News from the Upstairs Gallery

The Upstairs Gallery has won a BRONZE AWARD for the SUFFOLK CARBON CHARTER!

NEWS about  a major show for May 17th – 31st 2012 : we are looking for artists to exhibit alongside the many talents in the main show. If you are an artist that has work of emotive content, or stigmatic issues, we would like to hear from you. Please email; bigartgallery@aol.com

Current Show:
OPENING Hours 10 – 4.30 Tuesday-Saturday Closed Sun and Monday only
Richard Parsons and Christine Parsons, 16th February – 3rd March
From abstracts to still life to landscapes, Richards graphic training is clearly evident throughout, marking a unique and distinctive talent. Richard’s legacy of work is as much a part of East Anglia as the scenes that inspired him. His work is widely collected and has been exhibited at galleries in London and throughout East Anglia. His wife Chris carries on the tradition today, exhibiting and selling prints of his work alongside her own photographs of East Anglian landscapes.

Olympic Arts Show 23rd July – 17th August
Cultural Arts Show displaying works from Artists in East Anglia – open submissions, please apply to:  bigartgallery@aol.com

We are currently taking bookings for all artists for the coming year. Gallery space available from 2ft width, 6ft Height – ranging to 11ft width, 6ft height.  Main Gallery is available from March (No Bookings May or September) to December.  The Gallery Team is changing this year, with more volunteers to cope with additional workloads. At the height of the year, we coped with over 4000 visitors in one month, on average throughout the year we guarantee a 2000 footfall per month.  The gallery is regularly featured in many publications, and is supported by many businesses and clients, both for being dynamic and enthusiastic in its approach to supporting both clients and artists.

Artists are now able to book their time more freely at our gallery, with 2 week bookings, monthly bookings or 6 month and yearly bookings.  With 89 spaces available at any one time, we are able to suit the  requirements of all artists, from students through to professionals, and have a variety of artists with proven sales that remain within our gallery from year to year.  To make your booking for your exhibition this year, call 01502 717191  or email: info@theupstairsgallery.co.uk
The Upstairs Gallery Team, The Upstairs Gallery, Exchange Square Beccles Suffolk NR34 9HH
www.theupstairsgallery.co.uk

The Art Trading Company in Bungay

Bungay has a new and truly excellent art materials shop , The Art Trading Company, with an exhibitions gallery upstairs for hire: http://www.thearttradingcompany.co.uk/

Exhibition Opportunity:

We would again like to invite Norfolk Open Studio artists to apply for shows in 2012.

Full details are on the website at www.halesworthgallery.co.uk

We are a small and unique, volunteer run and not-for-profit gallery housed in a 400 year old alms house in Halesworth, Suffolk. Each year we have six shows, usually of three artists each though this is sometimes varied. Each show runs for two and a half weeks an the gallery fee is £80 with 25% commission taken on any sales. Artists are invited to submit work, CV and statement to the selection committee who will be planning the programme for 2012 in early January. Ideas for themed shows, group shows or individual proposals are welcomed.

Please send submissions to Paul Cope, Exhibitions Organiser, Halesworth Gallery, Steeple End, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 8LL.

Deadline is December 31st 2011.

Great Yarmouth Gallery Advisory Group

Are you passionate about the arts and want to help increase cultural provision in Great Yarmouth? If so, the Great Yarmouth Central Library Gallery needs you! The Great Yarmouth Gallery Advisory Group are recruiting new members to help programme exhibitions in the gallery and promote its space and facilities to the wider cultural network. If you are interested in joining please get in touch with Karen Tassell, Libray Localities Manager. The next meeting is scheduled on the 18 November. Here are the terms of reference for the group:

Aims of the Gallery

•Provide a dedicated exhibition space for local artists, arts organisations and students of all ages to share their work with the community and, for some, to gain experience of exhibiting

•Provide a broad programme of stimulating exhibitions that is a balance of works from local artists, local groups, visiting/touring exhibitions encompassing art , craft, and design

•To raise the profile of artistic activity in Great Yarmouth

•To inspire others to engage with and participate in the arts

•Develop new audiences locally and involve targeted communities which encourage lifelong learning and assist in the delivery of Big Lottery Fund outcomes

•Create a welcoming and stimulating environment for all visitors – irrespective of their background.

