This is a busy time for our artists and makers as promotion starts for the summer’s events, and preparations are well underway. (In fact, I expect that some of our artists and makers are already started on their Christmas prep!)
Transformations is the title for the next Rugby Artists and Makers exhibition, at The Alex, James St.
The exhibiting artists are, as I write, putting the finishing touches to works that will be on display from 6th June to 6th July (usually open Thurs-Sat, 11-4, plus first Thursday evenings and Second Sundays).
Warwickshire Open Studios Summer Art Weeks promotion has begun and the annual exhibition at the LSA Art Room has opened in its new location inside the Royal Priors Shopping Centre in Leamington Spa. There are 100 artworks on display at the LSA Art Room and exhibiting artists are helping to man the gallery while the exhibition is on, so do drop in to get a taster of what is to come when Summer Art Weeks is properly underway. The printed brochure has been out for a while – if you don’t have one yet you can pick one up at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum’s Visitor Centre or at Art at the Alex, James St.
Summer Art Weeks in the Rugby area (including Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Princethorpe, Dunchurch & Barby) looks like this: Please check the brochure (and venues’ own social media) for opening dates and times as these vary widely.
- Gillian Shadbolt, venue 46, Ryton-on-Dunsmore.
- Princethorpe College, venue 47, Princethorpe.
- Eric Gaskell, venue 48, Cawston.
- Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, venue 49, Rugby. Floor One exhibition featuring Alina Bondarchuk, Carol Wheeler, Chloe Deltufo, Ginte Zacharini, Kanika Sharma.
- Art at The Alex, venue 50, Rugby, featuring Belinda Edwards, Bethany Hughes, Clare Pentlow, Glynis Hayward-Bradley, KJ Matthews, Sarais Crawshaw, Steve Davies.
- Colourful Outlook – Glass Art Designs (Lisa Shenton), venue 51, Rugby.
- Art in Dunchurch, venue 52, Dunchurch, featuring Amanda I’Anson, Carol Gordon, Carrie Yuen, Darren Awang, Georgina Millington, hand-inc, Jackie Monk, Jaine ThorntonWeeks, Jane Archer, Janet Dawes, Jennie Fletcher, Julia Sanders, Lesley-Anne French, Magdalena Edwards, nJoyArt (Jan Taylor), Raquel Garcia Haro (Hagarak Studio, Ray Spence, Richard Veys, Susan Watt, Victoria Parsons.
- Cleves Garden Studio, venue 53, Barby, featuring Dot Crowe and Geoff Crowe.
And that’s not all! Several Rugby area and Rugby Artists and Makers Network artists are exhibiting at venues outside our immediate area, including Wren Hall and Harbury.
Rugby Yarn Bombers are still working hard on preparations for the yarn bombing event in the summer. The Alex’s creations will fit with Chapter 5: Advice from a Caterpillar and various creepy crawlies are in progress.
Note that Saturday 14th June is Worldwide Knit & Crochet in public day and there will be a gathering in Regent Place between 12 and 2pm. Bring your yarn and your picnic!
The Love Rugby festival coincides with Summer Art Weeks, running 20th June – 6th July and the brochure is now available in print or to download from the website. Rugby Artists and Makers received funding for pavement chalk art across the town, and individual artists from our network also received grant funding. Art at the Alex received funding for creative demonstrations during the Summer Art Weeks event, and other Alex events during the festival period feature in the brochure.
The Percival Guildhouse adult education centre still needs your support. It has been extending its range of courses, so take a look at what is on offer, and it is actively recruiting for more tutors too.
Art at The Alex updates
At our mid-May meeting at The Alex , in addition to the forthcoming Transformations exhibition, we were briefed on approaches made to The Alex by organisations, schools and businesses looking to contact local artists for projects, and by students seeking work experience opportunities – it’s great to see these contacts being made! Note that one of the artists exhibiting in the Transformations exhibition is a former Alex work experience student.
The Alex is also strengthening links with Rugby Borough Council and local businesses and recently attended a targeted stakeholder meeting including topics such as nurturing a cultural quarter in Rugby.
Rugby Artists and Makers 