Black Swan Arts Exhibition Archives 2018

Long Gallery logo featuring the words Black Swan Gallery

Title: Extremely Textiles
Date: 1 – 22 December
Preview: Friday 30 November, 6-8pm -all welcome

‘Extremely textiles’ has been artfully curated by Sandra Porter from the Black Swan Arts, Programming Group. The perfectly placed exhibition reflects Frome’s rich textile tradition. It is also a window in to the huge range of styles and techniques which artists working within the Textiles medium are employing.

Read more about the exhibition and the artists featured…

Ceramics by Sasha Wardell, 3 bowls
Painting featuring crows

Title: Craft/Art works – Launch of BSA Guild
Date: 1 – 22 December
Preview: Friday 30 November, 6-8pm – all welcome

‘Craft/Art Works’ is a Christmas exhibition with a twist. Featuring makers and artists who live locally but have exhibited on a national and international level. They will showcase the level and quality of work which can be expected by the new Black Swan Guild.

Find out more on the exhibition page.

Image showing artwork by previous winner Dan Morley

Title: Black Swan Arts Open 2018
Date: 19 October – 24 November
Preview: Thursday 18 October, 7.30-9pm -all welcome

The prestigious Black Swan Art Open is an annual competition that welcomes entries of original works from established practitioners and emerging artists of all professions and disciplines.

Find out more about the Art Open exhibition…

Perspex Tommy figure of a World War One soldier

Title: There But Not There
Date: 7 – 24 November including Remembrance Sunday

Part of a nationwide installation for the fallen

There But Not There is the defining centenary commemoration of the end of the 1914-1918 war, installed where the men and women came from across the country, back in the communities they left behind. This important, reflective exhibition is part of a nationwide installation for the fallen and is a joint event with the Frome branch of the Royal British Legion.

Find out more about the nationwide exhibition.

Find out about other centenary events in Frome

Painting by Amanda Bennett from Frome Art Society featuring a dramatic landscape

Title: Frome Art Society
Date: 19 October – 4 November
Preview: Thursday 18 October, 6-9pm – all welcome

The second of two annual exhibitions by Frome Art Society, featuring work in a range of media by society members.

Find out more about the Frome Art Society exhibition.

Pastoral, by Volkhardt Muller. Featuring a prison cell with reproduction of 18th century engraving, hand scratched with screwdriver

Title: Volkhardt Müller – The Plantation
Date: 8 September – 6 October
Preview: 7 September, 6-8pm – all welcome

‘The Plantation’ is an exhibition of video, mixed media and print

Unlike the self contained pastoral idyll, the plantation is trimmed to maximize one crop. Its principle is perpetual repetition and it refuses a frame. The plantation is needy and connected, fragile and overwhelming. Its effects are all around us, but it is not something we commonly choose to enjoy.

Find out more about the Volkhardt Muller ‘Plantation’ exhibition…

Title: Old Bakery Artists
Date: 6 – 13 October
Preview: 5 October, 6-8pm – all welcome

This vibrant and diverse group of artists returns to Frome and The Round Tower Gallery with their latest works. They are happy to introduce several new members to the public.

They would love to welcome you to their preview where you can meet many of the exhibiting artists. They are more than happy to discuss their inspiration, motivation and working practices. They will also steward the exhibition throughout, so you will have further opportunity to meet the artists.

Find out more…

Mixed media piece by Amy Yates featuring a terraced house

Title: Poussins de Tour
Date: 15 – 30 September
Preview: 15 September, 5-7pm – all welcome

The exhibition features veterans of the Frome arts scene; Amy Yates, Suzanne Woodward, Sabine Abraham and Rosie Hart. They have joined forces with two artists who are newer to the scene; Sue Willis and Rebecca Sandey.

Find out more…

Painting by Claire Cansick of the arborealists, featuring trees

Title: Arborealists and Guests – featuring Paul Nash
Date: 21 July – 2 September
Entry: £3, or £5 for 2. Under 18s free
Preview: 20 July, 6-8pm – all welcome (there is no entry fee for the preview)
Artists talk: Mon 9 July, 6-7pm
Artists Q&A: Sun 5 August, 3-4pm

The Arborealists were founded by artist and curator Tim Craven in 2013. Following the exhibition ‘Under the Greenwood: Picturing the British Tree’. The exhibition was staged at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, Lymington, in the heart of the New Forest.

The Arborealists are a loose association of some 60 artists of diverse art practice who share the subject of the tree.

Find out more…

This exhibition takes place around the building, including the Long Gallery and the Round Tower Gallery.
Image demonstrating bronze melting and pouring

Title: The Chemistry of Bronze
Date: 26 May – 15 July
Preview: 25 May, 6-8pm – all welcome

The Chemistry of Bronze exhibition celebrates bronze sculpture and showcases the bronze process itself.

