Dear Members,

You will notice, from the AGM nomination form and election details, a change from our old NCAS ‘Lichtenstein’ logo to a new typographic logo, created in competition by designer Nigel Orme. The main font, for aficionados, is Eurostile, designed by Aldo Novarese in 1962. Following this, the next change will be to our new website, now under construction and incorporating the new logo and colour palette. We anticipate it could be up and running by the time of the next newsletter and we hope it will form a new, and more effective vehicle for communicating with our members.

The NCAS AGM
On the home page, you will find details for our Annual General Meeting in Burston, a great chance to see the famous strike school. We need new committee members, so if you know of any fellow members who would like to contribute to our lively committee, then please do get them to agree and nominate them! Or volunteer yourself! We look forward to seeing you there, at what is invariably an enjoyable occasion.

New NCAS administrator
I said last time that we were actively seeking a replacement for Alison Hall, who was sadly leaving us. We had a terrific response to our advert and had great difficulty in whittling the list down to a manageable shortlist, but we are now delighted that Eleanor Cherry has accepted the part-time job. Eleanor got a 1st class degree from NUCA in 2004 and has worked solidly in various art administration jobs since then, including with CAN and with four EASTinternational shows. We welcome her on board and look forward to her input into NCAS activity in the future.

Hubert Duprat at the Castle
Under no circumstances must you miss this great exhibition, a first in the UK for this major French artist, and curated spectacularly by our committee member Harriet Godwin. And I could also mention I will be giving a free lunchtime talk, relating to the show, in the Castle on 26th July at 12.30.

Bergh Apton Sculpture Trail
Apologies that the instructions about where to meet were not a little clearer, but different groups of us did at last meet up on 29th May, even if we weren’t all in the same place, and we had a glorious sunny day to wander round the trail! I personally found the work a little curates-egg-like, but the gardens were looking wonderful, the local arrangements and management was exemplary, and it was good to see such a large new contribution from NUCA students. My favourites this year were the beautifully crafted abstract sculptures of John Nicholson (who had really embraced the trail’s theme of The Journey), the varied and elegant works of Elizabeth Cooke, and the refined simplicity of Liz McGowan’s mysterious installation.

Elements Exhibition at the Forum
Opening on 11th July is the Elements: Material Worlds exhibition, which we are curating in partnership with The Forum Trust. This is a blockbuster of an exhibition, with work from right across the eastern region and selected from the 700 works submitted by a panel consisting of Amanda Geitner (Head of Collections and Exhibitions at SCVA), Lizzie Fisher (Curator of Exhibitions, Kettle’s Yard), Kaavous Clayton (Founding Chairman and advisory committee at OUTPOST) and Roger Ackling (Norfolk Artist).

Do try and find time to come to the free 'Meet the Artists' lunchtime sessions, which we have organised to go with the show. There will be four of the artists in each session and they will be held in the Curve at the Forum on Thursday 14th, Friday 15th and Saturday 16th July, from 12.30 to 1.30 pm.

Sculpture for Norwich: update
Sculpture for Norwich (SfN) has reached the next stage of their project to celebrate the Norwich School of Artists through public sculpture. SfN, you will remember, was set up as a new charity with joint funding from both ourselves and the Norwich Society.

A widely representative Selection Committee, working with FutureCity, the appointed cultural agency, have now selected four artists who will now develop proposals for the sculpture that is planned for St Martin-at-Palace Plain. The four artists are Bruce Gurnand, Kenny Hunter, Mariele Neudecker and Lucy Skaer, a fortuitous balance of young and experienced, of male and female, and of native East Anglian and international.

They have accepted the challenge with enthusiasm and they will be visiting Norwich in the coming weeks to talk with SfN and expert advisers, before they embark on the creative process leading to their submission of formal proposals in   late August. Future City evaluates the project as of national interest and significance, and after a September exhibition of the proposals in central Norwich, they would like to see it transfer to London. The winner will be chosen in the autumn and then the hard work of raising the major funds needed to create and install the sculpture will begin in earnest.

For more information on SfN see: www.sculpturefornorwich.co.uk

Future events
Do come to the Tom Freshwater talk on 25th August, which promises to be lively, and watch out for our Autumn programme, which will feature artist Cornelia Parker. And make a note of our famous biennial auction, which will return to City Hall on Friday 25th November with artworks and oddities galore!

Keith Roberts, NCAS Chair

The latest chairman’s newsletters, which are received by all members, are here for you to download:

January 2011

April 2011

June 2011