation. The gallery remains in a financially precarious position, with the council approving a decision to cut the gallery’s funding by 50% over a four-year period.
Commenting on his appointment, Hill said: “Through engaging and relevant exhibitions and learning activities, I believe the gallery can be a starting point for inspiration, aspiration and discussion in the community.”
Unnamed Merz Barn developer plans to create studio for visiting artists The BBC website reports that, contrary to previous statements, the anonymous Chinese developer interested in purchasing Kurt Schwitters’ Merz Barn in Cumbria is not planning to move the building to China. Instead, the intention is for it to stay in Cumbria and to create a studio for visiting artists along with a library and cafe.
A representative of the developer has said that a feasibility study is currently being carried out on the site, which for financial reasons has been put up for sale by its current owners the Littoral Arts Trust. Littoral claims it has had eight Arts Council England funding applications for the Merz Barn rejected over the last five years.
Dr Cecilia Wee to join Artsadmin as head of Artists’ Advisory Services The independent curator, producer, researcher and educator will commence her role in February 2018, following Manick Govinda’s move to Space Studios as programme director after 11 years in the role.
Wee, who is chair of Live Art Development Agency, has a background in experimental sound, performance, visual art and design practices and currently teaches at the Royal College of Art. She said she was thrilled to be joining Artsadmin, “particularly at this time when voice, agency and conventional power dynamics in society are being challenged and transformed”.
Arts Council England announces successful applicants for £2.8 million resilience and sustainability fund Awards between £10,000 and £30,000 will be given to 117 successful applicants from across England. The fund, which totals £2,869,493, will support small to medium-sized organisations to invest in systems, or training and development for staff, volunteers and boards, or to cover the costs of external expertise to increase their fundraising.
Amongst the successful visual arts applicants are ISIS Arts (£28,924), Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival (£10,000), Brighton Digital Festival (£24,070), Backlit (£29,904), Somerset Arts Works (£12,845) and idle women (£23,900).
Creative network seeks to tackle marginalisation in the arts The newly created Creative Margins network, which will be run by Manchester Metropolitan University, hopes to link up artists with arts organisations and youth workers. Funded by Arts Council England, Arts Professional reports that the initiative will meet five times a year in locations across England and Wales during 2018. Organisations participating in the network include Tate and National Museums Wales.
Chuck Close accused of sexual misconduct by four more women Speaking with the Huffington Post and the New York Times, the women claim that after Close invited them to his studio he unexpectedly asked them to model nude for him. They added that he used explicit language in the process and that the encounters left them feeling “uncomfortable, manipulated, and exploited”. It follows previous allegations against Close that surfaced last December.
Bayeux tapestry to leave France for first time in 950 years The French president Emmanuel Macron has agreed to loan the tapestry to Britain. The historic artwork depicts the Norman build up to, and success in, the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It is understood that loan will take place in 2022 when the Bayeux Museum closes for refurbishment.
Russian director of Gogol Center Kirill Serebrennikov’s house arrest extended by Moscow judge Serebrennikov has been accused of embezzling government funds, although his supporters claim that the charges brought against him were a way of punishing him for organising performances featuring sexually explicit and politically-charged content.
Images:
1. South London Gallery: View of proposed exterior of the former Peckham Road Fire Station by 6a architects. Courtesy: South London Gallery
2. Cecilia Wee, 2017. Photo: Louis Schreyer
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a-n Artist Bursaries 2018: open for applications
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