•Promote an awareness of other cultures and celebrate cultural diversity supporting cultural cohesion

Role of the Group

•To determine how a balanced and accessible yearly programme of exhibitions and events that meet the above aims can be developed and delivered;

•To meet at least four times a year to assess applications from artists for the future exhibitions programme

•To ensure that relevant stakeholder groups are represented on the Advisory Group to ensure a balanced and inclusive programme of events;

•To ensure the exhibitions programme is effectively and creatively promoted;

•To advise on ways of promoting the galleries as a community resource and encouraging their use by local groups;

•To develop ways of attracting new audiences to the galleries;

•To act as an information sharing and co-ordinating forum;

•To develop the role of the galleries in the context of wider cultural development in Yarmouth;

If you would like any further information, please contact:

Karen Tassell

Locality Manager (Broadland, Norwich & Great Yarmouth),
Norfolk County Council Library & Information Service
Hellesdon Library
Woodview Road
Norwich, NR6 5SR

Tel/Fax: 01603 484079
Email: mailto://karen.tassell@norfolk.gov.uk

The Painters Palette

I was driving down Northgate Street the other day and stopped to take this photograph of the Painters Palette at the far end at 7-9 Caister Road (NR30 4DA).  The shop and gallery is owned by Stephanie Nile and provides a picture framing service and picture restoration as well as a gallery.  Tel no. 01493 858080.

The Courtyard Gallery

The Courtyard Gallery, which is due to open in April, is receiving a large volume of enquiries, and is consequently holding a Q & A session with the exhibitions and events co-ordinator Louise Royle and gallery owner Michelle Payne on 1st and 2nd April at 10 – 3 pm.

Contact Michelle Payne at BigARTgallery@aol.com to find out more.

The Upstairs Galleries, The Courtyard, Main Cross Road, Greater Yarmouth, NR30 3NZ www.theupstairsgallery.co.uk

Dead Monkeys – new Great Yarmouth gallery

A new gallery in Clays Yard, Market Row is due to open on 1st April.  Beano is calling his gallery `Dead Monkeys’ and plans to  be open seven days a week, 10.00 until 19.oo hrs. during the Summer season.  The gallery will specialise in contemporary arts and crafts by local artists and Beano and Kerry, who is helping to man the gallery, are looking for artists and craftspeople interested in displaying their work there.  There will also be a cooperative workshop space above the gallery.

Central Library Gallery reopens

The refurbished gallery space at the Central Library, Great Yarmouth, is now open.  The Great Yarmouth and District Society  is the first to take advantage of the new open-plan space with their 82nd  annual exhibition, which will open ready for the Maritime Festival on the 5th September.  The exhibition continues until the 12th September (except Sunday), 10-17 hrs, 19.30 hrs on Wednesday.

For information about the galleries at Great Yarmouth Central Library and how to book an exhibition, click here.  Alternatively contact the Library and Galleries Manager on 01493 844551/842279 or send an email to yarmouth.lib@norfolk.gov.uk.

Norfolk Libraries has now got a Facebook page where you can find out more about what is going on: http://www.facebook.com/NorfolkLibrariesUK.

The Strictly Gallery

The Strictly Gallery has opened in 25-26 Victoria Arcade, Great Yarmouth and is looking for new artists to exhibit . 

The gallery has opened with a Round the World exhibition by gallery owners Elizabeth Hearne and Paul Irving along with an exhibition of reproduced pictures titled Legends with canvasses of stars like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.

The gallery also offers a photographic studio and a canvas printing service.  The photographic studio is for hire for a small fee

Strictly Gallery is open six-days-a-week during the school holidays and is closed on Sundays.

Anyone wishing to get in contact can either call in to the gallery or visit www.thestrictlygallery.com, or email at mailto://info@thestrictlygallery.com.