A new art show curated by Albany sensation Tommy Watkins opens across the pond next week. ‘Chromantics’ is a show celebrating the use of color, something that appeals to all of us who love a little pigment, especially yours truly. Mr. Watkins also opened up the show for a few written pieces on the subject of color, so I sent one in and was lucky enough to be featured. While I sadly can’t make it all the way to the opening, if you’re in the area give it a look.

Watkins was an Albany institution whose work touched many and reached far beyond the typical insular circles of an art scene. He also supported and encouraged fellow artists with their creative endeavors, and I’d see him out and about on 1^stFridays when he wasn’t busy putting on a show himself. The best artists are those who get out and spread their inspiration and enthusiasm, sharing their love for creative expression and genuinely thriving off such interactions. Check out the write up with all the requisite info below:

This April the Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot will be splashing its walls with a bright and colourful array of art works as it hosts the Chromantics exhibition. A selection of artworks from OVADA’s Associate artists pair together for a dramatic collection of colour and creativity.
This playful arrangement of striking work, including paintings and sculpture, set out to challenge the audience on what contemporary art can be. Curator and artist, Tommy Watkins, invites you to explore this unique exhibition and meet the people who are shaping Oxfordshire’s art scene.

The title of the show comes from a fusing of the words ‘Chroma’ and ‘Romantic’ as a poetic way to say ‘To be romanced by colour’. This show hopes to highlight the special chemistry found when pairing different styles of art into a cohesive body of work. These artworks revel with the brilliance of summer and extol the crispness of a spring day, but most impressive, is that this show has brought together over fifty artists, demonstrating the strength of the creative community in Oxfordshire. With inclusion being the guiding principle for selecting artworks, Watkins was resolute when saying;

“My goal with this show was to bring many different creators together and let us admire the unique and special traits we all have as artists and even more so as people. I see a chance here for us to appreciate and celebrate what makes us all individuals and at the same time emphasise how we are so much stronger when we come together as one.”

To add even more emphasis on unification Watkins has opened up the exhibition to include three poems from international poets and included artworks from a group of young artists through ‘The National House Project’, a charity that provides support to young people, enabling them to develop their own local housing.

As the first off-site exhibition for OVADA Associates, Chromantics demonstrates the organisation’s artist-led ethos. This event is the first formal collaboration between Cornerstone and OVADA and we can expect to see great things ahead with these two innovative organisations in collaboration. Cornerstone Arts Project Manager, Jessie Coller expressed her excitement by saying, “Cornerstone are delighted to be welcoming OVADA artists to our gallery with their stunning work. As a thriving arts centre, we are committed to supporting local artists and building relationships in the Oxfordshire area and we are thrilled that our conversations with OVADA have culminated with this fantastic exhibition.”

To discover more vibrant events, programming and art opportunities please visit: www.ovada.org.uk and www.cornerstone-arts.org

We also encourage you to explore the great work taking place over at www.thehouseproject.org

Launch event: 6th April 2019, 5-8pm
Exhibition runs: 3rd – 28th April – 28th 2019 (see Cornerstone website for times)
Venue: Cornerstone Arts Centre, 25 Station Road, Didcot, OX11 8RJ, UK.

Poets: Alan Ilagan, R.M. Engelhardt, Jasen Ward

Exhibiting OVADA Artists: Wendy Aldiss – Kate Aries – Didi Baldwin – Juliet Bankes – Lisa Bates – Betsy Bell – Sarah Birch – John Blythe – Luis Rafael Borja – Joshua Browitt – Sue Chamberlin – Aileen Creegan – Clare Crombie – Jan Crombie – Robin Danely – Phil Dobson – Elizabeth Gascoigne – Emily Gong – Julie Gooddy – Ellen Hausner – Mary Haynes – John Hazell – Katie Hellon – Deborah Hudson – Ala Jazayeri – Elaine Kazimierczuk – Gabriele Kern – Monica Lewis – Rebecca Lyne – Andrew Manson – Adriana May – Jacqueline McLaurin – Kieran McLean – Miranda Millward – William Milne – Jeremy Morgan – Naomi Morris – Christopher Neal – Sue Perstitious – Lucy Phillips – Jezella Pigott – Deborah Pill – Marina Price – Roger Pugh – Catalina Renjifo – Melissa Rodd – Marigold Short – Alex Singleton – Matt Smart – Brigitte Stepputtis – Katie Taylor – Gill White – Sarah Wills-Brown

Please note that works in this exhibition are family friendly.