This summer AirSpace Gallery studio artists will be hopping on a Double Decker bus and heading for Margate, not with Cliff Richard though, but with some other Stoke-on-Trent based artists.Kiss me Quick will be an exhibition exploring the rising fuel costs and the possible resurgence in interest in Britain's Seaside Resorts.
Margate's glorious days were seemingly long since over, but the hopes of many are pinned on a revival in interest in the Town's fortunes perhaps to be brought about by the opening of Turner Contemporary (opening in April this year.)
I am keen to explore what impact Turner has already had on the cultural landscape in the town, and following up on my visit from 2008, I will aim to see how the artist lead activity has developed over the past few years. See post here.
At the moment there are about a dozen of us planning to make work for the show. Everyone is making work which is to some extent site specific, or in response to Margate.
I am planning to create a fortune teller type arcade machine (with me playing the fortune teller.)
The fortune's will all be looking at the future landscape of Margate, now that it includes Turner Contemporary.
We have already had two planning meetings, and have secured our venue: Margate Harbour Arm Gallery - and we aim to make connections in Margate (and raise some funds to help with the costs) by creating a zine which can be sold prior to and during the event, half of which will be designed by us, and the other half will be a call for artists with Margate links.
We also hope to include some activities and events within the programme, which will hopefully help us to develop networks in Margate, but also to make some work and documentation to bring back to Stoke with us to exhibit here. Some of us are interested in the idea of a group of people from Stoke all going off to the beach - just like the Potter's Holiday's of the past, when all the Pottery Firms would close, and everyone would pile onto coaches and head for the seaside.
We are all quite excited, as it will be a bit of a holiday (if a working one.)
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