The Art Counter
The Curator’s Room, 2014
Waiting to speak to the Curators at Fascinate, photo Field NotesThe Art Counter was an interactive contemporary art resource offering personalised ‘art counselling’ and ‘interpretation services’, which was developed as part of The Curators Room. At The Art Counter Field Notes curators’ Cat and Rosie were available to discuss local art issues and events on a one to one basis. Tea and biscuits were also on offer to fuel the conversation!
The Art Counter office at Woodlane campus, Falmouth University
The Art Counter ran as a visitor drop-in service, holding sessions with audience members to discuss ideas, exhibition queries and even local issues. It was an artwork, an information point and a place for exploring and experimenting with art. The Counter was used in a multitude of ways, offering drop-in workshops; debates and discussions to inspire you; professional arts advice for aspiring artists; as well as words of advice for anyone disinterested, disillusioned or confused by art!
We toured The Art Counter around Cornwall to locations as diverse as town halls, public libraries, art festivals and galleries, providing the chance for creative exploration and deeper engagement tailored to each place, event and community and creating a friendly space to talk to artists and curators. The model has been adapted to venues and events including: Falmouth University, Fascinate Showcase Festival, The Exchange Gallery and Plymouth Art Centre. For example, at Fascinate Festival we also included a service to record and collate visitor experiences of Fascinate Showcase and the Tall Ships Festival; discussing ideas from art and adventure to culture and hospitality, from which Field Notes produced ‘souvenir pamphlets’ based on these conversations, incorporating photos taken by visitors on their mobile phones.
FUNDERS AND PARTNERS
The Curators Room was a participatory resource and development project established by Field Notes as a test bed for future ways of working in the arts. It offered space for dialogue and an opportunity to research and interact with audiences through a programme of creative networking events, workshops, talks and exhibitions, alongside the provision of an open access exhibition space, desk space and a research library. Within The Curators’ Room Field Notes ran The Art Counter, an interactive contemporary art resource offering personalised ‘art counselling’ and ‘interpretation services’. We adapted the model to venues and events including: Falmouth University, Fascinate Showcase Festival, The Exchange Gallery and Plymouth Art Centre. Throughout the project Field Notes supported young creatives and artist-led groups to develop their professional practice.
The development of The Curators’ Room was supported by funds from Talent Development 2, through a space arts, and was delivered in partnership with Falmouth University and the Fascinate Showcase during the Tall Ships Regatta in Falmouth.
The development of The Curators’ Room was supported by funds from Talent Development 2, through a space arts, and was delivered in partnership with Falmouth University and the Fascinate Showcase during the Tall Ships Regatta in Falmouth.
GET IN TOUCH:
info@fieldnotes.org.ukThe development of this website was supported by Cultivator Cornwall