Featuring 5 established UK artists who are exhibiting and selling their bronze sculpture. While we will at the same time be showing the process and different steps in bronze making (especially the lost wax method) with artefacts, tools, videos, pictures and demonstrations.

Read more…

Image by Carolyn Griffiths

Title: Back to Blue
Date: 23 June – 15 July

Carolyn Griffiths’ exhibition in the iconic Round Tower Gallery. The Round Tower building is an ideal location with its history as an 18th-century wool drying building. ‘Back to Blue’ showcases the history of Frome’s cloth and dye trades and weaves its way towards the relevance of textile production in today’s society.

Hans Borgonjon and Sue Conrad’s mixed media pieces provide a wonderful contemporary twist which ebbs and flows between the past and the present. Supported by Black Swan Arts, Frome Society for Local Study and Creative Frome.

Read more…

Print by Chris Pig featuring birds in front of cliffs

Title: Frome Creative Community
Date: 2 – 16 June
Preview and meet the Tutors: Fri 1 June, 6-8pm

An Exhibition showcasing work from creative classes run by Frome Community Education and private tutors Amanda Bee, Jenny Pepper, Aliss Vaas and Chris Pig. Works on show will include paintings, prints, pottery, basketry, watercolour, textiles and upholstery. An opportunity to meet tutors and students and sign up to future classes.

Read more…

Painting by Si Griffiths showing a couple and their child all with clown masks

Title: Si Griffiths ‘Adventures in Reality?’
Date: 5 – 26 May

An intriguing new exhibition from the pop-surreal painter Simon Griffiths exploring the Yin and Yang
of life, love, loss, death and inner demons, bringing to life the emotions generated in a riot of
colourful expressive works.

Find out more…

Image showing the postcard for Cicatrix

Title: Cicatrix
Date: 14 April – 19 May
Preview: 13 April, 6-8pm all welcome
Artist Talk: Sat 28 April, 2pm

We are excited to welcome Cicatrix, a visual arts project incorporating installation drawing and film. Offering an alternative insight into the legacy of The Great War.

Featuring artists:

  • Henny Burnett (installation)
  • Prudence Maltby (drawing)
  • Susan Francis (film)

Read more …

Photograph showing tattooed hands featuring Hokusai’s iconic woodcut, ‘The Great Wave of Kanagawa’.

Title: Toni Davey, New Wave
Date: 11 April – 2 May
Preview: Thurs 12 April, 6-8pm

New Wave is a touring exhibition initiated by Toni Davey RWA. IT aims to explore the value of arts education for our economy, society, and humanity.

The artwork featured is by former students of Toni Davey from West Somerset Community College, Minehead who are now working as professional creatives. They are a response to Hokusai’s iconic woodcut, ‘The Great Wave of Kanagawa’. This is a piece that has held a personal fascination for Toni over several decades.

Read more…

Young Open 2018 logo

Title: Black Swan Arts Young Open 2018
Date: 17 March – 7 April
Award presentation: 17 March, 12pm (midday)

The Black Swan Arts Young Open Art Competition continues to go from strength to strength.  In 2016 there were more than 300 entries, not only a record number but a 100% increase on 2015. In total, more than 150 schools have been involved over the past four years making this a flagship exhibition we are immensely proud of.

Read more…

Artwork by Hannah Carding
Artwork by Hannah Carding

Title: Hannah Carding
Date: 24 February – 4  March
Preview: Saturday 24 February 12-2pm – all welcome

‘War’ 

Artist-illustrator Hannah Carding exhibits a collection of black and white etchings that explore conflict in the Round Tower Gallery.

The etchings respond to a selection of writings about different wars throughout history and focus particularly on the aftermath of war.

Read more…

Artwork by Hayley Cove
Artwork by Hayley Cove

Title: Frome Arts Society
Date: 24 February – 10 March
Preview: Friday 23 February 6-8pm – all welcome

The first of 2 annual exhibitions by Frome Art Society.

Frome Art Society was formed in 1979 to encourage local people to become involved in painting and drawing.  The exhibition provides a showcase of the wide variety of styles and techniques by members.

Read more…

Artwork by Oliver Bedeman
Artwork by Oliver Bedeman

Title: Oliver Bedeman
Date: 16 January – 18 February
Preview: 5 January 6-8pm – all welcome
Curators talk: 5 January 5.30pm – for Volunteers & Friends of Black Swan Arts only

Paintings, etchings and drawings by Oliver Bedeman.

Completing a Foundation Course at Wiltshire College, and a Degree in Painting at Brighton University, Oliver went on to The Royal Drawing School, where he won the Lady Rothermere Award. He then had a years’ residency at the school and taught on their outreach program. Selected for the 2016 Columbia Threadneedle Prize at the Mall Galleries, London his painting toured with the prize to the Palazzo Strozzi, Florence. His most recent showing this autumn was at The Fine Art Society in London.

Read More…