Call for Submissions: The International Postcard Show 2013

Surface Gallery invites artists from across the world to participate in our first exhibition of 2013, The International Postcard Show taking place from 15th January - 2nd February.

We are now accepting entries of original artworks to be exhibited alongside hundreds of local, national and international works. This long-running annual exhibition is an integral and highly popular feature of the exhibitions calendar at Surface Gallery, and will showcase the work of established artists, students and newcomers alike, celebrating the sheer diversity of practice to be found in international contemporary art.

Following on from the success of last year, we will be offering all participating artists the opportunity to exchange their postcard with another randomly selected artist at the end of the exhibition. We hope that this remote exchange will foster new connections and encourage ongoing communication amongst artists from diverse backgrounds and different parts of the world.

All works received with a completed application form before the deadline will be accepted and exhibited as part of the show. Artworks in any medium are welcome, but must fit the postcard-sized specifications of 4x6 inches with a maximum depth of 5mm.

Deadline for submissions: 6pm, Friday 11th January 2013. (Please account for delivery time when posting your submission).

Download the application form here: http://www.surfacegallery.org/index.php/opportunities/

EM12- Call for Submissions!

Surface Gallery is calling for submissions for the upcoming EM12 Show!

Now heading into it’s fourth year EM12 is Surface Gallery’s annual graduate exhibition, which brings together work from some of the finest young creatives within the East Midland area. EM12 is a platform for this year’s graduates to show new work and to engage critically with each other as they work together to curate the show. 
 
To be eligible applicants must be 2012 graduates from a university within the East Midlands (University of Derby, De Montfort University, Lincoln University, University of Loughborough, University of Northampton, University of Nottingham or Nottingham Trent University).

The closing date for applications is Friday the 5th October.

Submissions are online only, and should be sent via email to: em12.surfacegallery@gmail.com
Application Form: EM12_Application_Form_Final.doc
Terms and Conditions: Terms_and_Conditions_Final_.doc
 

Future Shots Event

Surface Gallery would like to invite you to Future Shots, a unique evening courtesy of Just Ask Nottingham!

Young people part of the Just Ask project’s employment campaign organised an event called Photo Jam in the Market Square in May, asking young people what motivates them. These young people were asked to write down what motivates them onto a board and were then photographed. The project was inspired by a survey completed in the Victoria Centre in October when over 1000 people were asked why so many younger people were unemployed. Many felt that young people were unmotivated and many employers did not see the value of having younger people on their team. This sparked the idea of the “Photo Jam” event as they wanted to show employers that there are motivated young people in Nottingham. The photos have been posted on the Just Ask Facebook page and we held a competition for the most liked photo / most inspired motivation. The top 30 most popular photos are to be shown in the motivational event at Surface Gallery on Thursday 30^th August at 6pm – 8pm.

On the night, our young people on the project will be performing their motivational speeches and canapés and drinks will be served.

The young people would like to invite you and your colleagues to come and support them on the night.

International Open Show 2012

8th - 25th August

Private View: Tuesday 7th August, 6-8pm

The International Open Show 2012 is Surface Gallery’s annual open submissions exhibition. Now heading into its tenth year, the Open Show presents the huge diversity of practice in contemporary art, and provides a platform for emerging and established artists working in a wide range of media.

The works in this year’s exhibition were selected from a vast number of entries from artists all over the world, and were chosen for their original and thought provoking qualities. The nature of the Open Show means that very different and sometimes opposing areas of contemporary practice are brought together in a gallery environment, generating an unusual narrative between the works and their audience.

On the evening of the private view one artist will be selected as the 2012 International Open Show winner, and presented with the prize of a solo exhibition at Surface Gallery in 2013. This is a big opportunity for the winning artist, allowing them to challenge and develop their practice outside of the group show context, and is also an important part of Surface Gallery’s work to support the development of emerging national and international artists.

 2012 selected artists are: Jesse Morgan Barnett, Juliana Carey, Suzan Charlton, Aylwin Greenwood-Lambert, Listen04, David McLeavy, Alec Moors, Teresa Paiva, James Parkinson, Lisa Selby, Vishwa Shroff, Matthew Smith, Denise Stanton, Alex Widdowson

Want to chill with the Surface team? Become a volunteer with us.

Surface Gallery is run as a co-operative by a team of dedicated volunteers.

Volunteers at Surface Gallery take a proactive role in running the gallery, devising and delivering the exhibition programme, raising the profile of the gallery and working to develop the gallery as a significant resource. The organisation is keen to provide hands on experience for people wanting to work in the arts. All volunteers help invigilate the gallery’s exhibitions and assist with the day to day running and administration of the organisation. 

If you are interested in any volunteering opportunities download an application form and return it to the Gallery. You will be contacted to say that we have received your application form. You will then be invited to an interview to hear more about the Gallery and to assess whether volunteering is suitable for you.

