Thursday 26 July 2012

Royal Academy & partners Outside In, Studio Upstairs, Pallant House Gallery


20 July 2012

I was invited to a drinks reception at the Royal Academy where the RA was hosting a show on behalf of Studio Upstairs who was holding an fundraising auction. The evening was titled “One in Four”. Studio Upstairs works with the Royal Academy of Arts and Pallant House Gallery(Chichester) raising “awareness that ONE IN FOUR adults will suffer mental health problems at some point in their life.”  The evening was also an occasion to “celebrate the work of the Royal Academy's Access Programme and Studio Upstairs who are both London partners of The Pallant House Gallery's Outside In project.”

Prof Whitestick with Kate Horbury of the Royal Academy Access and Learning Programme
20 July 2012

Kate Horbury from the RA Access Programme and a team of volunteers met us on arrival and Anne recognised me from a previous evening.  I also met Sylvia, who had taken me round the Summer Exhibition. (http://profwhitestick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/royal-academy-summer-exhibition-2012.html)
During the evening I ran into Jennifer Gilbert from Outside In.  Jenny had helped me to load four of my paintings onto the Outside In website.  Outside In has London and National showcases for artists who have difficulty in finding a platform for their work. 

I also met several visually impaired people and I joined David under the supervision of Jenny in trying out some of the sculpture.  There was a fort (The Old Fort by Dean Stevens), a two-humped camel (Camel by Vera Friere) and another untitled work in white clay by Andrii Yefremov.  This felt like a cow with very large ears and/or horns.  Out of the corner of my eye I could detect a nightscape of Avonmouth (by Anthony Garratt).  This had a luminous quality. 

Prof Whitestick compares profiles
20 July 2012

I was later introduced to Marc Steene from Pallant House Gallery and I was telling Marc and Jenny about my own trip to the gallery in Chichester two years ago, when I was shown round the exhibition of Leonora Carrington and some of the workshops.  Marc thought he recognised who had taken me round from a rather vague description, though the kindness of the person who showed me round patiently was noted by me, with his precise directions on where to go for a meal and how to get back to the station.
  

Prof Whitestick with Jenny and Marc from Outside In and Pallant House Gallery
20 July 2012

The RA volunteers were on hand to escort those wishing to take in the Summer Exhibition and I made my second visit, this time around 9 pm with very different lighting conditions. 

Many thanks to the organisers for such an enjoyable evening and a chance to meet and even network with others.    

More information on the organisations mentioned can be found on the following links:



Pallant House Gallery http://www.pallant.org.uk/

Royal Academy Access and Learning Programme