Kate Baylay's design for the cover of a Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials

A UWE Bristol Illustration graduate has designed the front cover for world famous author, Philip Pullman’s latest edition of his book – His Dark Materials.

Kate Baylay graduated from UWE Bristol in July 2011 with a first class honours degree in Illustration. Her design graces the covers of all editions of the book, published by Everyman, that went on sale in the UK just before Christmas (and for the forthcoming US reissue).

Kate was thrilled to land such a prestigious commission so soon after her graduation. She said: “I had a contact at Everyman who saw my work and suggested that I submit some examples but I really didn’t think that I would get to design for such a well known author this early on in my career. I had not read Philip Pullman’s work before so when I was commissioned I read the series over a couple of weeks and I was enthralled. All three books are fantastic.”

Kate combines traditional drawing techniques with new technology. She starts her work with detailed pencil drawing, adds colour washes in paint and then scans the images into photoshop. “I like to refine the drawings and do the finishing touches using photoshop as it’s great for precision detail but the drawings still maintain the hand done appearance,” she said. “I really enjoy producing images with lots of elaborate detail and I love the dark side of fairy tale subjects. My illustrations tend to have a dark edge.”

Gary Embury, Senior Lecturer, BA (Hons) Illustration, added: “Kate developed a highly sophisticated style of work quite early on in the course and has consistently maintained and improved on this throughout her studies. I’m not surprised she has gone on to secure such good commissions since leaving the course and I’m confident she will go on to have a very successful career in the future.”

To see further examples of Kate’s work, visit www.katebaylay.com

The decision to award Bristol part of a multi-million pound pot to support the city’s museums and galleries shows the city is “seen nationally as a major cultural destination”, according to the city council’s culture chief.

Councillor Simon Cook was responding to the news that Bristol had been chosen by Arts Council England as one of 16 partners who will together receive £20million a year in funding for the next three years.

“This is excellent news that Bristol Museums Galleries and Archives have been successful in our bid to the Arts Council to receive major partner funding over the next three years,” said Cllr Cook, the Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Capital Projects.

“To be one of 16 museums chosen nationally, highlights the quality of our bid and the Arts Council’s endorsement for the quality cultural offer here in Bristol.

“The fact that our funding will actually increase per year will help the service go from strength to strength, attracting new visitors and audiences to the exciting programme of exhibitions and activities planned in the future. It further reinforces the message that Bristol is seen nationally as a major cultural destination with leading museums and galleries.”

The awards follow the Arts Council’s assumption of responsibilities for museum development from the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in 2011.

Alan Davey, chief executive of Arts Council England, said Bristol had been chosen for “the excellence of [its] work, [its] innovative approaches to connecting audiences with collections, and for [its] compelling plans for the future”.

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey added: “The fact that we are still able to invest for the future during such challenging economic circumstances shows how important culture is to our future prosperity and wellbeing.”

Plain Girl by Norman Parkinson

Bristol fashionistas will get the chance to win tickets for a major exhibition of photographer Norman Parkinson’s work at MShed.

Recognised as one of the foremost photographers of the 1950s and 1960s, Parkinson was employed as a portrait and fashion photographer for Vogue.

The exhibition includes 60 rare and original vintage prints taken from over 200 images from the Angela Williams Archive: ‘Designers of British Fashion’ portfolio.

The exhibition is now on and runs to April 15, giving visitors the chance to see a selection of 1950s and 1960s images, objects and artefacts, including high street fashion and other objects from the museum’s own collections.

It is times to coincide with The Mall Cribbs Causeway’s Bristol Fashion Week, from March 21 to March 25, which will be showcasing its retailers’ 2012-spring/summer. There will be 18, hour-long catwalk fashion shows, fashion tips, make-up demonstrations and the chance to win tickets to the Norman Parkinson exhibition.

Maria Crayton, head of marketing at The Mall Cribbs Causeway, said: “We are so pleased to be working with MShed on this project. Fashions are often inspired by the previous decades and it’s quite apt that this season sees inspirations from the 1950s era.”

