Art gets its own shop window
Have you seen the view?
Up and coming artists in Winchester have a new place to display their work – in the window of a former greengrocer’s shop!
The shop window, at 4 Bridge Street in the city centre, has been specially fitted out for art displays in response to the huge demand in the area for places to show some of the amazing new work created by artists and crafts makers.
Winchester City Council plans to make the view available to art students or newly graduated artists, and to community arts groups or projects.
"This is a wonderful way of combining a shop window display space with modern art. Young and budding artists need display space to show their many talents and this provides the perfect display case for their work," said Cllr Therese Evans, Winchester City Council's portfolio holder for Community Services.
Marilyn Michalowicz, the City Council’s Arts Development Officer, says there are many talented artists in the area, from the School of Art as well as other creative people living among us.
"We really must find as many opportunities as possible to share, enjoy and celebrate their work. There are such long waiting lists at most of the city’s art galleries so when we had the chance to use this extra space, we grabbed it!" she added.
Hampshire County Council has also helped establish the project by offering a start up grant of £500.
Local artist and teacher Alistair Eales will be co-ordinating displays at the view and anyone interested in using the window should speak to Alistair on 0775 2623235 or Sharon Armstrong-Williams on 01962 848537.
The current display includes work created by children and families who attended the Winchester Festival Children’s Art Day 2003 at the Winchester Gallery. Led by artist Tony Hayward, the workshop was inspired by the visually powerful black and white photography of Jane Bowen and was constructed using enlarged photocopied sections of Jane’s portraits.
The exhibition will be on display until10 December 2003.