Maggi Hambling Brixton Heron

[Rushy]

...and we do surveys and questionnaires.

Can you help me out with a little clarification please, Timothy?

I say that "I guess [your emphasis] that the people you come across at free community art events may tend towards those who value art in the community". Whereas you say "... and we do surveys and questionnaires."

So, are you saying that you do surveys and questionnaires which prove that the people who you come across at free community art events do not [my emphasis] tend towards those who value art in the community? And that on that basis my guess is wrong?

Or are you just quoting a couple of words of mine out of context for 'artistic' reasons?

 

[plurker]

Wrong. From my experience of running free events which promote local artists in their own communities the reaction has always been "why ISN'T the council supporting this?"

I'd imagine that Lambeth know that certain free events promoting local artists have no need for Council support - although I'm sure they'd benefit from it were it to be offered.

eg the 100 or so artists who take part in Urban Art (there's no stipulation as far as I recall for them to be local artists) pay £80-odd for their weekend pitches, as well as paying a commission on any work that they sell. 10% of one day's worth of commision is then donated to the chosen charity, ther rest goes to the Urban Art organizers.

Production costs are some infrastructure hire (herras & 2 portaloos), a road closure, print costs for marketing materials (flyers, posters, teeshirts for staff) so the costs will be nowhere near as high as the income.

Lambeth Council will do the maths and perhaps see that their money might be spent better on projects such as the heron, which can be seen by more of the general public as it's a permanent installation, than offering financial support to smaller, more localised events.

 

[OpalFruit]

Are those figures correct? £8000 income from artists?
And isn't it the residents who donate their railings, and do a big clear up of the road, sweep leaves, do the gardens, trim bushes in preparation? What is council subsidy needed for? Surely arts subsidy isnt for the commercial sales of artworks, anyway?

 

[editor]

I'd like a council beer subsidy for my free Offline nights please.

 

[quimcunx]

It looked lovely tonight, I thought, silvery against the dark blue twilight sky.

I took a couple of rubbish pics on my mobile but I've lost my little card reader thing.

The heron link is a bit tenuous right enough. A big portrait of a staffie would be more appropriate.

 

[timothysutton1]

...portrait of a staffie...

...no problem

 

[OpalFruit]

LOL!

Seriously, I think the Urban Art Fair is a great thing. And it's the Big Society in action too (you may or may not think that is a good thing) - artists being entrepreneurial, supported by local residents, charity benefitting, the public benefitting.

But the £8000-ish per annum cost, for a two day event, actually makes the cost of the Heron, there all the time, hopefully for years, ALSO look good value.

We need to attract visitors to Brixton by saying 'come to the Urban Art Fair, turn L out of the tube (if working ) past the Maggi Hambling Heron, past the Zineb Sidera shop shutters, etc. Peckham artists got plenty of mileage out of a load of bollards from A Gormley and Zandra Rhodes, Brixton artists could do the same.

 

[plurker]

But the £8000-ish per annum cost

For clarification, my post was about the income that Urban Art make from the event, I have no idea as to the cost of running the event, though from my experience of running and working with outdoor events for many years, it won't (shouldn't at least!) be anywhere near 8 grand.

We need to attract visitors to Brixton by saying 'come to the Urban Art Fair, turn L out of the tube (if working ) past the Maggi Hambling Heron, past the Zineb Sidera shop shutters, etc.

Absolutely, and the UAF should become, imho, integrated into Lambeth County Show - they're on the same w/e, and if it were to be highlighted in the Country Show programme, the footfall to UAF would dramatically increase - thus benefitting the artists and giving them (hopefully) a better ROI.