For more information about Bristol Fashion Week at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway visit: www.mallcribbs.com. For more information about An Eye for Fashion and M Shed visit: www.mshed.org

Kitsch exhibition in Bristol

Where there’s a space…there’s an art exhibition. From cafes to gig venues and billboards to boats, artists are showcasing their work all over Bristol these days.

And one of the latest exhibitions to open in Bristol is at the Broadwalk shopping centre in Knowle. The Kitsch exhibition will focus on what was traditionally seen as ‘low art’ but items which hold a place in our hearts. Kitsch is a selected multi-disciplinary exhibition of sculpture, photography, collage and painting that promises to be bright, bold, brazen and far from subtle.

Taking place at Broadwalk Arts in Broadwalk Shopping Centre later this month, the open submission exhibition embraces the the brash and often tacky aesthetics of kitsch (or ‘junk’ as it translates) can be considered inferior, low cuture art. This exhibition offers an insight into 12 artists work that in some way references the themes, imagery and iconography associated with kitsch and explores how notions of kitsch can be incorporated within art and art practice.

The opening night takes place Friday 20th January 5 -7.30pm. All are welcome. It will then be open on Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd Jan 11-5pm & sporadically/by appointment throughout the week.

More information at www.broadwalkarts.co.uk

Echoes, by Michael Reeves.

Budding photographers can now submit their entries into the prestigious Bristol Festival of Photography, which takes place in May. Preparations for the biennial festival are now underway with individuals and groups planning exhibitions or activities during the official festival period – May 3 – 31, 2012.

The first Bristol Festival of Photography in 2010 was a massive success with over 90 exhibitions, talks, activities and workshops around the city involving hundreds of photographers, artists and members of the general public. 2012’s festival aims to be even more inclusive and will feature more than 100 exhibitions from international and local artists.

A major highlight this year will be an exhibition of work by finalists in the RGB Awards, a new annual contemporary photography contest that aims to recognise excellence in photography and will offer a top prize for best single image of £1,000 plus a number of other sponsored prizes for the best overall set of images and for different genres of photography. The awards will provide an amazing opportunity for experienced and new photographers alike to reach an international audience – with a selection panel for the competition that will includes award-winning photographers and leading photography and media industry figures. The selection panel will choose around 50 photographs to be included in the finalists’ exhibition at the Grant Bradley Gallery, Bedminster, Bristol.

The RGB awards are not themed so all photographic images are welcome, with a maximum of four per photographer. Closing date for submissions is February 29, 2012. To find out more visit www.rgbawards.com

If you wish to host an exhibition or event, you can now apply online at www.bfop.org There is a non-refundable £15 listings fee for each exhibition or activity submitted, which goes towards printing and publicity costs for the festival. The deadline for submissions is March 4, 2012.

Anyone wanting to catch the Bristol and West: Photographs by Martin Parr exhibition will need to hurry as the exhibition closes this Sunday.

More than 40,000 people have already visited the exhibition, which showcases 60 iconic images selected from the last thirty years of Martin Parr’s career.

Hundreds of visitors have left personal comments about the exhibition and hundreds more have voted for their favourite photograph from the show. The most popular photographs chosen from the 60 images displayed will become part of the M Shed’s permanent art collection.Visitors can cast their vote at the exhibition as well as through links on the M Shed website: www.mshed.org

The exhibition is located in M Shed’s new exhibition gallery on the top floor of the museum and is the largest exhibition of photographs by Martin Parr held in the city since his Home Sweet Home exhibition at the Arnolfini in 1974.

Bristol and West showcases images that focus on Parr’s interest in how people live, how they present themselves and their values.

Parr has lived in Bristol since 1987 and this exhibition contains an eclectic mix of photographs, including: Cost of Living; A Year in the life of an English Village and images of Bristolian’s celebrating big events.

