Art Fair Archives - Discover Gather Give

Bathing in the New Year

January 11, 2023 7:15 pm Leave a Comment

So when part of the ceiling fell down in my kitchen in late November I knew it was time to swing into action.

The plumber and I discovered a slow leak from the shower from whence the floorboards had rotted, the joists needed drying out before the damage could be assessed and the tiles once touched fell from the wall onto my waiting hands – I can only marvel at the range of teeth sucking noises my plumber and his mates have to demonstrate the seriousness of my damp plight…

I no longer had a working shower but I had a lovely bath I had not really used unless I had been over excitable in my fitness regime and needed a long soak to calm my aching muscles.

It has been a revalation having a daily bath; sometimes it is a quick wash in a puddle, some times a waist deep splash and submerging hair wash, whilst on rare occassions it can be up to the chin immersive soak taking my time to luxuriate until prune skin develops…

I make my own soaps, distilling plants from my garden to make essential oils and flower water that I use to scent my gorgeous soaps with. I make the experience of scented bathing enjoyable and will miss it when my bathroom will be redone in May.

However the thing that I have realised that one needs art in the bathroom to look at, I know have you thought of it before? We have art in every room apart from the bathroom – I know a beautiful wooden bath tray to hold soaps and a wine glass is great but if you are lying there you need something to look at besides your toes or a damp book.

So there you have it, anyone any ideas?

#Cafdgg applications open January 1st 2023

December 23, 2022 12:21 pm Leave a Comment

After the busy month of November where I curate and run our Arts Fair Discover:Gather:Give, I need a month to reflect, clam down and review how the event went for me, the artists and the supporters.

All our artists are asked to review the arts fair as to how it was for them and what I can do better to make the event as stressless as possible for both artists and visitors alike. Most artisits reply and their responses are vital as I cannot experience the event as they do and also how they viewed the organisation and social media support.

All of the responses give me ideas and I am thankful for them. This year’s issue is so simple but I have never thought about it before – sending a receipt for payment for the exhibition space as soon as exhibitors pay, so simple, tax changing!

So a big thank you to each exhibitor who has replied, all data is gratefully recieved!

The applications are open from 1st January to 1st March closing at noon.

Please email me at Judith@discovergathergive.co.uk for more information about exhibiting with us at our fab arts event.

Thank you one and all of another fantastic #Cafdgg 2022

November 28, 2022 10:41 pm Leave a Comment

Every year in the lead up to #Cafdgg I worry about how I can make it the best for our wonderful exhibitors and visitors, and this year was no exception.

The visitors came in their droves, the artworks left the building with happy buyers and I felt I chatted all weekend with brand new visitors from afar, welcoming back locals, our glorious stalwarts plus inquisitive new visitors wanting to see what it was all about from our social media posts and local radio interviews.

There was a gentle hum throughout the weekend as visitors met exhibitors talking about how their work was developing, taking commissions in time for Christmas, how they made their art work and sliding pieces of work away after a knowing present buying secretive nod.

I was pleased to read in the exhibitor reviews about the number of visitors who took up places at workshops being held in 2023 as presents for themselves or others.

The Golden Cup Cafe and the exhibition of Temple Goodies was busy all weekend, with some visitors not quite believing in the golden tea sets and teapots until they walked into the Ballroom ante-room upstairs and were hit by the glimmering display. I cannot begin to tell you how many visitors comment that the tea and coffee tastes better out of china cups and I felt more photos were taken of the cafe than last year!

In the exhibitor reviews after #Cafdgg it came up about the warm and friendly atmosphere of the event and how enjoyable was to meet other exhibitors, both new and returning artists. For me this was the most important report as I feel it is my job to make the experience of exhibitors as stress free as possible, so they can concentrate on sharing their work, networking and hopefully making new artistic friends.

The Private View was a hoot, and I especially enjoyed seeing the exhibitors chatting together before we opened the event to our invited guests. We were so busy the bar ran out of glasses so had to do a major washing halfway through the evening. I felt it set us all up for a relaxed weekend.

I cannot put on this event without the unfailing help of my family, friends and helpers – thank you once again and are you ready for next year?

Nearly time for this year’s #Cafdgg – whoop whoop!

October 20, 2022 3:10 pm Leave a Comment

A few weeks and counting for our Arts Fair Discover:Gather:Give – whop whop!

Have a look at our exhibitors page to see who is coming this year as we have many new and as well as our returning artists. Every year the Panel chooses a range of artists to showcase different styles, mediums, price points with passion and joy.

I visit many arts events over the year, looking at how other organisers put their shows together and what I can learn – from each event I take something away to mull over.

However the real joy is meeting the different artists and seeing how they are developing, so that each of the artists at #Cafdgg always show movement in their artistic endeavours. Like you, I don’t want to see the same old designs rehashed or endless print runs devaluing once interesting work – I look for deep rooted skills base, for craftspersonship, for pride in their work.

All of our artists are at a point in their personal artistic development and I am forever thankful that they are able to join us to share their work and for you to fall in love with it….

