Loves Cafe (Weston-s-Mare)
Although it was good to have a ‘practice’ exhibition, launching and executing a group display of work. It became clear, I felt that the cafe wasn’t an ideal place to exhibit. What we needed was a gallery setting to fully realise our professional aims. However what it did provide us was a chance to view our pieces, for the first time for some outside the school environment. Somehow between us we were able to pull it off. 
As per usual, as is usual in most groups dynamics there are those who naturally gravitate well to certain jobs/roles, possessing attributes they’ve acquired. Conversely others within the group don’t pull there weight, instead expecting others to do it all for them.
I felt also that the private view could have been better attended by the public and student artists. We should have done more to mingle, to talk about our work with those that did attend, instead most kept to their own social groups.
The Exhibition was not publicised in good time, as a result there was a lack of buying/gallery going public, plus weston other than Banksys Dismaland doesnt exactly attract art aficionados.
Then there’s the problems we encountered with the owner who it would seem only agrees for artists to exhibit so she has fresh new artworks free at her venue on rotation. She only appeared cordial if we were spending money at her cafe. One example of this was when she didn’t open up for us to set up-even when this was pre-arranged beforehand.
That being said it was good for a lot of my cohorts to show there works as most had never exhibited outside of School.
On reflection I would suggest the following could’ve been done diffently and we could look at this moving forward to our upcoming show propper at 44ad in Bath.
- Look to foster better communications with the gallery owner
- Set an agreement in writing for what is expected from us and the gallery.
- Marketing-flyers and posters should be printed in good time, distributed around the week leading up to our exhibition. Artworks promoting the show need to be agreed promoter to allow for quicker turnaround.
- People naturally gravitate towards roles which they know/or feel they are best suited, which I feel is a good thing. However more should be done to delegate remaining tasks to the others in the group who prefer to take a backseat and let others do everything.
- Funding will be dealt with in house I presume between our Tutor and the college
charlieghost 