THE CURATOR’S VIEW
9th January – Extended show
There is a growing sense of anticipation as we approach the opening of our New Year Graduate Show. The anticipation is enhanced by the delivery of the exhibitor’s work. For us, this has been a unique event to curate as we have been obliged to make our selection on-line rather than seeing the work first-hand at live graduate shows. We know that there is no substitute for being able to handle the work and meet the maker. Nevertheless, we are delighted that our virtual choice has now manifest in a stimulating and diverse range of exhibits, that we hope will also impact on our visitors to the show.
There are thirteen exhibitors this year working in different clays and making processes. As we have found each year, the show demonstrates that craft and creativity remain an important element in our society and it never ceases to amaze that new approaches to design and making continue to emerge.
This has always proved to be one of the popular events of the year for Bevere Gallery. We are hoping that the current ‘Covid situation’ will allow us to open to the public at some point and we have made the decision to extend the show, allowing our customers to visit when we are able to reopen according to Government guidelines and enjoy the fine work of emerging ceramics talent. Until then do look at the exhibitors on the Gallery website.
Stuart Dickens and Clare Macfarlane
Curators
Graduate Show 2021
ANNUAL GRADUATE SHOW 2021
This year’s show was due to run from 9 January to 3 February,
it will now run online and then in the gallery for three weeks after lockdown has been lifted, dates TBC
The Annual Graduate Show has become an established feature of the Gallery’s programme of events. It is not only a major attraction for our visitors, but also makes a significant contribution to the role which we believe the Gallery has sustained over the years.
Firstly, we are encouraging new ceramic talent by introducing many of them into the commercial gallery environment. Secondly, we ourselves benefit from the opportunity to expand our range of makers with new and often quite original ceramic voices – indeed, Graduates have continued to be shown at Bevere after their initial exhibition here. Thirdly, the Graduate Show has been an indicator of the direction that ceramics may be taking whether it be casting or computer printing which have underpinned recent trends.
There have been significant changes in ceramic education – colleges have closed, applied arts rather than ceramics is the framework for many courses – nevertheless we continue to see that human creativity will never be stifled and we will continue to gain immense pleasure from the output. Long may it continue.