Nick Park signed and hand painted watercolour featuring characters Wallace and Feather’s Mcgraw

Award-winning animation director Nick Park, alongside some of the greatest talents in the world from the animation and television industry, have come together to donate unique artwork and signed memorabilia for an online auction in aid of Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal, the official charity for the Bristol Children’s Hospital.

This is the first auction to bring together such a collection of original and rare pieces by animation’s top talent and pioneers such as Ray Harryhausen (Jason & The Argonauts; Clash of the Titans), Pixar Animation Studio’s John Lasseter (Toy Story, Cars, Cars 2,) and Pete Docter (Up, Monsters Inc ), and Who Framed Roger Rabbit animation director and character designer, Richard Williams.

More than 30 exclusive, original or limited edition artworks have been donated by more than 20 of the world’s most renowned animation artists, including:

• A Nick Park signed and hand painted watercolour featuring characters Wallace and Feather’s Mcgraw. Created exclusively for this auction, the image shows Wallace offering the penguin some cheese with handwritten caption “More Cheese Penguin?”
• A signed and hand drawn ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit” by award winning director and original character designer Richard Williams featuring Jessica Rabbit, Roger Rabbit and baby Herman which has been exclusively created for this auction
• A Peter Lord signed film poster for Aardman’s forthcoming feature film The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists (starring Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek and David Tennant)
• A signed, original pencil sketch of cult character Morph by creator Peter Lord and co -founder of Aardman Animations – created exclusively for the auction
• A John Lasseter signed copy of To infinity and Beyond: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios, complete with a hand-drawn Buzz Lightyear doodle on the inside cover
• A Ray Harryhausen signed photograph and poster. The animation and special effects legend no longer signs autographs but has made a rare exception for the charity auction
•  unique and original, signed pastel drawing by Pixar Animation Studios director Pete Docter, featuring the much-loved character Mr Frederickson from the motion picture Up.

Nick Park, creator of Wallace & Gromit, and patron of The Grand Appeal said: ”I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of artist and animation friends from around the world who have kindly created and donated such beautiful pieces of signed artwork in support of the Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal Animated Art Auction.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for animation fans, and the public alike, to acquire art and animation treasures so rarely seen at auction. I’m quite tempted by a few of the pieces myself!

“Most importantly, this auction will raise funds for a charity that supports some of animation’s biggest fans – children – and I’m delighted to contribute to an auction that will benefit and raise important funds for young patients across Bristol and the South West.”

The auction will be hosted on eBay from November 1 to 10, with all proceeds going to the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity, Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal.

The funds will go towards the Grand Appeal’s campaign to support the region’s specialist cardiac service and help provide a new state of the art Echo cardiogram scanner that can detect, diagnose and manage heart conditions in children with extreme accuracy.

The money will also enable the paediatric cardiology department to be refurbished to provide a child-friendly and comforting area for patients and their families to include increased space to carry out scans, new seating, sensory lighting and play equipment.

Nicola Masters, Grand Appeal director, said: “We are so grateful to all of the artists who’ve donated work to this auction and to Nick and his team for pulling this wonderful material together.

“The money raised will be used to fund specialist, state of the art equipment for the Bristol Children’s Hospital’s cardiac unit, which looks after young patients from across the South West.”

For more information on the artworks and to take part in the auction, visit www.grandappeal.org.uk/auction

British contemporary sculptor Ben Dearnley exhibits at Badminton

West sculptor Ben Dearnley is exhibiting his latest works at a show this weekend, October 22-23, at Worcester Lodge on the Badminton estate, Gloucestershire.

Ben is based in Bath and is an official London 2012 Olympic sculptor. He is currently working on a twice-life-size torso of Olympic swimming champion Mark Foster – the finished sculpture will be permanently placed in Bath.

Ben creates his work using marble, bronze, stone and glass, often mixing the materials for different pieces and projects, and often exhibits at the prestigious Belgravia Gallery in London.

