Review of the Spring Exhibition 2019 in The Glasgow Art Club
The Exhibition was in The Billiard Room, GAC Bath Street, Glasgow EXHIBITION: 11 May 2019 - 28th May 2019
MINUTES: 32nd AGM of the SSAA held at GLASGOW ART CLUB Bath St. 11.00 am Sat 11th May 2019
Apologies for absence:
Ian Spence ; Sandie Gracie; John Davie; Ron Sutherland ; Rachel Sutherland; Robin Webster, Chris Souter; Bob Anderson; Mick Duncan; George Cummins
Attendance;
John Picken; Alan Cook; Charina Beswick; David Roulston; William Wood; Mike Shepley; George McI Keith; Karen Cairns; John Dunbar; John Skinner; Ian Stuart Campbell
- APPROVAL OF ‘2018 ANNUAL REPORT’, AGM 24th MARCH 2018 (adopted)
- PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2019
Once again, we (SSAA) have enjoyed a very active year with well-presented exhibitions in Edinburgh, Scottish Arts Club; St Andrews, Upstairs Gallery; and now at the Glasgow Art Club. Earlier in the year we acknowledged the massive achievements of our founder, Hamish Haswell-Smith, at our ‘Vernissage Dinner’ in the Scottish Arts Club, where he and Dr Paul Miller, as guest speakers, reminded us all of the importance of art practice and art appreciation, in this current fractious social and business environment.
SSAA members again contributed works to the European “Ligne et Couleur” exhibitions in Paris, Germany, and at the Venice Biennale last September (2018). I was very pleased to be able to attend the Venice Exhibition on what turned out to be one of the warmest days of the year. After many visits to exhibitions by L&C at Verona, Paris and Venice, it continues to impress me that our European Colleagues appear to enjoy a completely different attitude, and perhaps motivation, for their architect-artist endeavours.
Firstly, and most markedly, there is very little emphasis on selling of artworks, often no prices listed! This may in part, at least, be due to them receiving sponsorships. The beautifully produced illustrated books which accompany French and Italian L&C exhibitions usually acknowledge and credit ‘patronage of regional or city authorities, or educational institutions, etc.’
There is also noticably a more rigorous “theme requirement“ for submissions to their exhibitions. This does give a sense of visual unity to these shows and perhaps also a more topical flavour. Furthermore, our overarching ‘Ligne et Couleur’ mother-organisation has clearly built an extensive guest list over the years, reaching the ‘great and the good’ throughout Paris. This ensures well attended busy bustling previews in the grand galleries of the various Marie de Arrondisement.
Having now completed my two-year term of office as SSAA President I have been impressed throughout by the high level of participation in our annual exhibitions by all our membership. The current show presents 60 works including x2 sculptures and several items from France, Italy, Germany and Poland. A number of submissions unfortunately could not be hung, as this venue cannot cope with exposed glass edges and metal clip frames requiring angle cup-hooks to fit into hanging rails. Likewise, several other entries may appear in the catalogue, but are missing from the walls as they were not delivered to RIAS in adequate time for travel to Glasgow.
The logistics of collecting and hanging so many works is demanding, in time and effort as is: Newsletter communication; post; and administration of submissions. Some members may not be aware that this is all carried out by a small number of SSAA volunteer members in their own time. Consequently, during my Presidency I have been trying to shift Membership Information and General Communications onto the SSAA website - www.ssaagallery.co.uk. Passive communications of this sort, will depend upon individual members checking regularly at the site, at convenient times, for dates and events, ….. perhaps even sending comments and/or contributions for inclusion! This plan to move SSAA to a more ‘on-line’ basis has not yet proved entirely successful or comprehensive, as none of our committee is adequately techy, and many of our members still evidently struggle with computers.
I therefore must demit office with a sincere apology - particularly to those who have been left out of ‘calls for entries’ or other notifications; have not received acknowledgements of their communications; variability of my contact email addresses (generally due to one or other address becoming intermittent or unreliable); or those who feel generally that they have dropped out of the loop. It is never intentional, and has been the result of innocent oversight. Sorry! I think I can speak for all the committee members however in suggesting that you will be very welcome to join us & help with the ever smoother running of our Society! Onwards and upwards!! Ian Stuart Campbell, FSAI FRIAS President SSAA
- MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY’S REPORT To come: Charina Beswick
- TREASURER’S REPORT
The Society’s finances continue to be in very fine fettle with a considerable sum held in reserve and our ongoing activities being entirely self-financing, as a result our capital reserves have not been called upon and have even grown slightly as the result of modest interest payments. With this in mind I can propose in confidence that Membership Fees should remain at £20 per annum for another year.
This will be my last annual Treasurer’s Report. Being SSAA treasurer has not in fact been too onerous a task but nonetheless it will be with some considerable pleasure that I will hand over the spreadsheets to Alan Cook. Arrangements with The Bank of Scotland to ensure that this change over happens smoothly are reasonably well advanced and are being carried out in such a way that The Society will always have sufficient signatories to the accounts to ensure an orderly transition.
