Artists make a welcome Site (From Stroud News and Journal)

Artists make a welcome Site

THE ninth Site 05 festival was described as "a spectacular success" by organiser Colin Glen as an eclectic range of work was unveiled at the launch evening in Stroud on Friday.

Breaking down the distinction between art and craft was the main theme of the event, at the Museum in the Park, which featured jewellery hanging in frames alongside paintings and pottery and sculpture side by side on pedestals.

The intriguing and beautiful Yukon Fishing Hole by Sybil Edwards was very much in the spirit of the exhibition, investigating the space between fine art and folk art using gesso, paper, clay and acrylic wax in a manner faintly reminiscent of Robert Rauschenberg.

There was also a room featuring two projects by Mel Rodicq and Helen Anderson, in collaboration with local primary schools. The results were surprising, dynamic and universally admired.

Anderson's work had the feel of an illustration for a glossy magazine article, whilst several of Rodicq's pieces would not have looked out of place in the scrapbooks of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The courtyard was swarming with jazz music and the show's creators, who were happy to chat about their work whilst enjoying several well-deserved glasses of wine.

Roger Jones, who showed material from his recent exhibition Danger! Artist at Work!, said his collage was the result of several 'happy accidents', adding: "Sometimes I do work fairly quickly. I like to improvise quicker than I can think.

"When you are making a collage, you cut up paper and by chance you produce other shapes. Sometimes these shapes turn out to be something you use."

At the other end of the spectrum was Kim Parry, whose living room has been taken over by an ambitious project in glass and plaster.

"It's taken me about two years so far," he said. "It's very much a work in progress. I've been finishing a course at Bristol University so other things have been taking up my time.

"It takes up a lot of room. Fortunately I have very understanding landlords."

Taster in the Park will run throughout June at the Museum in the Park. Along with Taster in the Town, which opens on Saturday, June 4 at the Subscription Rooms, it has been designed to give the public the opportunity to sample the work of the some of the 250 artists participating in the festival.

Visitors can then see their favourite artists in work at one of the 88 open studios, which are open all over the Stroud Valleys between 11am and 6pm on weekends and 6pm and 9pm on weekdays.

There will be subsidised minibus tours to Bisley, the Golden Valley, Nailsworth, Valley and Vale and Painswick, lasting three hours and costing just £3.50 for adults, £2.00 for concessions and £1.00 for children. Under 5s can travel free.

Further information is available at Stroud's Subscription Rooms and the Museum in the Park at Stratford Park, or by visiting www.sva.org.uk