Other artists on show include Ben’s wife, Lynn Parr, who will show her embroidered collages, alongside Norman Anderson (painting), Brian Greaves (metalwork), Fiona Nightingale (woodwork), Hilary Peters (pegloom weaving), Angie Wilmot (natural dyes) and Sheila Wynter (baskets).

The show will run from 11am to 5pm. See bendearnley.com for more information.

Wendy French and her work, Red Cherries

An exhibition is to be staged at a Bristol gallery to raise thousands of pounds for the West of England MS Therapy Centre.

The Grant Bradley Gallery in Bedminster will be hosting the show, from November 4 to 27, which will feature some of the region’s leading artists under one roof.  Work will be on display from new, young artists as well as more established and experienced figures.

It is taking place in aid of the Nailsea-based MS Therapy Centre which relies entirely on donations to provide treatments and therapies to people with MS in the Bristol area.

The picture that has been chosen to promote the event is Red Cherries, by Wendy French, who works from her home in Bristol and is a member of Spike Print Studio.

Wendy has produced the Red Cherries picture as a one-off screen print and says she is delighted that her work has been selected to represent the exhibition.

“I hope that because of its strength of colour it will help attract attention to what is an extremely worthy cause,” she said. “I think The Grant Bradley venue is ideal both to display the artwork and for the money raising event itself, as it is light and airy, with plenty of space.”

There are currently 22 artists who have submitted work for the exhibition, including Andrew Hood, Chuck Elliot, Elaine Jones and Peter McGrath. 

Janet Epplestone, Fundraising Manager at the MS Therapy Centre, added: “Each of the artists will donate 50% of the sale price to The West of England MS Therapy Centre.

“Last year was the first time we had done anything like this to raise funds for the charity, and we felt it was very well received by everybody who came, and the Grant Bradley Gallery did such a wonderful job of hosting it that we wanted to work with them again to put on a new show.

“This year is particularly vital for the charity as we are currently building our new centre in Bradley Stoke, which we are intending to move into in the new year. It will be fantastic to help more people with MS and provide the kind of oxygen therapy, physiotherapy and other complementary therapies that give a real lifeline to all those with MS, helping them continue to live the life they want.

“But we need to keep raising funds in order to pay for the running of the centre on a day-to-day basis, which is why an event like this is so vital for us and we are truly grateful for the support it receives.”

For further information about the West of England MS Therapy Centre Art Exhibition, contact www.mstherapybristol.org.uk, artexhibition@mstherapybristol.org.uk or 01275 852 043; or www.grantbradleygallery.co.uk, info@grantbradleygallery.co.uk or 0117 963 7673

Last of the Summer Wine actress, Sarah Thomas, is coming to Bristol next week to launch an exhibition of photos by and about older people.

Thomas is best known for playing Dame Thora Hird’s daughter, Glenda, in the long-running series which reflects her interest in issues of aging and dementia.

She comes to Bristol on Friday, September 23 to launch the exhibition We Are Here! at the Pierian Centre in St Pauls.

The exhibition of photographs, mostly by Bristol residents, aims to put older people back at the heart of modern life.

The exhibition is organized by Jasmine Darke, a Bristol-based actress who shares Sarah’s belief in the value of older people.

“Our older generation, particularly those who live in residential nursing homes or are living alone without access to day services, are often viewed by our society as invisible, shut away,” she said. “Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes.  We Are Here’ aims to prove this simply isn’t true.

Contributors to We Are Here” are all service users or residents of nursing homes in Bristol or Chatham, Kent.  Over the past year they have chosen themes with associated activities which express the philosophy behind the project.  They have then photographed what they feel to be the essence of their chosen themes.

The exhibition is not about the aesthetics of photography – it’s not primarily an arts project.  Instead the images are filled with a direct wit, energy and zest for life.

We Are Here! runs from September 20 to November 27 at the Pierian Centre, 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA.  It’s free and open 10am–6pm, Tuesday–Friday and some weekends.  Contact the Pierian Centre on 0117 924 4512 or info@pieriancentre.com for more details.