Saturday, 13 January 2007
Vins Rants To Two Newspapers
This is the letter that Vin wrote to Fridays Echo, he didn't actually mention Gloucester Park Swimming pool.
Hello Christine,
The visual arts in Basildon are flourishing, but no one ever gets to hear about them. Last year between April and November START (Support Through ART) and BAT (The Basildon Arts Trust) held a joint exhibition in an empty Mothercare shop in the Eastgate Shopping Centre to show off work by local artists and part of the BAT Collection. During this time some 40,000 people saw the exhibition- more than some established regional museums and galleries achieve in a year, others would give their eye teeth for such an attendance, yet this did not make headline news in the Echo- the only local newspaper with the calibre of reporters to cover arts events. We feel that this justifies our claim that Basildon should have a major art gallery with national, international, local and regional exhibitions that would bring untold prestige to the town. How many people had heard of Bilbao until the Guggenheim Museum was built? Now its it an international attraction which people flock to from all over the world. Have you ever tried getting into the Tate at St. Ives- it's always full.
Basildon is also a haven for Public Art: not only are there various priceless works of art scattered around the town centre, but Basildon is creating its very own Sculpture Park at Wat Tyler Country Park.
Then there's a unique and exciting project going on at the moment in Northlands Park Neighbourhood where artist Andrea Mason is turning Northlands into one huge Arts Happening with events to bind the community through a number of innovative ways. There's a Speakers' Corner, ghost tours, dog show, mass tree hug, walk to school day, and many other events to engage a community. Andrea has produced a 3-month diary entitled "Art U Need" which details events in Northlands from January to March inclusive, and the first event kicked-off last Saturday with Speakers' corner. There's been no mention of this in any of the local papers, which all goes to reaffirm the view that Basildon is an uncultured place where vandalism and graffiti are the main occupations of a disenchanted youth. No so!
We, the artists of Essex are very supportive of our colleagues in Basildon who are battling away in a very difficult environment to make a difference to the life of everyone in Basildon, yet they get very little recognition for their efforts.
It would be nice to see the Arts In Basildon getting a mention now and again, if only to show that the arts are alive and well in Basildon, but in need of much more public and media attention.
Best wishes, Vin
Vin Harrop
Chairman of the Trustees
The Foundation for Essex Arts
vin@designessex.com
http://www.essexgallery.org.uk/
Vin also 'more successfully to the 'Daily Telegraph'.
http://lisajhornersdiary.blogspot.com/2007/01/vins-rant.html
And Sue has a rant too!!http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/display.var.1134021.0.swimming_pool_is_ideal_for_an_art_gallery.php
Labels: Basildon, Standing up for the Arts, Vin Harrop
# posted by Lisa : 03:55
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