The Black Swan Arts Centre has been marking its 30th anniversary with several special exhibitions and events, which have been a resounding success.
Centre manager, Emma Warren, said, “Our plans to celebrate Black Swan’s 30th anniversary has made 2016 a year to remember with fantastic shows, exhibitions and one-off fundraising events.
“We’ve had a full calendar for the year and are engaging new and past supporters. We are at the centre of an incredibly creative community, especially with a constant stream of new artists arriving in the Frome area, and we want to capitalise on all this artistic energy.”
The latest special event was the Secret Swans Art Trail, part of Frome Festival and Open Studios. The Trail comprised 30 swan-themed artworks in 30 venues around Frome and last week it was in full swing.
The public were invited to make secret auction bids for artworks at each venue. Artworks ranged from tiny treasures such as Christina Oswin’s silver swan box, (her winning bid is being donated to Black Swan), internationally acclaimed Tessa Farmer’s ‘Flotilla’ – extraordinary skeletal fairies riding on swan feathers, located in Frome Museum, to drawings including Chris Lee’s depiction of Black Swan’s historic buildings, prints, lightwork, textiles and large sculptures such as Edgar Phillips’ magnificent steel and glass wings displayed at Rook Lane Chapel.
Bloggers Somerset Cool wrote, “The thing we really love about Black Swan Arts is their creative approach. It’s 30 years this year since the former derelict inn was turned into a beacon for the arts – and to celebrate the anniversary, they’ve been doing some very cool stuff. We grabbed our trail map, our smiley puppy Petal and attempted to find and identify all 30 (Secret Swans artworks)! It was brilliant fun and the mix of artwork on display was stunning.
“The trail ran for 10 days in all, to coincide with the Frome Festival, and it was another great way to engage artists, art lovers, families, adventurers and the local community – with everyone following the trail to seek out and discover new and exciting art around Frome.”
Black Swan Trustee and Secret Swans artist Fiona Campbell said, “We’ve seen great feedback and overwhelming support from the public, much needed funds raised, a heightened profile and have really engaged the community.
“My outdoor piece, ‘Resurrection’ was created from reclaimed steel, copper wire, tar, rope and scrim. ‘Black Swan’ is a metaphor for the impossible becoming possible. The piece is about environmental pollution, hope, yearning for purity, freedom from constraints. Swans represent love, which ‘conquers all’, symbolised by the crucifix form. Sited by the river, it received many positive comments from all ages, only slight damage – easily rectified, so I am grateful to most Frome residents for their respect!
“I devised a project to involve children in the Trail. We created a flock of flying swans in wire, which were installed on the exterior wall of Black Swan’s historic Round Tower. The swans looked like faint drawings, quite lovely and ethereal, though visitors had to look hard to see them.”
Other events to celebrate Black Swan’s 30th anniversary include 1000 Postcards, a massively popular exhibition with over £10,000 of sales so far and visitors galore. Unsold postcards can still be bought online.
Coming later in November will be ‘30 Plinths’, featuring 30 artworks by artists who have previously held an artisan studio at Black Swan.
Black Swan Art’s high calibre exhibitions might give the impression of a well-funded organisation. In fact, since dramatic cuts in funding in 2011, it has been run on a shoestring by a dedicated team of volunteers alongside part-time manager, Emma Warren, and led by the dynamic curator and chair of trustees, Amanda Sheridan.
Chair, Amanda Sheridan said, “Over the past 30 years, the Black Swan Arts centre has been supported by hundreds of people – talented artists and makers, trustees who have worked through some pretty shaky times, dedicated staff and, most importantly, the volunteers, without whom Black Swan Arts would quite simply sink. After all these years of dedication, we deserve to see the centre go on for another 30 years.”
Black Swan Arts is always grateful for new volunteers and friends to join as patrons of the arts to help raise its profile as a leading regional gallery, so do get in touch if you would like to get involved.
For further details visit: www.blackswan.org.uk
