Tayla shares details of this upcoming event at Quay Arts. Ed
Every two years, Quay Arts invites emerging and established artists from across the UK to submit works in any medium to be apart of an Open Exhibition, awarding one artist the opportunity to present their work in a future solo exhibition at Quay Arts.
It is through our Open Exhibitions we are able to discover new talent and provide a platform for visual artists that wish to share their work with the world.
2017 winner
Our 2017 Open Exhibition titled and themed “I must down to the seas again” borrowed from John Masefield’s original 1902 ‘Sea Fever’ poem, saw over 100 submissions from artists across the Isle of Wight and beyond. 64 individual sea and marine inspired works work by 52 artists were accepted, all reflecting our love, fear, and curiosity about the sea. Included in this selection and winning the prize was Island-based artist Caroline Underwood with her two large-scale paintings pictured below ‘Island West: Compton’ and ‘Island East: Bembridge’.
Inspirations
Initially inspired by her experience of taking part in the Island’s Hospice fundraising event, ‘Walk the Wight’ and the 2017 exhibition by British land artist Richard Long at Quay Arts, the works were made through exploring the Island on foot in all directions from her studio based in Carisbrooke situated in the centre of the Island.
Selected through her contemplative interpretation to the theme and ability to show exciting, creative processes, she also showed great potential in developing her practice, presenting a new body of work reflecting the Island’s diverse landscape.
Bearing’s exhibition
Now, after 18 months of development, Caroline presents ‘Bearings’; an exhibition exploring her connection with the Island’s land and seascapes. Coinciding with this year’s Walk the Wight, Isle of Wight Walking Festival and Round the Island race, her responses to places are developed in series as large-scale paintings and installations, representing the way she experiences the land and sea – not just by looking at it, but moving through it, being in it.
Elevating professional practice
Through this award we aim to help elevate Caroline’s professional practice through providing the space and time to develop this very ambitious body of work, and with curatorial input, marketing and installation support, we aim to support her throughout that process.
We feel it is important to support the development and display of new work by contemporary visual artists, presenting work of national and international interest, whilst retaining a relationship with the Island’s unique, cultural landscape.
Help needed with gallery overheads
As a charity and with no core funding, Quay Arts relies on the generous support from private and public donors to fully realise Caroline’s ambitions, thus enabling us to provide an exciting visual arts programme and the development of new work, free for all to access.
Therefore Quay Arts needs your support to help cover the gallery overheads and Caroline’s material costs for this exhibition. In exchange for financial support, she is very kindly offering a range of artworks, artist talks and workshops and Quay Arts can offer a bespoke package for corporate sponsorship to businesses.
To find out more how you can help, please visit the IndieGoGo Page.
Where and when
Caroline Underwood’s exhibition ‘Bearings’ opens in the West Gallery, Quay Arts on Saturday 27th April 2019, 6 – 8pm, all welcome.
The exhibition continues until Saturday 29th June.
Caroline will also provide a free Walk & Talk Gallery Tour of her new exhibition on Saturday 18th May, starting at 11am in the West Gallery. Image: © Paul Debois
