Affordable Art Fair

22nd - 25th of October

Battersea Park

London

The Affordable Art Fair (AAF) is the place to discover and buy paintings, drawings, sculpture, hotography and original prints – all priced between £50 and £3,000. With 120 carefully selected galleries from across the UK and Europe exhibiting there is contemporary art on show to suit every taste and budget.

The forthcoming Autumn Collection (22 – 25 October) in Battersea Park, London, marks AAF’s 10th anniversary.

When Will Ramsay set up the fair in 1999 his aim was to make contemporary art accessible to everyone and to show you don’t need to be an art expert or a millionaire to enjoy and buy art. Ten years on the fair is still a relaxed and fun way to browse a huge variety of art at one time.
AAF is a great place to spot fresh, new talent – look out for the Recent Graduates’ Exhibition at the front of the marquee which features our selection of this year’s fine art graduates. The Education Programme offers free activities suitable for all ages, including hands-on printmaking workshops, sculpture demonstrations, an open access drawing space and kids activity packs. And for those who prefer to listen The Contemporary Art Society are running a series of talks about collecting art.

Book your tickets now for fast track entry and to save £2.

Several VAS members will be exhibiting at this years Affordable Art Fair including ceramicists Craig Mitchell and Rebecca Wilson.

ART WALK on West Port & Grassmarket

Friday 25 September - Sunday 4 October 2009

Venues: shops all along West Port and the Grassmarket including the Owl & Lion Gallery, The LOT and the soon to be opened ART ROCK HOSTEL (located at the old Salvation Army building in the Grassmarket near the Vennel stairwell).

Opening times: During normal business hours Monday to Sunday, hours at the Art Rock Hostel and the LOT posted on location (some shops closed on Sundays). Continuing from the success of last year’s inaugural Art Walk on West Port – where artworks are displayed in the windows of businesses along this popular shopping street – Lorna’s Art presents the second year of the project, now extended into shops in the Grassmarket.

In a unique and exciting community exhibition, over 30 shops will proudly display in their shop windows artworks by students and recent graduates from Edinburgh College of Art. An exhibition programme will be available from each participating business. The programme will include a map showing all the participating shop locations along with the name and contact information for the artist(s) on display. The exhibition has been curated and organized by Lorna Pirrie, Year 4 Drawing and Painting, Edinburgh College of Art. Lorna’s goal is to bring artwork to the public in unique way, one which benefits both the students and the local community. It also provides a first glimpse of the freshest work being produced by current students and graduates of Edinburgh College of Art.

Talking about the success of last year’s Art Walk on West Port, local businesswoman Susan Mcmanus, owner of Lily West florist on West Port says: ‘The Art Walk generated a lot of interest. We had people coming in to the shop for the first time, intrigued by the art work in the window. The project is a great idea to promote the work of Edinburgh College of Art students and the area’s local shops and amenities.’

For further press information and images please contact: Catherine Bromley, Press
Officer, Edinburgh College of Art, Tel 0131 221 6089 or 07843 626 042; Email
c.bromley@eca.ac.uk

After a year of hard work the reputed flower painter has moved in to her new studio at Ladybank Station, Fife. Ladybank Station is an A-listed Victorian Station , still functioning on the Edinburgh/Dundee and Perth/Edinburgh lines. She has renovated these unused rooms on Platform 2 to become large bright studio rooms, full of character. Here she is making her beautiful flower paintings, running art workshops and holding occasional exhibitions.

Studio Launch Dates

Kirsty Lorenz invites you to the launch weekend of her new Artist Studio in the Old First Aid Rooms, Platform 2, Ladybank Station in the rural Howe of Fife. 11am to 4pm on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September 2009.
Meet the artist, view the space. Paintings, Prints and Light refreshments.
Ample parking in or around the station.

Other news

BBC Scotland will be interviewing Kirsty as the first artist in scotland to have a studio on a train station platform, to coincide with the launch of her studio.Perthshire Open StudiosKirsty is taking part in the Perthshire Open Studios at the Touchie Gallery along with Suzie Johnson.

Painting Classes

Submerge your creative self in an abundance of beautiful flowers, inspiring images and art materials and create your own flower portraits with the help of Kirsty's support and experience. The workshops offer the chance to learn from the reputed flower painter in her bright, unusual and inspiring studio in the 'Old First Aid Rooms' on Platform 2 of Ladybank Station in the rural Howe of Fife. www.kirstylorenz.com/pages/art-classes/info-on-classes.php

Final Call for Entries: Aesthetica Creative Works Competition

The Aesthetica Creative Works Competition is internationally recognised for identifying new artists and writers and bringing them to international attention. 2010 will be the competition's third year and previous finalists have achieved success and recognition with accolades including: writing commissions from Channel 4, selection to represent Australia in the Florence Biennale, exhibitions at DACS (London), John Martin Gallery (London), Flores Fine Art Gallery (New York), inclusion in the International Drawing Competition exhibition (Poland) and the National Geographic International Photographic exhibition. The Aesthetica Creative Works Competition represents the scope of creative activity today, and provides an opportunity for both new and established artists to nurture their reputations on an international scale. The Aesthetica Creative Works Competition seeks entries of Artwork, Photography & Sculpture, Fiction and Poetry Three winners will be awarded £500 each Additional prizes include an Olympus E-420 SLR camera and a boutique holiday for two All finalists will be published in the Aesthetica Creative Works Annual, in stores December 2009 Entry to the 2009 Aesthetica Creative Works Competition is £10 This allows you to submit up to 5 images, 5 poems or 2 short stories Closing date to receive Creative Works is 31 August 2009 For full details please visit www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm

Joyce Gunn Cairns @ The Smithy

Penicuik Arts Festival

Penicuik Arts Festival 22 August - 6 September 2009
If you have not already got the programme, please pick up a copy from Midlothian Libraries, Penicuik Arts Centre, Penicuik Town Hall and many shops, or phone 01968 672 706. There are lots of exhibitions, concerts and other events.
The Arts Festival Ceilidh is on the first Saturday, 22 August, in Penicuik Town Hall, 7.30 pm, £8, £4 children.

Susie Goodwin - Curiouser & Curiouser

You are cordially invited to Dunbar Arts Hub’s Curiouser & Curiouser! This is the second Dunbar Arts Hub event of the summer celebrating a wealth of local creative talent - bringing the arts to Dunbar High Street! with exhibitions, happenings, performance, contemporary traditional crafts, music rhyme and song. It is a collaborative event and everyone can feel free to contribute; By producing knitted, crochet, quilted or even felted… cup cakes – the queen of hearts tarts - fish or cucumber sandwiches! A feast to adorn our table - and then for exhibition and sale. They can also dress the part – as a Great Scot or as a character from Alice to partake in our curious tea party - umbrellas optional The project is based on the idea that perhaps it is possible for any place to be whatever we believe it to be and the two week event features contributions from contemporary artists and makers, the Tyne Esk Dunbar writers, Dunbar Sings, Dunbar Lyric Group and local musicians. Opening at 1pm on Sat 22nd Aug with the outdoor performance Great Scots Come Home to the Mad Hatters Tea Party and the Hub at 85 High Street Dunbar will open daily 10 till 6.00 for two weeks closing event on Sun 6th Sept