Tag: art-in-rugby

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Welcome back…

Welcome back to the Rugby Artists and Makers (RA&M) blog, which has been neglected for a while. The new plan is to post here soon after our group monthly meetings, when all our news is fresh! Subscribers to the blog on the website will receive it by email.

Art at the Alex news

Our monthly meetings are hosted at The Alex and begin with a rundown of Alex news, events and opportunities. The Alex’s new opening schedule (Thurs-Sat 11-4 plus First Thursdays 6-9 with live music, Second Sundays 11-3, and more ) is on their NEW website, along with the full calendar of exhibitions, events and news. You can also subscribe to their new newsletter for Alex-and-beyond news. (including a link to this blog).

The following are open calls for local/RA&M artists: at The Alex

  • Salon des Refuses: on now til 1st March
  • RA&M Network exhibition “Transformations”, June
  • Summer Arts Exhibition, July
  • Rugby Town Exhibition, October
  • Alexmas at The Alex, December
  • Also in April and November you can pitch to be a solo or group exhibition, but there is a waiting list.

    In other Alex news:
  • The Alex now hosts Belinda Edwards (ceramics) as its 4th studio holder, joining John Thompson (photography & more), and owners Steve Davies (printmaker) and Chris Pegler (fibre).
  • The Alex is a finalist in the Coventry & Warwickshire Business and Community Awards 2025 in the Cultural and Creative Activator category.
  • As you’ll see below, The Alex is also part of several wider events.

Five Senses exhibition

RA&M’s fifth annual exhibition in Floor One at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum was well attended and sales were made, but most noticeable was the publicity and “official” attendance. Our visitors included the mayor Simon Ward, deputy mayor Barbara Brown (at our celebration event), and councillors Richard Harrington and Bill Lewis. The local MP John Slinger, who went on to mention Rugby Artists and Makers, The Alex, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, and some of our artists, in the House of Commons.
See the exhibition catalogue here.

Wider news, in brief:

  • Rugby Art Gallery and Museum First Thursday talks include some art topics, and Creative Counsel sessions continue – RA&M member Jess Hartshorn talked to us this afternoon about merchandising your artwork. The Rugby Open has come to an end and the new Beyond the Canvas exhibition is due to open.
  • Coventry Open entry window has closed. A new entry fee for The Herbert will commence a couple of days after that exhibition opens.
  • The IKEA building in Coventry has £5m funding for a cultural hub.
  • LTB people are still operating but in a very different way – it’s a work in progress.
  • Anna Lorimer is due to open the new location of her art gallery.
  • The Percival Guildhouse has secured funding to enable it to continue beyond the summer and is seeking to make links with other art organisations, including The Alex.
  • Pop-ups are invited at Butterwicks.
  • LSA Art Room in Leamington is to close, but looking at a new location.
  • Lighthaus: two key artists behind the LSA Art Room are setting up a new venture more towards Leamington old town – more info on their website, including about crowdfunder. https://lighthausarts.com/
  • Spbace, an initiative to link people with spaces. has invited people to register interest if they have a space, or want one.

Events and exhibitions coming up (in addition to the full schedule at The Alex)

  • Rugby and District Arts Society‘s next talk is Jacqui Smithson on wet felting, 5th March.
  • Rock, Paper, Scissors, Floor One at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, March 4-15th. John Thompson, Clare Pentlow, Vikki Skinner. There will be an artist there most of the time. Private View Sat 8th March, 1-3.30.
  • Sue Phan follows in Floor One with “Flourishing” in association with the Community Arts Project charity she is involved with.
  • Brinklow Marina Arts Weekend, 3-5 May involves a number of RA&M members.
  • RA&M and The Alex are taking part in Rugby’s Alice in Wonderland themed Yarn Bombing event and have the caterpillar chapter. For more information: rugby.yarnbomb@gmail.com register. To get involved www.wildandfree.net/yarnbomb2025
  • Warwickshire Open Studios Summer Art Weeks (WOS), June: The Alex, Art in Dunchurch, Eric Gaskell and Colourful Outlook will all be WOS venues this year.
  • Northants and Rutland Open Studios (NROS). The Alex and Amanda I’Anson’s Beautiful Cloth Saori Studio in Daventry will both take part in NROS in September.
  • Rugby Literary Festival, October. Some of RA&M’s writers will take part at The Alex.

That’s all for now. More to come next month!