Calling all artists living and working in Basildon District – Your Art Trail needs you!
Plans for the new Basildon Art Trail are gathering pace and now with venues expressing interest, the trail needs local artists to display their work.
Visual artist Dean Smith, whose idea it was to run an art trail in Basildon, has been delighted by the enthusiasm for the trail already and now wants professional artists who live or work in Basildon, Billericay and Wickford to apply to show their work. The Art Trail will run from Thursday 16 until Monday 20 September 2010. Dean, who has a studio at Barleylands Craft Village, understands the need for creative professionals to find new outlets for their art:‘Artists are constantly seeking new audiences to share and enjoy their work. An Art Trail is a fantastic way for local people to discover the talented individuals in their area whom they may otherwise have never known were there!’ he says. ‘Basildon, Billericay and Wickford have vibrant arts communities that sometimes get overlooked. The Art Trail is a way to celebrate our artists and help them connect with their local community who in turn will discover a wealth of talent on their doorstep.’
The first ever Basildon & District Art Trail
Basildon and District has a population of approx 150, 000 and more than 500 practicing artists within that population.
The Basildon and District Art Trail covers three different geographical areas: Basildon, Billericay and Wickford and will lead visitors to the some of the famous Basildon Art Collection currently on display at the Towngate Theatre. The collection contains works by internationally renowned artists such as Dame Barbara Hepworth, Elizabeth Frink, Ivor Hitchens, Patrick Heron, Joe Tilson and William Scott.The district has a wealth of public art to discover. In Basildon is the famous Mother & Child Fountain, a work by architect Sir Basil Spence and sculptor Maurice Lambert. The last piece created by T.B. Huxley-Jones, The Figure Of Christ, can be found over the porch of St Martin Of Tours Church.
If you would like to take the opportunity of having your art displayed in shops around the area as part of the art trail, you will need to download an application form from the Art Trail website www.thebdat.com. Deadline for submission is Friday, 18th June 2010. There are no size or genre restrictions for submissions although artists should consider that their work will mainly be going into shop windows throughout Basildon, Billericay and Wickford – so wall mural-sized creations are out!
Work submitted to the Arts Trail will be considered by a selection committee made up of some notable local figures. This will ensure a very high standard of work on display.
How To Participate
If you interested in hosting an artist’s work in your premises and would like to finds out more about the Basildon Arts Trail, please contact: Dean Smith
Email:deansmithart@hotmail.co.uk
Postal address:
Studio 41
Barleylands Craft Village
Billericay
CM11 2UD
Tel. 01268 522973
