The International Postcard Show 2012: Call for Submissions

The International Postcard Show 2012

Surface Gallery is delighted to announce that The International Postcard Show is returning in 2012, after the success of the 2011 exhibition.  We are inviting artists from across the globe to take part in The International Postcard Show 2012 taking place from 25th January - 11th February 2012.  


Artists are invited to submit up to three original pieces of artwork, to be exhibited alongside local, national, international, emerging and established artists.  The artworks will be for sale throughout the exhibition priced at £15 each and Surface Gallery will take a 20% commission on any sold artwork. 


This annual exhibition also provides artists with the unique opportunity to take part in an ‘International Postcard Exchange’.  Exhibitors can opt to have their postcard exchanged at random at the end of the exhibition and receive a limited edition artwork from a fellow artist. 
In the case of ‘no sale’ and if opting out of the international exchange, all postcards will be returned to artists. 

Please note: 
• Artworks can be of any medium, but must fit the specified postcard size 4” x 6” and with a maximum depth of 5mm. 
• Artists can submit up to 3 postcards for the show at £5 each. 
• We only accept unframed works. 
• ALL Artworks submitted before the deadline will be exhibited. 


Deadline for submissions is Sunday 15th January, 6pm (please account for delivery time). 
Please visit our website download an application form if you would like to take part in the exhibition.

Please read all of the information carefully to ensure that your work fits the exhibition criteria and all requirements have been accounted for.

AIR Insight Artist Talk

Surface Gallery are excited and honoured to be hosting the first of a series of four AIR Insight talks, organised by a-n Magazine.

This event will take place on Wednesday 23rd November, 2011, 6pm – 8pm.

AIR Insight is a new programme of events from AIR designed as coherent structured professional practice for artists to access ‘inside information’ on how to engage and interact with the art world.

Each event looks systematically at how curators, funders, organisations, commissioners and exhibitions operate, so that you as an artist can maximise your potential, find jobs, get paid, locate and extend your networks, make good applications and proposals, thereby improving your artistic profile and sustaining your practice.

Guest speakers and facilitated discussions will give specialist insight into how you can enhance your career, sustain your practice and shed light some on the art-world.

Entry is free for artists and a-n subscribers, refreshments will be available.

http://www.air-artists.org

http://www.twitter.com/air_artists

EM11: Forged Attrition

November 1st to November 19th 2011

Surface Gallery presents 'Forged Attrition’, an exhibition uniting the practices of five emerging artists; Callum Whitley, Ian Pink, Jai Clarke, John Hainsworth and Thomas Chase. Collectively exploring themes surrounding the psychology of space, deception and perception, 'Forged attrition' urges the viewer to re-question their expectations, whilst reflecting on the relationship between imaginary realities, real fictions, presence, absence and process. Encouraged to challenge, re-examine and develop their current creative practices, this exhibition presents the unexpected creative dialogues and exchanges which unfolded between the artists over the course of their 2 month residency, 'EM11 Platform', showcasing a selection of new works produced in the Surface Project Space.

We hope you would be able to attend the special event taking place during the exhibition;

‘Mischief Night’ 4^th November 6 – 8pm – a special evening reception to celebrate the exhibition, where you will have the opportunity to meet the artists and project organisers whilst viewing the exhibition alongside a collection of one off interventions and performances.

‘So what did you expect? EM11 Artists talking’ Saturday 12^th November – The artists will present a short series of talks sharing the ideas and influences behind their current practice alongside their experiences of graduating to taking part in the EM project. Visitors are also offered a warm brew and a tour of the exhibition and building.

West Bridgford School Exhibition

Surface Gallery and West Bridgford School united to organise a creative exhibition celebrating the work of their Year 7 - Year 13 students, coordinated by Nikki Hart, Head of Art.

This was a great opportunity for the students to experience how a gallery is ran and to find out how exhibitions are setup.

The private view was a busy night with 150 proud parents and students visiting the gallery to view the work.

In particular the crowds gravitated to an ode to Pudsey Bear, which consisted of a bear with gold-coloured pins attached to it - not the safest of toys but a really eye-catching piece.

A varied mix of media including photography, acrylic paintings and sculptures, were closely guarded by a group of chickens made out of recycled materials by a Year 7 Students.

Comments from visitors:

'This is such a great opportunity for the students to show their work in a different setting!"

'I hope exhibitions like this continue, giving other schools the opportunity to showcase their students artwork'.

The West Bridgford School exhibition will run until Friday 30th September, 12 - 6pm

Doodle Wall 3, works

Surface Gallery are working in conjuntion with the Castle and are currently hosting Salon des Refusés - housing a wide range of artwork submitted by artist within the city, and embracing the street art talents within the community.