For more information on the specific roles we are recruiting please visit our volunteering page Here.

Support us at Waitrose: Trinity square.

Surface Gallery are currently one of three community groups competing for a Community Matters award in the Trinity Square Waitrose. Each month every Waitrose branch donates £1,000 (£500 in Convenience shops) between three local good causes. Customers are given a green token which they can use to vote for the cause of their choice (see here for more information: http://www.waitrose.com/home/inspiration/community_matters.html)

Please vote for us! If we win, the award will go to our Community Engagement team to help them extend the work they do with schools and the local community.

Fallacies of Compositions: Open Show 2011 Winner's Exhibition.

We are pleased to present the solo exhibition of our 2011 Open Show winner Ting-Tong Chang, “Fallacies of Compositions”. The exhibition will open on Wednesday 4th July 2012 from 6-8pm, with a special private view where food and refreshments will be available. We welcome all to join us for this event, which will be an opportunity to meet the artist and preview the exhibition.
Ting-Tong, Chang, born in 1982, recently graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London with a MFA in Fine Art. His artistic practice covers both street art and elements of traditional painting and sculpture with a strong interest in urban space and exploration of potential dialogue between institution and individuals. Originally from Taiwan, Ting-Tong lives and works in London, he has organised numerous artistic interventions and events in the streets of various cities across the world. His installations marked with brevity and absurd objects get to the core of contemporary problems: globalisation stimulated by the developments in technology, blurred boundaries between nations, or the omniscient fear of terrorism which we have already become accustomed to. Freely and with a wicked dose a black humour, he toys with such concepts as death, war, or mass destruction, which are ingrained in today’s world. Ting-Tong has exhibited and received a number of awards internationally, including London, Berlin, Warsaw, Miami, Hong Kong, Beijing and Taipei.

“Fallacies of Compositions” will be running at Surface Gallery until 21st July.

Vote for our Studio Artist Valerie Turton.

 Valerie Turton has made it through to Culture Clouds top 101 finalists with the chance to exhibit her work at the New Art Exchange, but now she needs your help . . .

 

About the competition:
Culture Cloud is an exciting new art competition, which innovatively bridges the digital and physical art spaces to showcase and discover new art talent from across the UK. The competition takes part in 3 stages. In the first stage, a team of curators from the New Art Exchange in Nottingham and its partner galleries, had the difficult task of narrowing down over 900 submissions to the 101 works you can now see on the Artfinder site.

Your votes will decide which 40 works will make it through to the 3rd and final stage: the Culture Cloud exhibition at New Art Exchange. The overall winner will receive a cash prize of up to £2000, a personal iBook and the possibility of a future solo show at New Art Exchange.


How to vote for Valerie:
Visit her work on the Artfinder website, and follow the instructions... here.

Palomar: Private View 13th June 6 - 8pm.

You (our Surface followers ) are cordially invited too...

 

 

14th – 27th June 2012
Private View 13th June 6 – 8pm

 This exhibition will be based on ideas of observation and perception, and brings together the work of Kate Brigden, Dylan Shipton and Pippa Gatty.

‘In identifying a constellation the decisive proof is to see how it answers when you call it. More convincing than the matching of distances and configurations with those marked on the chart is the reply that the luminous dot gives to the name by which it has been called, its promptness in responding to that sound, becoming one with it’ Mr. Palomar (Vintage classics 1999 page 41)

‘Palomar’ takes it name from the 1983, Italo Calvino novel, Mr. Palomar. Through the eyes of the title character, the reader goes on a journey of mundane but highly individual and profound musings. Mr. Palomar tries to explain and define his own existence by trying to find order and reason in the complex and chaotic world around him, thus highlighting the mind’s need to break the natural world up into neat categories, so enabling us to understand how it is all put together. 

For more information on this show please visit our website here.

Release: Nottingham Trent University’s 16th annual Photography Festival.

 

 At Surface we love working with the local community and this years graduating photography students where great, they all worked very proffesionally and made our space look amazing.

We wish you all the best of luck now you have graduated, and maybe you will be returning with your own solo exhibits one day? 

Keep an eye out on the blog for future updates of the exhibiting graduates from this show...

Photography Open 2012 Winner. Nelson Guzmán Avellaneda.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of our 2012 Photography Open Exhibition is Nelson Guzmán Avellaneda who exhibited work from his Deadline at Dusk series in our exhibition. We are looking forward to working with Nelson in 2013 for the production and curation of his prize-winner exhibition at Surface Gallery. 

You can see more of Nelson’s practice on his website here:  

http://nelsonguzman.com

 

Release: Nottingham Trent University’s 16th annual Photography Festival.

