New work in our revitalised gallery

I have been feeling rather exhausted after all the driving around the country in the last two weeks, so I took it slowly this morning when I went into town on an errand for Helena. I had to pass Lansdown Hall and popped in to see the progress of the building works the town council has commissioned over the last two months. I am the chair of the working group that has overseen the project for the last two years since we bought the building to be like a parish hall.

Last weekend the art gallery in the basement was completed, in time for the Stroud Fringe Festival, which uses the building as its base for a number of music events dotted about town, but primarily in Bank Gardens adjacent to the Lansdown Hall building. The Town Council act as landlords and our tenants are a charitable trust which runs events in the building. Both Jeremy and Sue who are two of the key people in the organisation were there when I visited and were really happy with the how the regeneration has brought new vigour to their domain.

They invited me to the Preview this evening of the first exhibition in the enlarged gallery, which now has its original ground floor entrance re-opened after decades of being boarded up. There is full access for everyone now, including ramps for wheel chairs to easily enter from the main street level, which was formerly impossible. It seems fitting that the Paralympics should be underway at the same time.

The first exhibition in the revamped gallery is by Clifton Powell, who describes himself as a realist painter from the Jamaica School of Art. He comes from Bath in Wiltshire, a city about forty miles south of Stroud. When we talked he said he was so pleased to come to Stroud, which he described as a cultural hub of the region, and that he wouldn't be able to exhibit in Bath in such a good space.

We arrived about thirty minutes after the Preview was due to begin, but Jeremy greeted me to say that they were running on Jamaica time. As we entered the gallery the first paintings were being hung, and by the time I took this picture of Clifton, they were halfway round the room. I shall return tomorrow to see it again, and in daylight. I was delighted to see such colourful and strong images on the walls and it felt really good to see all out planning work having been made actual, and to hear Clifton's delight in being able to access the space.


from www.cpowellart.com
Clifton Powell studied at THE JAMAICA SCHOOL OF ART, Kingston Jamaica, before moving to the UK at the end of the 1980's.

In London he worked with TEMPOLE ART, one of the leading framers and suppliers of Black Art in the UK. With them, he took part in numerous exhibitions including THE INTERNATIONAL BLACK ART FAIR.

He has exhibited along side established black artists from all over the world such as PAUL GOODNIGHT. He also exhibited jointly in THE INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION at ST MARTIN'S SCHOOL OF ART.

He is known for his unique style which he developed when he painted in Jamaica. He combines fluid draughtsmanship with realism and a dynamic use of colour.His work now explores a wide variety of styles, influenced by the places he's travelled and the people I've met.

I am presently working towards an exhibition at the end of Summer 2012.