an Update from MAP for forthcoming shows and how to get involved

Dear Friends

"love the black pearl exhibition" will be open tomorrow (wednesday) from 11.45 til 12.45,  please come and see the photographs and paintings, inside in the daylight. The exhibition will run until the 8th of December and we hope to have other opportunities when the space will be viewable from inside before the end of the exhibition. Many of the artworks on display are for sale so feel free to ask for more information. Email MAProject@hotmail.co.uk

We are appealing for local artists of all ages to help create a magical seasonal exhibition in the heart of the resort.  “Winter Wonderland” is the title of the exhibition and MAP is asking local people to create individual snowflakes in shades of white, pale blue and silver - from recycled materials - to be hung in the MAP gallery space between SubWay and Starbucks. the Light Cinema will also play host to some of the snowflakes in their windows.

“Last year we asked residents to create sea creatures for our launch ‘Fish and Ships’ exhibition last December and they responded with enthusiasm, inventiveness, wit and artistic flair,” said MAP Chair Liz Byrne. “We are hoping that they will be equally inspired by the theme for this year’s Christmas exhibition.”

April Cheetham's contribution for Christmas Fish and Ships in 2012, our inagural show

Contributors should bring their snowflakes to the drop box which will be located in the foyer of The Light Cinema, anytime between this Wednesday afternoon and the 8th of December. Each snowflake should be packaged to prevent damge during collection and should have a parcel tag or gift tag with your name attached.

Local schools will be asked to contribute a wrapped box as a gift for New Brighton - a gift of joy, peace, happiness or whatever they feel New Brighton needs for the future.

The launch of the exhibition will coincide with a celebration at The Light Cinema with carols and local musicians on Thursday, 12th December in the early evening, times and details to be confirmed.The display will run until the middle of January. Artists will be able to collect their exhibits from the MAP unit on (Sunday 12th January 2014) between noon and 2pm.

We would also like to hear from experienced mural painters for a major project for Spring 2014 in the dips, a tender form is available on request and will also be posted here on the blog and facebook page. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MAPmarinepoint/

We have an exciting programme begining to take form for 2014 and hope you will enjoy what is on offer in the next few months.

Best wishes from
all of us at MAP

Liz, Carl, Rose, Shaun, Jean, Andy and Alison

PS: Please feel free to forward to any interested parties. Many thanks.

drum roll please....celebrating the beloved Black Pearl

Please get involved

Oldershaw Academy at MAP

LOCAL secondary school, The Oldershaw Academy is inviting the public to take a look at their outstanding art work with an exhibition staged at Marine Point in New Brighton.

 

Organised in partnership with local art group Momentary Art Project CIC and Neptune, the exhibition is the culmination of pupils’ A-level, BTEC and GCSE endeavours merged into a fantastic showcase of art, textiles and graphics.

 

Reflecting the hard work of pupils and staff, thanks to which the Academy has been awarded theArtsmark Gold Award no less than four times, the exhibition will be on display at Unit 13, Marine Point (between Morrisons and Starbucks) until the end of October.

 

Art teacher and Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Riley said: “The art at Oldershaw is a true reflection of our amazing pupils at all levels, particularly within GCSE and A-level.”

Clare Kirwan poem: Moses came to Merseyside

Moses came to Merseyside       

©Jo Smith

Moses came to Merseyside

and waved his magic staff.

It was his trademark trick and so

it always got a laugh.

He turned up at New Brighton,

and shouted from the beach:

I’m going to make the Mersey part

-  it’s only two quid each!

And Moses spake – at quite some length

though muffled by his beard

and people shuffled, keen to start

- that’s why they’d volunteered.

And all of them let out a gasp

when Moses raised his hand -

the waves receded, rolling back

til the river bed was… land.

The habitat was suddenly

more coastal than marine

from Egremont to Pier Head

- a long walk in between

On Fort Perch Rock, a crowd of folk

had gathered to observe

the faithful few traverse the gorge

- the ones who had the nerve.