Monday 27th July, was the third and final of the Surface Gallery ‘Doodle Wall’ events in the Long Gallery of Nottingham Castle, where Surface Gallery volunteers worked with children and parents to create a wall of creativity, expression, variety and free speech!

and all five walls:

Open Show reception

The evening reception for the 2011 Open Show was held on 15th July. I was only able to be there for the first 30-40 minutes but it was getting pretty lively even then. The Open Show contains a really diverse range of work and this was the first time I'd had a chance to look at it. I sat in on the first of the selection meetings so knew that it'd be high quality since much of what we had to turn down even at that stage was pretty good. I missed the rest of the selection meetings and don't envy those who had to narrow the shortlist down to what we could actually fit in the gallery. I can certainly recommend anyone get to the show: it demonstrates the range of contemporary art in the UK.

I managed to take a few pictures before I left. Unfortunately, I obviously messed up the settings getting the camera out of my bag and didn't think to check (something I remind myself to do each time I screw up) them so the early pictures are dark and fuzzy. I just hope Matt got going with his camera after I left. Anyway, here's a selection. The rest are in a special Flickr set. The Flickr pics are reduced in size to max 1024 px so if anyone wants the original photo (unlikely, given the quality), let me know.

Again, apologies about the quality.

Surface Open Show 2011

Open Show 2011 is Surface Gallery’s annual international open submissions exhibition. Heading into it’s 9th successful year the exhibition aims to investigate diverse contemporary art practice, providing a platform for today’s emerging and established artists. Open Show 2011 is selected and curated by the Surface Gallery curatorial team and one winning artist will be selected by a panel of established Nottingham based artists and curators.

The prize for the 2011 Open Show winner is a free solo exhibition at Surface Gallery in 2012 in collaboration with Surface Gallery.

12 – 30 July Exhibition
15 July Evening Reception
Winner announced
23 July Curatorial Tour and Talk

This year’s exhibiting artists are:
Alice Myers
Alicja Dobrucka
Andrew Carson
Anneliese Krueger
Daniel Peter Hughes
David Watkins
Dermot Punnett
Emma Sywyj
Irene Pérez Hernández
James Clarkson
Jonathan Kipps
Joseph Cutts
Joshua Uvieghara
Laura Green
Lee Sullivan
Leo Koivistoinen
Lyndsey Redford
Richard Devereux
Simone Koche
Tim Haynes
Ting-Tong Chang

Open Show 2011 is part of the Independent Arts Festival NOTLOST www.notlostfestival.co.uk

Open Show - Call For Submissions

Open Show 2011 is Surface Gallery’s annual international open submissions exhibition, this year taking place from 12th – 30th July. Heading into its 9th successful year the exhibition aims to investigate diverse contemporary art practice, providing a platform for today’s emerging and established artists.

Submissions are welcome from artists working within any medium and there is the opportunity to submit up to 3 individual artworks to be considered for selection.

Open Show 2011 is selected and curated by the Surface Gallery curatorial team and one winning artist will be selected by a panel of established Nottingham based artists and curators. The prize for the 2011 Open Show winner is a free solo exhibition at Surface Gallery in 2012 in collaboration with Surface Gallery.

Submission Fee:

For each individual artwork submitted there is an entry fee of £8.50
(e.g. 1 artwork submitted = £8.50, 2 = £17.00, 3 = £25.50)
This fee is a non-refundable administration fee.
Submissions should be paid via the PayPal link on the Surface Gallery website.
Please contact Surface Gallery for alternative methods of payment if necessary.

Timetable:

3 June Deadline for Submissions
13 June Selected Artists Informed w/c 13th June
1 July Deadline for receiving Artwork
2 – 11 July Installation Period
12 – 30 July Exhibition
15 July Evening Reception
Open Show 2011 Winner announced
23 July Curatorial Tour and Talk

Contact us here:

surfaceopenshow@gmail.com

Fluorescent Sheep

Fluorescent Sheep

3rd - 14th May

Private View: 5th May 6-8pm
...Open Tues-Fri 12-6
Sat 11-5


Prone to fads and following the crowd, paradoxically often trying to break from the crowd in a quest for uniqueness, we stumble over clichés and lose authenticity.


Isolated and solitary, at the same time one of a mass of many, this exhibition speaks of the duality of developing contextual dialogues through cultural collaboration, recognising and investigating work that has gone before, whilst at the same time striving for independent creative expression and autonomy.


Surface Gallery is an arts organisation entirely run by volunteers and this year's annual in house exhibition provides a platform for the practice of its volunteers, seeking to explore the dichotomy that a crowd is a reduction of the sum of its parts and by working in a group you can lose your own identity.


In times of ever increasing government cutbacks to arts budgets and the oversaturation of art school graduates, how do young contemporary artists find a voice in the crowd and how can one group stand out from another?