ARTISTS TALKING

# 52 [15 May 2008]

I am just as busy with studio business as I was a year ago and barely have time to write a blog.  A meeting to sort out studio politics on Sunday seems to have resloved a few issues in relation to Standing Room residencies. It's a bit tricky walking the line between sleepy and dynamic, but we have to compromise a bit without compromsing artistic ambition. It all probably sounds a bit cryptic, but a community of 17 artists is always going to throw up differences.

We have confirmation of funding for a Derby graduate for 2008-09. I was supposed to talk to students this week, but it all fell through last minute. I'm booked up til weds and away til the 29th so I expect it will be last minute. Unfortunately confirmation of funding comes close to final shows and it is difficult to coordinate meetings with ADOs, lecturers and students.

The hectic programme which Amelia has planned has gone brilliantly. Last Friday's pv of Hobnob coincided with Polly Parker's private view in the Exhibition space. It was a great because the artists had new audiences.

# 51 [2 May 2008]

Amelia has organised 'Natter over the garden fence' ( a series of talks) which has crept up rather quickly.  I'm impressed by her energy and drive to sort out such an ambitious programmme at short notice. Amelia generously offered lunch which she was going to prepare herself. However, HMS artists are bringing a plate which will ease the pressure :)

We are learning all the time and I created an online booking form for the event. A little late in the day, but it is a format we can use again.

I am off to a celebration tonight at CAN, one of Nottingham's more established studios. They have been going 20 yrs. It makes me feel v humble.

# 50 [29 April 2008]

The transaction to buy the studios out of the SIPP has been finalised. I feel disappointed  because it seemed such a good solution to pension  provision as well a neat way to finance affordable studios. In different circumstances I think it could really work.

Anyway, with more come-backs than Beckham I've decided to re-start my blog. I thought if I drew a line under the "setting up" then I could get on with the other side of my arts practice, that is making art. Ha ha. 

Just when you think everything is up- and-running there is a reminder that there is still plenty to tweak.  A noisy film crew and artists with opinions meant I had a battering by email. We have an abundance of painters and 'object' makers at HMS so I'm always excited to see curators/artists in Standing Room who bring new media into the workspaces. This view is not shared by all and we have arranged a meeting to discuss the issues. This is the first dissension... but I think we need to air things. 

Amelia Beavis-Harrison is the latest curator in Standing Room. She has come up with an amazing 6 week programme under the banner of 'Crumb'.  She has arranged for 3 pairs of artists to make work for 3 different exhibitions. Representatives from 4 different organisations will also be making presentations as part of the project from Lincoln (Beacon Arts), Birmingham (AAS), Derby(Quad) and Leicester (Artober).

http://www.harringtonmillstudios.co.uk/standing_rm/amelia/invite_natter.htm

One of the problems is the late marketing of the events. Really, such a programme deserves some serious promotion, perghaps weeks in advance. i am doing my best but I can barely keep up with the now, never mind the future.

Then we have our own resident artist Polly Parker who has a show in the exhibition space next week. She was the 2007 recipient of the Erewash busary. The first elements of the installation went up yesterday and it looks beautiful.

.co.uk/exhibiton_space/polly/invite.htm

# 49 [15 April 2008]

Sorry... I'm back again.  I didn't want to recycle all the same stuff over and over again. However, something very important has cropped up, which I need to share.

As I  mentioned earlier in the blog, the 99yr lease for the Harrington Mill property was purchased via a SIPP. As SIPPS are regulated,  the rent payable by HMS to the pension pot has to be commercial. This is fine at the moment because Andy's lace machines are still groaning on the floor above, supressing any potential price increase. However, Andy has indicated a major customer is closing shop in 6 months.  Like many manufacturers  he has seen his business decline as a result of cheap imports from China.

Even with the current drop in demand for commercial property, the 1st floor of our studios would move up in value if Andy ceased to trade. We would be forced to pay the increase and push up studio rents. This story sounds so familar.

Anyway, we have decided to take the 1st floor out of the pension fund . This means we have control.

# 48 [9 April 2008]

The point of this blog was to talk about setting up studios, but as we have been in Harrington Mills for a year now, I think it is time to close this blog.

I have just returned from an amazing networking visit to Lille and it seems a perfect note to end on :)

# 47 [30 March 2008]

"A man with a van and a passion for Dracula," was one of the suggestions floated for getting Sarah and David's work to Transylvania. Just one of the conversations we had whilst setting up for Sarah's PV on Friday night. Not a huge turn-out ... but we had timed it with the preview of the student postcard show in Derby. However, there were some unexpected guests which is always a nice surprise.