And birds of prey on roof tops

Love New Brighton - ©Jo Smith

looked down with greedy eyes

as they set out from New Brighton,

without compass or supplies.

Past rusty junk and sunken hulks

they shuffled on, quite stunned

to see  the bones of murdered men

and all we’ve jettisoned.

They turned to look at Wirral now

- how very small it seemed,

how very grey and far away -

but how Liverpool gleamed!

And how the Liver Buildings loomed

on cliffs that once were docks

now high above their heads – so far

they could not see the clocks

And Moses muttered something

his voice an utter blur

- so difficult to comprehend

through so much facial hair.

Some remarked how tired he looked

- his staff now seemed to quiver

and what’s that watery trickling sound?

and: Here comes the river!

And everybody for themselves

legged it to higher ground

they clung to ropes or climbed the walls.

Only a few were drowned.

This side is ace, the rest agreed,

(except the drugs and crime)

if there was a just a way for us

to come here all the time.

And so they built a tunnel

for they knew – without a doubt –

if they did it without Moses

they could get across for nowt.

But we all know that nothing’s free

- even a giant hole.

You can cross the Mersey any time

but the tunnel takes its toll.

So Wirral folk still stranded

on the river’s other side

still talk about the time that

Moses came to Merseyside.

And we all smile wistfully

when we think about how Moses

gets almost everywhere for free

while we pay through our noses.

©Clare Kirwan

Artworks used to illustrate Clare's poem are from the "love new brighton" exhibition

16: Artist: Jo Smith
Title: Here’s Looking at You, Kid!
Medium: Acrylic and Sand on Canvas

17: Artist: Jo Smith
Title: Love the Light
Medium: Acrylic and Sand on Canvas

Jo Smith

Jo is a mixed media artist and is known for her local landscapes. Jo's inspiration comes from her daily dog walks on Wirral's beaches. She often incorporates sand, shells and beach combed treasures that she applies to canvases or found driftwood. She is slightly obsessed with the birds she encounters too; seagulls, skylarks and crows etc can find their way into her work. Jo feels truly blessed living on the Wirral and loves to express her attachment to it through her art.
www.josmithart.com
www.seagrassstudio.co.uk

Update on latest news

• We are very pleased to announce that the next exhibition to come to the Momentary Art Project, following the end of "love new brighton" on the 25th of April will be "Guardians and Angels" from St Mary's College, Wallasey. 
  Launching on the 2nd of May and ending on the 23rd of May, this will showcase the work from the students at St Mary's.
  
  This will be followed by a visit from The Caravan Gallery and their fabulous Wirral Pride of Place Project. The Liverpool Pride of Place Project will be at The Lyceum in Bold Street, Liverpool from 17th May to 16th June. 
  
  Artists,  Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale need your help to make sure the Wirral version is equally spectacular! All welcome to get involved.

• Launch event: 8th June, 6 - 8 / Closing celebration: 23rd June Over a fortnight during Look 13, Liverpool's International Photography Festival, The Caravan Gallery will be transforming an empty unit in New Brighton's Marine Point into a temporary exhibition hub cum alternative visitor information centre. With the help of residents and visitors alike they will be creating a warts and all celebration of Wirral in words, pictures, objects and performance. Chris and Jan will set the scene with a selection of their own images of the peninsular in order to get people talking, looking and thinking. The exhibition will grow daily as visitors add their observations and contributions to The People's Map and The People's Wall. The Wirral Pride of Place Project will give local people of all ages a great opportunity to get creative and showcase their talents - photos,videos,drawings, paintings, sculptures, home-made souvenirs, postcards and more all welcome as long as they have a Wirral theme. The Caravan Gallery website  Facebook: The Caravan Gallery Twitter: @caravangallery The Caravan Gallery will be parked outside at intervals during the exhibition. Unit 7 (Momentary Art Project C.I.C. space), Marine Point, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 2HZ  NB: With thanks as ever to Neptune for the use of the empty unit.