Our exhibitors for November 2022

September 6, 2022 4:44 pm Leave a Comment

Every year I do our Contemporary Arts Fair Dsicover:Gather:Give I get ridiculously excited about sharing with you our inspiring artists who will be exhibiting with us and this year is no exception.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing with you on social media photos of our first time exhibitors, our exhibitors who we welcome back after a break and one or two of our exhibitors who will always have the option of exhibiting with us as a thank you for the support they gave me when I first set up #Cafdgg in 2015.

Have you got the date in your diary?

October 9, 2021 7:27 pm Leave a Comment

November 5th for our very jolly Private View from 6pm to 8.30pm and November 6th and 7th Open to the Public from 10.30am each day, we close our doors at 5pm on Saturday 6th and 4pm on the 7th.

I have managed to keep it a free entry to all visitors so you can come as many times as needed over the weekend to have a good look at the artwork and meet the artists.

There will be hand sanitiser at the door, at the top of the stairs and upstairs by the cafe entrance, so please be covid aware.

Any questions, please contact me on Judith@discovergathergive.co.uk

Covid or not to covid, that is the question

October 31, 2020 11:51 pm Leave a Comment

COVID-19 has changed everything so far this year, along with extremes in our reactions to it – shield and stay completely at home withdrawing from society or go with fate in continuing as near normal; both are understandable and I empathise with the fear of becoming ill, loosing someone close to you or feeling the need to keep going. Life has changed completely and is unlikely to go back to the pre-covid times of popping into the #Cafdgg hooching Private View or Golden Cup Cafe for a coffee and cake whilst visiting the busy arts fair at Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall.

There have been no live events for our Artists so far, no teaching or lectures, no workshops or demonstration and no open houses. Their ability to meet with collectors and buyers face to face has dried up so I felt I could support our artists by putting on an online fair over the weekend of October 30^th to November 1^st when we would normally be doing our fab Arts Fair at Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall so I set up a YouTube channel Discover Gather Give Arts Fair https://bit.ly/35QHRNh

The aim is for you to see the artists and their work, to be inspired in your present giving – for yourself or others – to get in contact with them directly to buy and to build an artistic relationship with them. Artists are real people and that relationship based on knowledge and trust is vital in keeping artists working and enhancing our lives with their beauty and time honed skills.

I put out the call and have been mesmerised by the videos the artists produced, some showing how they make their work, others talking and showing their finished pieces, a lecture, a slide show and speeded up double fast art in action – something for everyone to enjoy time and time again.

We finished up with setting out a premiere every 30 minutes from 9.15am to 7.15pm for three days, with over 85 hours of glorious art. A huge thank you to our artists for their time and effort in supporting Discover Gather Give Arts Fair in 2020, and here’s to a better 2021!

Webpage for Contemporary Arts Fair Discover Gather Give www.discovergathergive.co.uk

YouTube channel Discover Gather Give Fair https://bit.ly/35QHRNh

Can one have too much bling at an Arts Fair?

July 22, 2019 11:58 am Leave a Comment

In my research at Art Fairs, Festival, Craft events and Markets I am always looking to learn how they do things. I chat with as many artists as possible, organisers and volunteers and from each event I visit there is always something that sparks an idea that can inform how I curate Discover:Gather:Give, and this year it has been about branding and bling.

Thanks to Dave Pearson https://creativepearson.com I feel #Cafdgg has a strong, clean, recognisable and easily identifiable brand. Our branding offers security, shares the personality of our business and its credibility. Emotionally we connect and share values with our visitors who in turn offer loyalty by returning to visit on a regular basis.

The more I talk to organisers in this time of unknown and political unease the more I realise the importance of a trusted brand and for visitors to anticipate the standard of art works they are coming to see, the experience of the event plus their continual support of artists by buying the work on display, commissioning a piece after the event or attending a lecture or workshop – it is that level of engagement and on-going patronage that #Cafdgg inspires .

I believe that we can no longer just expect visitors to turn up at the Town Hall door, we need to bring them in to enjoy the experience, to be encouraged to engage with artists and to feel the excitement in discovering new and challenging art work. Nothing makes me happier as I walk the event to hear an artist sharing their creative process with a visitor, and later seeing a wrapped parcel leaving the artists exhibition space under the arm of a contented patron.

All too often the events I visited relied on past successes with the same or similar art work; getting that balance between the new and established artists is such a difficult note to get right where both the artists and the visitors feel the event has been a success and further to quantify that success in real terms such as sales on the day and follow up sales. With a strong brand I believe one can introduce new artists whilst keeping the standard of art work at an exceptional level.

#Cafdgg is not a super trendy, white cubicled event full of highly priced statement pieces on plinths; it has a curated balance with both traditional art and pieces to make you think, feel and cannot ignore. Our brand stands for art for all, of passion and the joy in the making, sharing, creating and collection of art. It is unique in the region for being a free entry event with such an array of art open for you.

I started by asking can one have too much bling and no other event has anything like the Golden Cup Cafe, for me it has just the right amount of bling to keep it the positive side of tasteful kitsch; although it is becoming a close call with my golden serving platters for our Private View…

Tag Archive: Art Fair