Summer 2021 Exhibition
July 9/10/11 in The Studio, De La Warr Pavilion
A note from the Exhibition’s organiser, Steve Hall
Well, this was a gamble that paid off!
We hadn’t been able to exhibit for two years and this one, booked months in advance with the DLWP, was before many Covid restrictions were lifted. Would we get enough entries from our members, old and new? Would we get visitors still constrained by social distancing and face masks? We would have to send out more complicated instructions than usual as we were an indoor exhibition and had comply with various rules…
In the event we had entries from over 30 artists and were able to put on a varied and interesting exhibition of 88 paintings and various crafts that vindicated the idea to get the ball rolling again.
Despite the competition of Wimbledon and the Euros and a Saturday of ESP (Extremely Soggy Precipitation), we had an amazing attendance of over 550, and around £1500 in sales. Over 100 comments in the visitors’ book were universally positive and many mentioned how pleased they were to see us back again in the DLWP. Sterling work by reliable stewards (no absence excuse letters from Mum!), and the committee made the event run smoothly despite all the adaptions and constraints. It was a relief each day to get outside and remove the mask, though.
A Selection of the Craft Entries – click on any image to see an enlarged version. Use the << and >> symbols to scroll through. Click on an enlarged image to return to the gallery.
The events manager at the DLWP, Naomi, was hugely supportive and they supplied new A-Frames directing visitors from the main building to The Studio, also adorned with a large sign on the gate. They were pleased that we were their first local event following lockdown.
A Selection of the Pictures – click on any image to see an enlarged version. Use the << and >> symbols to scroll through. Click on an enlarged image to return to the gallery.
It was my one-off pleasure to manage the exhibition and, apart from all the extra temporary shenanigans due to the virus, was surprisingly straightforward as I had all the previous experience to lean on. Thank you to all concerned and I look forward to the autumn designer-makers exhibition and whatever 2022 allows us to do. Feel free to contact me if you want to be more involved in BAW and would like some insight.
Steve Hall