Presenting work by: Chris Wharton, Mellissa Victoria Athorne, Tess Reilly, Dan Iley, Oliver Seamarks, Elliot Riordan, Alex Mortimer, Vivek Vadoliya and Jono Renton

Private View: Monday 21st May 8 - 10pm

May 20th to June 1st 2012

Release is Nottingham Trent University’s 16th annual Photography Festival. As this year’s graduating class, we are proud to present the culmination of three years of hard work and growth as creative individuals. With a community of over a hundred students we represent the multi-faceted nature of contemporary photographic practice; something which is evidenced in the festival. 

For more information please visit: www.releasephotofestival.com

www.twitter.com/PhotoRelease 

 

Testing Ground: Week 3, Closing Party

 The third week of our Testing Ground exhibition came and went with a great Closing Party.

With great guest performers and some amazingly evolved artwork Testing Ground seemed to be a huge success with the large audience who came to the Closing Party night.

Therefore we at Surface would like to send out a huge THANKYOU out for all the support we received and especially to the great musicians who shared there music with us at our Testing Ground Closing Party.

Would you like to be involved in a similar exhibition? Why not submit your artwork for our Open Show 2012, find our more at our website HERE.

Open Show 2012 Call for Submissions

Call for Submissions 

2012 Open Show 

Open Show 2012 is Surface Gallery’s annual international open submissions exhibition, this year taking place from 7^th - 25^th August. Heading into it’s 10th 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 2012 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 2012 Open Show winner is a free solo exhibition at Surface Gallery in 2013 in collaboration with Surface Gallery. 

For more information and to down an application form visit our website: www.surfacegallery.org

Deadline: 28th June 2012 at 11.59 pm 

Photography Open 2012

We are pleased to present Surface Gallery’s very first Open Show dedicated solely to showcasing a selection of emerging and established artists working within the medium of photography. The exhibition surveys a diverse range of recent contemporary photography practice from seven up and coming international artists currently based across the UK.

This year’s exhibiting artists are: Grey Chen, Calum James Crowther, Nelson Guzmán Avellaneda, Emily Macinnes, Roshana Rubin-Mayhew, David Severn and Felicia Staub.

  One exhibiting artist will be selected to produce a new body of photographic work for a solo exhibition in one of Surface Gallery’s exhibition spaces in 2013. We are pleased to announce that Louise Clement, Artistic Director of QUAD, Derby, will be assisting Surface Gallery on the selection panel for this prize.

Invitation: Testing Ground Closing Party; Sat 21st April

Invitation to Testing Ground Closing Party

Saturday 21st April 5pm-9pm

 

Testing Ground

Surface Gallery Volunteer Show Closing Party : April 21st, 5-9pm

Testing Ground, noun; region resembling a laboratory in as much as it offers opportunities for observation and practice and experimentation. 

You are invited to come and see how artist’s work for our volunteer show, Testing Ground has developed over the past weeks; and to join in celebrating the end of the exhibition.

There will be the opportunity to purchase work by the some of the artists.
In additional, there will also be live music from a range of artists such as:

• Paul Buddle, who will be playing the electric guitar with projections.
• Ciaran Harrington, playing the instrumental guitar. 
• Ruth Williamson and Eleanor Coleman, a violin and clarinet performance.
• Tash and Beth, a guitar, harmonica and vocal duo, their influences taken from traditional American rural music; blues, country & gospel. 

There will be refreshments and nibbles, including Pimms, cake and balloons!
We hope you will be able to come along to also celebrate Record Store Day 2012 with us by bringing along some of your vinyls to play on our record player!

Testing Ground; Week Two.

What do you think to how our Testing Ground Exhibition is looking this week?
We at Surface love the of progression so far, but there is also a lot of art work still being finished by each of artists ready for our exciting Closing Party finale this Saturday. 

We can't wait to show you how it all comes together.

Surface Loves: Left Lion #46:The Making Of

LeftLion issue #46 Cover Art from Polymath Pictures on Vimeo.

We are loving the collaberation for the front cover of Nottingham arts and culture magazine Left Lion with local graffiti artist Dilk. Even more so because the art work is in the Snienton area of Nottingham where we are based.

During the collaberation Left Lion and Dilk also got Polymathpictures involved to 'make a film that shows an artist and craftsman at work rather than just document the process of painting a mural.' Left Lion wanted to 'concentrated on the details - little things that an artist does to make their work their own.' and in return Polymath Pictures created a short film which in its own right became a peice of art.

We would explain how great the artwork and craftsmanship is, but we feel the video does that for us.

For more information on the collaberation please visit LeftLion.

Testing Ground: Week One.

Testing Ground Week One. 

With our artists constantly changing their work throughout the three week exhibit (as you can see Chloe doing below) 

What will our Surface Space look like by the end? 

Come in and see for yourselves or stay tuned for week by week images. 