JOHN PICKEN, Treasurer SSAA
- ELECTION OF OFFICIALS:
Unchallenged Nominations duly elected to serve during 2019:
President – John Picken;
Treasurer- Alan GW Cook;
Membership- Charina Beswick;
Events – Chris Souter;
Past Presidents – John Dunbar, Ian Stuart Campbell
- FUTURE EXHIBITIONS & POTENTIAL VENUES
*SSAA President John Picken, announced that SSAA will hold our next Exhibition in the St Andrews Gallery “Upstairs@ J&GInnes” in August 2019 (*dates to be confirmed)
- ANY OTHER COMPETENT BUSINESS:
- John Skinner: ...does SSAA, as a charity, have a policy statement on maintaining a financial reserve? ….and if so what sum is required?
- answer: No! we have no statement. Our financial reports are submitted annually to Oscar in accordance with requirements for charitable status. A short discussion concluded that we may be able to benefit by dropping this status as we would no longer need to pay for external accounting services.
- John Skinner noted that Holyrood Art Club exhibits annually in Greyfriars Church - approx 200 items of which 60 were sold.
-Strong footfall while desirable but can be expensive: reported costs:- Dundas St c.£1000 per week - RSA basement c.£10,000 per week. Open discussion ensued with interesting suggestions including gallery space at the Casa Art shop in Glasgow; empty shop units; or office atrium spaces.
- John Picken invited the AGM to advise on whether we should spend some of our cash reserve if necessary to achieve better venues? It was unanimously agreed that the new committee should feel able to delve into the cash reserve to improve options for exhibition venues.
- Charina Beswick suggested that we might be able to exhibit with the new Architectural Fringe - she will investigate!
The AGM concluded before 12.30pm and the PREVIEW of our Spring Exhibition 2019 began with a warm welcome from Glasgow Art Club President Joe Hargan who appreciates and greatly approves of the SSAA ambition to improve and extend liaison between architects and artists. Joe was particularly pleased to welcome our international contingent to the Glasgow Art Club, - even when we discovered that one of our Polish colleagues was in fact originally from Scotland - but has lived in Poland for 25 years!
ref: *march / april 2019
CALL FOR ENTRIES: To participate, members should return Pre-Registration Form with a JPEG image for the catalogue to: I. S. Campbell, 19 Trinity Grove, EH5 3HB. *Before: 15th April 2019
E-mail *JPEG to:- stuart@trinitygrove.demon.co.uk
RECEIVING: Deliver work to the gallery by FRIDAY 10 May - or before THURSDAY 9th May w/out packaging to:-
RIAS, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh Before 4.30pm (open office hours daily)
couriers: (SSAA@RIAS, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE) tel: +44 (0)131 229 7545
Email stuart@trinitygrove.demon.co.uk
SUBMISSION FEES: Submission Fee £8.00 per work = x1 large or x 2 small works max 60cms
Concess/ Students Fee £4.00 per item.
COMMISSION: The following commission rates will be applied by the Glasgow Art Club in the event of a sale during the exhibition, whether arranged through the Club or privately: Non-Members: 35% inc. VAT, Members: 25% inc. VAT. - please take account of this when pricing works. Art Prints accepted where signed as limited edition: *Additional unframed work– mounted with clear protection for the ‘browser’ – no fee applies.
DELIVERY and COLLECTION: All works should be delivered, and unsold work collected, within agreed times and locations. Care will be taken but SSAA cannot be held responsible for losses or damage. Works can not be insured by SSAA and artists should arrange their own insurance where required.
MEDIA: Acrylics, oils, water-colours, gouache, pencil, charcoal, pastels, pen ink, collage and comparable media are acceptable, including screen prints, monoprints, unique computer generated and photographic images. 3D works will also be accepted subject to conditions and prior arrangement: Tel:0131 552 2620 (leave messages); Email stuart@trinitygrove.demon.co.uk
SELECTION and FRAMING: All pictures, excl. ‘box canvas’, must be properly framed with glass edges covered. All works to have ‘L’ hooks for hanging. Exhibits will be subject to selection on basis of artistic merit and will be accepted from all ‘paid up’ current members
LABELS: All works must be labelled on the back of pictures, base of sculptures or plinth, to include:
Artist’s Name & Address, Title of work, Medium, Price, Contact Tel. & e-mail.
ARTIST PRE-REGISTRATION:
name: ………………………….…………………………………………
address: …………………….…………………………………………….
email: ……….………………………………………….……………………..tel no: ………………………...……….
EXHIBITION ENTRY: o/a size price
Title of Work. Medium. WxH cms. Incl. com
1……………………….…………… …………………………………………………
2……………………………………………………………………………………….
Declaration: I accept the SSAA’s Conditions for exhibiting
(Signature)…………………………………………………………………………..
Please tick …………if you do not agree that work submitted may be reproduced by the Society.
Queries to: Tel:0131 552 2620 (leave message) Email stuart@trinitygrove.demon.co.uk