Visual Arts News

New home for Norwich Art Supplies In these uncertain times for the arts, it's great to have some good news. Norwich Art The Cut Arts Centre in Halesworth and photographer Bill Jackson are opening the building for the first - ambitious -

Supplies, who have been serving the region's artists for nearly 25 years, are expanding into larger shop premises at the end of November. ‘We have been looking for a few years now to expand,’ says founder to the products we offer, many exclusive to us such as casein paint, handmade paper and oak easels to name a few, and we are quite simply bursting at the seams.’ The shop is not moving far - just a bit further along St Benedict's Street! ‘We're incredibly lucky to have a very loyal following and it's thanks to their continued support we are able to contemplate expanding,’ says Daniel. The company has started in-house production of artist oil paint as well as soft pastels and the new premises will enable Daniel and his team to develop this side of the business. www.norwichartsupplies.co.uk Float at the Cut Arts Centre

Daniel Goldsworthy. ‘We are continuously adding new ranges exhibition since The Cut closed in March. FLOAT was created during the forced isolation of the Covid-19 lockdown when the issues of being out of control of one’s own daily life and the compulsion to maintain control was, and is, a daily

struggle. The black and white work is presented as an installation with large scale projected moving images for an extended shared experience, along with 25 small scale, wall mounted tablets for individual viewing in the iconic Malt Room Gallery. Bookings are made in advance, with two hour windows for viewing available from 10am – 4pm. Each window has only 20 people, giving space and time for the viewer to dwell and immerse themselves in the shapes, forms and movement of the cloudscape. The exhibition runs from November 5th to 21st. www.newcut.org

Winning Images Two photographers from Cambridge have won a UK photo competition by CEWE, Europe’s leading photo printing company. The ‘On My Doorstep’ competition invited entrants to share the unusual and surreal moments they’ve captured throughout the lockdown period and beyond. From scenic walks in the countryside, to precious family moments after time apart, the photos submitted for the competition perfectly capture the best moments that photographers experienced on their doorstep this year. Sally Jex won with her image entitled Empty Punts, showing Cambridge’s famous punts sitting unused throughout summer, kept company only by the cows in the field opposite. Poppy Roth’s winning image - entitled Lockdown Lunchtime Rush Hour - was taken in Cambridge City Centre as the streets stood empty while people followed government advice to stay at home. This image was taken on an iPhone 11 Pro, showing the power of smartphone photography.

Sculpt Gallery Winter Exhibition Pick up the perfect gift and support local artists at Sculpt Gallery’s Winter Exhibition featuring a stunning selection of handmade ceramics and sculpture. The exhibition, running from October 31st-December 19th, has a particular focus on local artists, such as Colchester’s Linda Martucci, whose hand-built ceramic heads are informed by the work of Modigliani, Giacometti and Henry Moore. Fellow Colchester artist, David Trenow, is exhibiting a series of sculptures carved directly from slate. Moira Goodall’s work is inspired by the natural beauty of the Essex salt marshes. Her handmade, contemporary vessels are decorated with the ancient technique of smoke-firing, ensuring that no two pots are ever the same. Work of a larger scale will be shown by Writtle artist, Tim Corke, whose medium of choice is Alabaster, which he carves into shapes that celebrate the natural qualities of each piece of stone. Another local artist creating zen-like forms is Ian Knowles, who carves his sculptures from concrete into shapes that evoke water-smoothed rocks and organic structures, some of which are cast in bronze, whilst others are hand-painted. It is advisable to book your visit to allow the gallery to safely limit numbers. www.sculptgallery.com Addressing rural isolation in Suffolk’s older residents Suffolk Artlink has launched a free arts programme aimed at addressing rural isolation in Suffolk’s older residents. ‘What is your village made of?’ invites adults (55+) to take part in activities that encourage creativity and connection with others, using their home villages and towns as inspiration. The six month programme has been designed as part of the arts charity’s ‘Make, Do & Friends’ project, running throughout autumn and winter. Professional artists will post regular activity ideas on a blog, and offer opportunities to share what you create with others. Each activity, including photography, drawing, creative writing and printmaking, invites you to explore and enjoy different aspects of your surroundings. Activity packs can be sent in the post to anyone that isn’t able to access the internet. Online group creative get-togethers are also planned. In addition, artists will be visiting villages across Mid-Suffolk and Babergh including Laxfield, Eye, Coombs, Buxhall and Westhorpe to collaborate with residents to create artworks, drawing on the many and varied ways in which communities connect. www.makedoandfriends.co.uk

Belinda King: Sunshine and Shadow

From November 28th - December 31st, Chappel Galleries in Colchester is home to a fantastic exhibition by talented artist Belinda King. Belinda’s early work focused on printmaking but she has now returned to her first love of painting, using the landscape as inspiration. Her aim is to create images that suggest a landscape through abstraction with influences including Keith Vaughan, Ivon Hitchens and contemporary artists such as David Prentice and David Mankin. This exhibition will showcase 40 works of varying size and subject matter, including work inspired by lockdown. www.chappelgalleries.co.uk