PHOTOGRAPHY OPEN 2012: Call for Submissions

About: 
The Photography Open is Surface Gallery’s very first Open Show dedicated solely to showcasing the practice of a selection of emerging and established artists working within the medium of photography. The exhibition will survey new contemporary photography practice providing a platform for today’s talented up and coming photographers. The Photography Open is selected and curated by Surface Gallery’s Curatorial Team. One overall winner will be selected from the exhibition to receive a solo exhibition in one of Surface Gallery’s exhibition spaces in 2013. In collaboration with Surface Gallery, this will be an opportunity for the selected artist to showcase a new body of photographic work.


For more information on how to submit you are work please visit our website HERE. 


Deadline for Submissions Friday 13th April 11.59pm

Testing Ground Private View

Surface Gallery Volunteer Show 2012: April 4th – April 21st
Private View: 3rd April, 6-8pm

Testing Ground, noun; a region resembling a laboratory inasmuch as it offers opportunities for observation and practice and experimentation.

For the duration of the three-week exhibition Surface Gallery will be transformed into a Testing Ground; a creative laboratory, whereby participating artists will have the opportunity for practice, experimentation and play. All artists will exhibit new work using the exhibition specifically as an opportunity to test out a new idea, artwork or strand of their practice.

Testing Ground questions the idea of the ‘finished’ artwork within the framework of an exhibition whilst lingering on the nature of making and the ever important testing and critical engagement process. As the artworks potentially evolve and transform throughout the duration of the exhibition an ongoing curatorial shift will take place between artworks and space.

Beyond Belief

Throughout March Surface Gallery was host to 'Beyond Belief' an exciting series of three short exhibitions and events in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University.

The exhibition saw students using a critical or reflective approach that engaged with current debate surrounding curatorial practice. The Fine Art students from NTU were invited to submit proposals and their exhibitions explored notions of belief, truth, falsehood and the difficulty in separating fact from fiction.

 

Each short exhibition; Slippery When Wet, Beyond the Suspension of Disbelief, and Shift Happens, held their own private view which each had a phenominal outcome and packed out the Surface Gallery space.

We were all very happy with how great all of the NTU artists made our space look and would recommend them and their work to any gallery in the future and hope they one day return to us with more artwork.

 For more information on the artists and their work please visit our website here. 

Photographs by Matthew Hoyland.

 

During the International Postcard Show 2012 we were pleased to welcome Sneinton C of E Primary School who visited us throughout the exhibition. Years 3,4,5 and 6 had lots of fun doing activities and making their own postcard artworks to hang in our interactive postcard corner! 

International Postcard Show 2012

Last Tuesday Surface Gallery was proud to open its doors for our first exhibition of 2012 The International Postcard Show. Curated by Surface Gallery, this long-standing annual exhibition features 265 original artworks connected solely by their 4” x 6” format. The show brings together works by established practitioners, students, new comers and international artists from as far afield as Europe and USA, with each individual postcard acting as a celebration of the diversity in practice and location of the participating artists.

Before the days of emails, Facebook, and Twitter people would send postcards that time-travelled all over the world as a way to 'keep in touch'. This year we have introduced an interesting interactive aspect to the International Postcard Show as visitors, inspired by the exhibition, you can create your own personalised postcard at Surface Gallery. Come and write to loved ones, estranged friends, or your neighbours and get reconnected by the satisfying process of writing and sending a simple postcard.

 

Our Family friendly exhibition will be open to the public untill Saturday 11th of Febuary, and these original artworks are also for sale throughout the exhibition, priced at just £15. An ideal opportunity to discover up and coming artists and to buy some original work for an affordable price.

For more information on our opening times and how to find us please click here.

Photography credit to Matthew Hoyland. 

The International Postcard Show 2012

Open: 25^th January – 11^th February

Preview: 24^th January 6-8pm

Surface Gallery is delighted to present the first exhibition of 2012 The International Postcard Show. Curated by Surface Gallery, this long-standing annual exhibition features hundreds of original artworks connected solely by their 4” x 6” format. The show brings together works by established practitioners, students, new comers and international artists from as far afield as Europe and USA, with each individual postcard acting as a celebration of the diversity in practice and location of the participating artists.

Following the success of last year’s very first Surface Gallery artwork exchange, all participating artists have once again been given the opportunity to receive an original artwork in exchange for their own following the completion of the show. This unique aspect of the exhibition offers artists the chance to connect worldwide through a random and remote exchange system. These original artworks are also for sale throughout the exhibition, priced at just £15. This is an ideal opportunity to discover up and coming artists and to buy some original work for an affordable price.

Before the days of emails, Facebook, and Twitter people would send postcards that time-travelled all over the world as a way to 'keep in touch'. This year we are introducing an interesting interactive aspect to the International Postcard Show as visitors, inspired by the exhibition, you can create your own personalised postcard at Surface Gallery. Come and write to loved ones, estranged friends, or your neighbours and get reconnected by the satisfying process of writing and sending a simple postcard