ARTISTS TALKING

AIR member Davivd Kefford, who featured on the cover of a-n's Good practice for new artists publication in 2007, was one of the artists exhibiting at the Wysing Arts Centre re-launch event last weekend (19-20 January). The Open Weekend event marked the launch of Wysing's new building housing artists' studios, administration offices, a dedicated education space, a new media facility, reception and improved gallery. Matthew Collings formally opened the new building at an evening event on 18 January.

The site in Bourn, Cambridge was previously closed for a year during the completion of the £1.7 million construction project. The 11 acre site houses 24 artists' studios.

And continuing until 24 February are two gallery exhibitions, one showcasing Wysing's current residents alongside past artists who have worked there, the second featuring exhibitors who have donated drawings towards a 'benefit' show with works available to buy at an affordable price. Both exhibitions open daily 12-6pm daily.

In his ‘Bedford Journal’ on Artists talking, Alex Pearl writes:
“In the evening we make a BCA excursion to Wysing Arts, which is reopening after a 1.7 million pound refit. I catch a lift with Katie who doesn’t know the way but makes up for it by driving as fast as she can. We arrive to find a glowing space station full of undercover arts council operatives (I forget to wear black again). The new studios are hugely impressive über-clean loveliness some containing living spaces, kitchenettes, double beds... Franko B is there, handing out plastic bags and jellybeans as we file awkwardly through, trying not to touch anything. Matthew Collings does a speech in which he worries: about his eye (runny), about the forward looking nature of the building and art within, about his own 70s painting and about the need for artists to look back at the Greeks. He says art is about stress or pain or worry which makes me feel part of things. Later the talk is of funding cuts and I drink too much champagne.” (‘Bedford Journal’, # 7 [19 January 2008], 18/01/08).

See Interface What's on section for full exhibition listing.