I was really pleased when 3 people wandered into the studios on Saturday for Sarah's talk (about the processes and ideas behind her paintings).  One of them pulled out a press-cutting from the local paper, the result of my press-release... though I hadn't realised it had been printed. More people arrived including an artist from London who was v impressed by the set-up and the informal talks. All v satisfying.

Despite a few technical hitches Sarah managed to deliver a really interesting talk. She had competition at one stage because, even though Andy's lace machines were silent, he tuned into radio 2 half-way through the discussion.  

We were debating whether it would be good to combine the talk and the PV together. Or maybe spread the events out a bit more?

The Standing Room residency is all v exciting and apparently artists are turning up next week to film. There is much interest in my cupboard.

# 46 [22 March 2008]

One of the benefits we offer at HMS is a web page. I ask artists to send info by email and I format it for the website and upload. But I am human and invariably miss bits and make the wrong links... so I ask artists to to proof read their own work. I've just finished a second attempt at Sheila's this afternoon, so fingers-crossed.

http://www.harringtonmillstudios.co.uk/artists/sheilap.htm

I've been to 4 meetings this week. The first was connected with Standing Room. we've decided to go down the CICs route which is less bureacratic than a charity.

Another meeting involved programming in a show for an artist in the exhibition space which is now getting booked up, though we do have to firm up with dates.
A meeting in Matlock with various organisations in Derbyshire took up most of Tuesday afternoon - discussing the £25m government funding for 0-19yr olds for arts and culture outside school. Not sure if I made much of an impression ....I'm a bit rubbish at making myself heard when there are 50 people in the room.

And lastly, there was a meeting to discuss events in Southwell where I am a member of another group of artists. Now down to some drawing...

# 45 [13 March 2008]

Andy Beale manufacturers lace on the floor above. He makes miles of narrow gauge lace and knicker elastic. Wall-to-wall machinery. I mention this because we got a good deal on the property as he also creates decibels. The noise varies depending on what machine is being used. It rotates around the studios - from a soft purr in the vacinity of the loos to the bone-shaking heavy metal above my space, Fortunately the latter is infrequent and I've only witnessed it half a dozen times since moving in last year.

When Andy is busy he tends to use the monster machines in the early hours because all these decibels require maxi kilawatts of energy which is cheaper before 7am.
Generally though, it compares with noise from air con units and sounds almost womb-like.
Anyway, the noise was enough to put off most punters when it was on the market... but not artists. Excepting the occasional thrashing machine, the space offers great accomodation.  I do warn artists who look round (especially at the weekend) but it hasn't put anyone off, and no one has left. I've brought this up because I am regularly asked why the space is affordable.

We will be covering a yard and a half of agenda tomorrow when four of us will be discussing the framework for Standing Room. Kat has done loads of research into different structures which will be good for funding. We don't think we will be able to cover everything in one session, but it will be a good start. I'm the secretary which I find a bit scary.

We have sorted out a date for Sarah Key's PV and she is also giving a talk.
See www.harringtonmillstudios.co.uk for details

# 44 [10 March 2008]

Just been discussing next years graduate residency with the ADO from Erewash Council. The pot which funded Polly's space has diminished, but apparently this doesn't mean the money can't come from another purse. Also there are a few hoops to jump through in terms of evaluation and public benefit etc. Fair enough because this is public money.

We have a waiting list so support from the council is not quite so critical this year, though I have to say, the partnership helps to raise the profile of HMS... and I'm sure we also tick a few boxes in relation to Arts and Culture in the borough too. The successful applicant works in the community, so the public have the benefit of working with a professional artist. All good!

The residency poses a slight problem for the beneficiary. A year comes round very quickly and the artist maybe left homeless at the end of the term. Even if they are prioritised on the waiting list, the timing may be rubbish.

Anyway, we are meeting in a few weeks when funding will be clearer, to discuss all these issues.

# 43 [5 March 2008]

It only took a few hours to hang Sarah's exhibition yesterday but the space has been transformed. The optical illusion of some of the pieces tested our judgement at times - but we were both v happy with the end result. These paintings formed part of Sarah's recent doctorate show at Loughborough University. Apparently the next stop is Transylvania! (My photos don't do the work justice but offer a snapshot of the exhibition). We've just got to organise a PV now.

I had a second stab at the web workshop which I missed yesterday. Although I set up the HMS website, I also recognise I have only scratched the surface. Lori showed us how much free stuff is available on the web and how we can park images and videos onto free sites and link them to our own.