Love New Brighton: the votes are in....

Yesterday, representatives of some of the surrounding businesses to our unit in Marine Point came to judge the artwork submitted for our latest exhibition. We wish to thank both the judges and all the entrants for their time.

30 pieces have been selected for the exhibition which we hope will be launched on Friday. Please watch here for updates on what we have got in store for you.



STOP PRESS
***********
Singing her jazz and blues will be local songstress Lilli Moore, delivering the words of wisdom and woe will be Clare Kirwan - poet of these parts and we are waiting to hear from one more star turn...all in The Light Cinema's comfy foyer.

We also heard from Brooklyn's restaurant that we will have a 20% discount for all joining us for our meal (drinks not included). So RSVP.

Further along the beach....The Black Pearl

We are delighted to have a post from a new community partner of the Momentary Art Project, Frank Lund who along with Major C. Mace has been creating a very special and unique addition to New Brighton.

"The driftwood pirate ship on the rocks by Dalmorton Road slipway is the latest construction in an ongoing community art project. The ship has been built by myself and my friend and neighbour Major C. Mace, with direct contributions from many individuals and with the support of the wider community. I started the “Art on the Beach” project in July 2012 and both local and visitor communities have warmly supported my work from the first day. 

Much of my time on the beach is spent talking to people, hearing their stories, seeking their feedback and ideas and explaining what I’m doing, why and how the project might develop. Many people have given their time to encourage me, to comment and to get mentally and physically involved. I have had opportunities to work with the children of many families visiting the beach and I hope that they will take away something from these experiences – I certainly learn from them and from their wonderful imaginative powers.

Over the months the community has become progressively more involved and pro-active in the project. There is growing contribution, collaboration and independent construction taking place across all age groups. The Christmas Nativity was very successful especially in the increased intervention by local people. This was a turning point in the kind of constructions used and this change strongly influenced the ideas for the pirate ship. The response from the community to the pirate ship has been immense and I think it is fair to say that there is a real love for this work and a feeling of community ownership.

All beach constructions are temporary and will be destroyed by the tide, by storms or by people. New Brighton’s Black Pearl will certainly meet such an end and in so doing will provide a blank canvas for the next project. It may be that I will not produce anything else as successful and well-loved in the future, but provided the project continues to run then someone else may come along who will." 

Frank Lund: February 2013

Carl's Angels

A lovely message of support from Carl Leckey MBE who had the idea for MAP

The MAP team working on the installation 

"As Doctor Martin Luther King said. "I had a dream that one day? Well, I had the dream and it became true when Danny from the Marine Point organisation agreed to my request for the use of an unoccupied unit in the new development. The dream could have become a nightmare as I didn't have a clue how to organise what I envisaged. But rescue was at hand in the guise of some wonderful artists and enthusiasts. With their expertise and and excellent planning combined with damned hard work the Momentary Art Project was born. The initial part of the project phase one consisting of a colourful window display is to be unveiled on Friday 14th December 1700hrs until 1800hrs in the unit between the Hungry Horse and Travel Lodge. Phase two will be unveiled in the New Year consiting of? Welll that is a big secret but be sure it will blow your socks off. Welcome one and all and thanks to the many participants that are making the exciting project possible.
Carl Leckey MBE. CF. FRSA."

Our Walls

Walls created by John Earp with help.

Latest shots of John Earp's wall

 Friends of M.A.P (Momentary Art Project) New Brighton) · Taken at Marine Point · 

Made from boards donated by contractors at the Lido, paint from Neptune, wood from the Biennial courtsey of the Open Eye Gallery] and :the Bluecoat and help from Carol Ramsay and Wendy Williams

Eimear's fish

"here she is, Delores made from a rubber glove, stuffed and dressed with found fabrics, painted with left over gloss paint and refusing to dry! not quite complete, need to give her some lips but cannot proceed nor transport her till she decides to dry ;)"