August is synonymous with the Group’s Summer Exhibition. It is also synonymous with Hampshire Open Studios. And since this year the dates don’t overlap, we shall be making exhibitions of ourselves pretty much all month!
Summer Exhibition
If you haven’t been reading your newsletters, filling in forms expressing interest in exhibiting or helping, or forms with your entries, you may only have seen or heard something of the publicity for our Summer Exhibition at the Hillier Gardens (not to be confused with Hilliers Garden Centres).
https://www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/hilliergardens/whatson/CAF-Aug26
Previously known as the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, the rebranding took place a couple of years ago, but the Hillier Gardens retain their excellence as a venue for arts, crafts, nature and good food!
We will be exhibiting just inside the front entrance, in the usual exhibition space, so that enables visitors to the exhibition to visit without needing to pay an entrance fee – and they can also get refreshments at the cafe. But if they’ve made it that far, why not encourage them to support the Gardens, spend the day there and explore?
We will be setting up the exhibition on Monday, with hand-in of exhibits followed by hanging them, and our team will be working hard to get out before being locked out!
The exhibition itself opens at 10 am on Tuesday 4th, closing daily at 5pm until the last day, Sunday August 16th, when it closes at 3pm.
Then exhibitors will be rushing to collect their unsold works from 3.30-4, while the team dismantle the show and remove the equipment to storage till next time.
Of course, while there will be casual visitors to the gardens who will come in and look, it is even more effective when you tell your friends (and any enemies you might have made), bring the family, and spend a day at the Gardens yourself.
Other events
The only other organised events we have this month are the Drop-in session (hardly organised, totally free for all) on Wednesday 12th, at the Community Centre at Hursley Road. Then the Sketching Group will be celebrating the end of the Summer Exhibition with a morning at the Hillier Gardens on Monday 17th. Maybe an opportunity to work on an exhibition entry for next year?
Hampshire Open Studios
Our group Open Studio has proved so popular, we’ve expanded it from MR3 in Chandlers Ford’s Dovetail Centre (Methodist Church complex) to take over the Dovetail Main Hall. This runs from Saturday 22nd (set-up on Friday) to Monday 31st August, from 10 till 4 (except on the last day, when we finish at 3).
That means more artists in residence, doing their thing, chatting to visitors about process, materials, inspirations and everything else that gets talked about at these things, including the quality of the biscuits. Has anyone else discovered a new favourite? Mine’s Chocolate Rich Teas. Much better quality crunch than digestives, and not overly sweet like hobnobs!
There’s a title for a sketching challenge – coffee break!
Enjoy August, and let’s hope for some relief from heatwaves and drought.
