ART IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS – An affordable art event at Cultivate, Vyner Street – the show, is it a show? Is it an art event? An exhibition, an affordable art fair? A bit of all of those really, certainly being treated as a combination of all those elements by the people who came along to the opening and to the first weekend. The show opened last Thursday evening, after another frantic hang (I do enjoy the hangs – the juggling, the way one piece can throw the whole room out of shape if it is placed in the wrong spot). So we opened last Thursday, a room once again packed with art, a salon type hang, busy walls with pieces hopefully jousting for your attention and a show that demands more that just a quick glance – explore those corners, there’s treats lurking in the shadows of the pieces that might demand your attention first. Someone recently complimented us on the fact that she always founds something interesting art treasure in the corners, I liked that, Cultivate is not a white cube.   

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013)

So we spent a few weeks searching through the submissions, working out what would fit, the work that would feel right within the room and as part of a body of art, the artists who feel right and get what the space is about.  A diverse selection of affordable art (and artists) that needed to work as one whole, work as an exhibition – as we’ve said before, Cultivate is primarily and an art gallery, a place for people to exhibit and view work, we are about the enjoyment of exploring, experiencing art, the enjoyment of artists showing art, we are not running a shop, even when we do fill the space with a show that we bill as an “affordable art event”.  Of course we like selling work, we have bills to pay, artists have materials to buy, but first and foremost it is about people exploring the art exhibited on the walls. 

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013)

Twenty three artists sharing the walls on the opening night, with the intention of more being added as the show evolves through the eighteen days.  We hope we achieved a healthy blend of artistic flavours for the opening night, and yes we did let a few artists break the size rules, we think we got off to a good start, we look forward to the show evolving towards December First Thursday and one last weekend of Cultivate.   

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013) 0 JULIA MADDISON

Opening this Thursday evening, November 21^st (6pm until 9pm)  and running until Sunday December 8^th (including December First Thursday and all that that involves down Vyner Street). ART IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST CHRISTMAS is a show full different affordable flavours – pop art, street art, contemporary paintings, abstract art, prints, photography, op art – a room full of hand-picked pieces, an evolving show that we expect to add fresh art and artists to as thing move through the three weeks of the event. An affordable art show, a chance to come buy your Christmas presents from creative people who have poured their heart and soul in to creating something, rather than some thoughtless tat from Ikea. What sort of person buys their loved one Ikea prints? Unless leaves have grown all over them of course.   

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013) – LOS DAVE’s beautiful rust

We currently have art on sale at anything between £1 and £400 from AGATA FLORIO. BEN JENSEN, CARRIE REICHARDT,  CHRIS GODBER, DENE LEIGH, EMMA HARVEY, EVA BACHMANN, GARETH MORGAN, HELGA ANIORTE, JESSICA BALLANTINE, JILLIAN KNIPE, JULIA MADDISON, KATRINE STOREBO, KAREN PIDDINGTON, LOS DAVE, NIKKI RILEY, RICCARDO GUERRUCCI, ROMI CATALAN, SEAN WORRALL, SEQUIN KAY, SHARON REEVES, SUMAN GUJRAL and TRACY MOBERLY with pieces in the print rack from artists who have taken part in previous shows such as CARNE GRIFFITHS, ELLA GURU, D7606 and more.

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013) 0 JILLIAN KNAPE

The third (and almost annual, wonder where we’ll do it next year? Wonder if we will?) ART IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS event run for the next two weeks, through December First Thursday and on until the final weekend of Cultivate, the show ends on Sunday December 8^th

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013) – BEN JENSEN

If you can’t make it to Vyner Street over the next two weeks then some of the art currently on show can be purchased via the Cultivate on-line shop, all  the art  currently on show at the gallery is on sale and all available via mail order. If the piece that has caught your eye isn’t to be found in the on-line shop then please ask about it and we’ll happily give you a price and details. The on-line shop can be viewed here, meanwhile a photo album from the show is being added to daily on the gallery Facebook page,

This is an evolving show so London-based artists who wish to join in should get in touch via info@acultivatevynerstreet.com for more information on how things work and you can get involved in this show, December First Thursday and everything else. Please please don’t just turn up at the gallery with your work without making contact, getting the information  and submitting work via e.mail first, I really do not like being put on the spot by artists just turning up without warning and expecting a response straight away (especially with a bag of work and demanding things  be moved around so be added at 5pm on the afternoon of an opening!). This is the last open call group show at Cultivate and your last chance to net involved in one of these shows – see the previous blog pages for news on what is happening next with the space.

Remember now, ART IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS… buy something special and help support an artist or two as you do it…. thanks for all your support over the last two and a bit years of non-stop Cultivation.

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013) – JULIA MADDISON

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013) – SEAN WORRALL

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013) – KATRINE STOREBO

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013)

ART IS FOR LIFE (2013) – GARETH MORGAN