Getting arty in the Railway Hotel (From Brentwood Weekly News)

Getting arty in the Railway Hotel

8:00pm Friday 26th June 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share

A BREATH of fresh air is coming to Southend’s art scene with a new exhibition showcasing the work of emerging and established artists.

Under the banner of Southend Young Creatives, the display, upstairs in the newly-refurbished Railway Hotel, Clifftown Road, will showcase the work in a fresh and relaxed style.

With everything from prints to photography and paintings on show, the exhibition will feature a competition, adjudicated by Westcliff’s Beecroft Art Gallery, which is donating a £50 first prize.

Organising committee member Charlotte Hopson says the team have high hopes for the exhibition tomorrow and have big plans for the rest of the year.

“We have a great group of artists exhibiting, and it will be a real mix of working artists and people who are currently students,” she says.

“It should be a really exciting show. The daytime show will feature about ten artists, established ones as well as emerging, all from Southend.

“We are trying to get together to show some work and hopefully it will be the first of many.

“We are looking to celebrate art rather than it being something formal and structured.

“It’s going to be a great show from young talent in Southend.”

The show will feature photography, graphic work, graffiti, print and paintings, providing a kaliedescope of colour, form and effect.

Charlotte, 20, says: “It will be quite a vibrant show and the space we have is a really nice space.

“It’s just been refurbished and looks fantastic. It’s a massive room with really large windows which is great for showing art.”

One of the aims of the collective is to demystify art and make it as accessible as possible in order to help entice a non-traditional audience.

Charlotte explains: “Sometimes people go into galleries and feel intimidated, but this is all aimed at having a good time and enjoying art for what it is, and what it means to each person individually.

“A lot of art these days has gone really pretentious, but this is not like that at all.

“This isn’t fake, and it’s less about the ideas behind the pieces and more about just showing off some really good pieces of work.

“It’s all quite immediate and people will be able to make up their own minds about the pieces.”

The involvement of the Beecroft in the show has the group excited, with the gallery’s Kevin Marsh acting as exhibition adjudicator.

Thorpe Bay artist Charlotte says: “We are very excited to get the Beecroft involved in the show.

“It is always really excited about projects in Southend and new things coming from the area. They are very interested in new talent and have been very supportive of us.”

The daytime exhibition at the Railway will be followed by an art and music social event in the evening, which promises to keep the creative juices flowing.

Events planned later in the year by the group include a tent at Southend’s Village Green festival and work with local schools and colleges.

Charlotte says: “We are hopefully going to be showcasing the work of 16 and 17-year-olds from local schools at this year’s Village Green festival, which will be very exciting.

“After the Village Green festival we will be using different venues around the town and it’s hoped we can establish a bi-monthly painting showcase, celebrating artists and sixth form artists, which will be really exciting.”

To help get the group off the ground they are seeking support from business and local galleries, either financial or of materials, with inclusion in the exhibitions’ complementary visitor brochure offered in return. To contact the collective and find out more about sponsorship and support opportunities, call 07522 961122.

• Print
• Email
• Share