Tag Archives: art

News

You are invited to relax and reflect over the busy festive period in ‘The Waiting Place’ at NOMA

Manchester city centre neighbourhood NOMA is welcoming people to find some quiet time amongst the noise of the festive period and visit ‘The Waiting Place’ installation.

Throughout December, ‘The Waiting Place’ offers a city centre haven and a moment to relax and reflect in the centre of a black pine tree glade of light and sound.

In line with NOMA’s commitment to being a community-led neighbourhood, it is inviting visitors to collaborate with the concept. People are invited to take a moment to ponder what they are waiting for over the Christmas period – whether that may be for the big day itself, the snow, the days to get longer or the New Year. These reflections of the city’s mood will grow throughout the month in an ever-changing public art piece.

As part of NOMA’s sustainable approach to development, no part of this installation is single use. The six pine trees are on loan from its on-site tree nursery that was born from the PlantNOMA initiative and will be returned in the New Year where they will continue to be nurtured before being planted in their permanent home in the public realm.

Curated by Standard Practice, ‘The Waiting Place’ will be open from 8th December through to the New Year.

To celebrate the idea of patience and mindfulness during the festive season, NOMA will also be hosting a free to attend ‘Slow Giving’ event across Sadler’s Yard and New Century on December 15th, 12-2pm and 4-7pm.

Visitors are invited to make and buy seasonal gifts that takes a little time, with a series of mindful festive makers workshops including gardening, print making, pottery, metal work and cookery. There will also be free treats to look forward to from NOMA residents New Century and Pot Kettle Black.

Dan Hyde, Development Director at real estate asset manager and developer MEPC, said: “Christmas can be overwhelming at times as people feel the pressure to get everything prepared and organised, with very little opportunity to reflect and relax. That’s why we’re offering people a moment to get away from the chaos and look back on 2022 or consider their hopes for the future.

“Being a community-led neighbourhood, NOMA is welcoming all members of the public to visit the installation, take a moment to catch their breath and collaborate with us as we look to grow this public art exhibition.”

Art, News

Digital artists’ earnings soar thanks to Trevor Jones

Artists promoted by innovative Scotland-based artist Trevor Jones have seen their earnings soar to a lot more than the typical annual salary in their home countries of Colombia and Cuba.

NurArt, from Cuba, and Colombian Saint MG are both enjoying rocketing financial success after featuring on Trevor’s Art Angels podcast.

A pioneer of non-fungible tokens in the art world, Trevor began the initiative in July to shine a light on emerging artists. Created in partnership with NFT Culture and SuperRare, each episode of Art Angels features a discussion with an emerging NFT artist and three NFT collectors. The artist creates an NFT and auctions the new work on exclusive crypto art marketplace SuperRare on the day they are featured, with the auction ending one hour after the end of their episode.

NurArt, 44, featured on the first episode of Art Angels and sold her first work Lucid Dream during the show for US$2,728 USD and another US$1,300 in sales of previously created work immediately after the episode.

She had been working in traditional art for more than 20 years before entering a relatively new version of the World Wide Web – Web 3, popular with artists, cryptocurrency enthusiasts, large technology companies and venture capital firms – and was spotted by Trevor Jones who saw the potential in her work, which focuses mostly on her inner world as she constructs a surrealistic firmament of symbolism expressed through human and animal figures. Full of ancient mysticism, her pieces feature recurring themes of feelings like loneliness, dreams, desires and love.

“Somehow I became visible for Trevor’s beautiful project Art Angels,” says NurArt. “It was a wonderful surprise. I felt that it would take me a long time to reach this market, because there are many artists in Web 3, which is like a gigantic sea, but Art Angels gave me the opportunity to enter through the wide door.

“It gave me, in that first space, the opportunity to make myself known on other levels and, of course, to sell my first work at a very good price and witness an incredible battle to get it.”

NurArt, who studied visual arts at the San Alejandro Academy in Havana, Cuba, now regards Trevor as a guide, mentor and friend.

Urban and classical hypebeast artist Saint MG, 28, featured on the third episode of Art Angels and saw his success soar as a result.

On the episode he discussed how he creates new variations of past masterpieces by mixing classical art and 21st century fashion and art. That piqued the interest of NFT enthusiasts and saw all the Columbian artist’s available pieces sell, with prices for his work shooting up following his appearance on Art Angels.

Saint MG, who trained in architecture and also conducted autonomous studies in history of art, created Art Dealer, which sold for 3.373 ETH (more than US$6000). Sales of his works on other platforms amounted to more than US$3000. And now, he can afford to make a living from his art.

“This space has given me, for the first time, the security that I can live from my art and do what I am most passionate about,” he says.
In his art, SaintMG reflects a renaissance and baroque that orbit in the dimensions of surrealism and science fiction with elements very typical of urban culture and the streets, the environment in which he grew up.

Trevor Jones is best known for his iconic Bitcoin Angel, based on his painting of Bernini’s baroque marble sculpture, The Ecstasy of St Teresa. A fine art graduate and traditional painter, he has worked at the intersection of art and technology for more than a decade. When he invested in Bitcoin in 2017 it inspired a new creative direction, leading to his crypto-themed AR paintings and his passion for NFTs in art.

He says: “Just over US$16,000 has been bought in primary and additional artist sales as a result of the Art Angels to date. And I’m delighted with the success of the space and to be able to help these fellow artists on the road to making a full-time living from their digital works.”

News

Talented artist has brush with business success after global arts final

A TALENTED artist had a brush with success in a global conservation competition.

Sonia Garner was among the finalists selected from 1,000 entries across 47 countries in the Explorers Against Extinction Sketch for Survival contest, raising awareness of catastrophic issues including habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade and climate change.

And now the mum-of-two, from Whitford near Holywell, is planning to open a studio, launch a new website and pursue a lifelong dream to turn her creative passion into a successful start-up.

Sonia has produced hundreds of pieces over the years, from acrylic and oil paintings to sculptures and soft pastel sketches.

With her strong social media following and the support of husband Mark and children Josephine and Kacie-Jane, she is ready to make the leap full-time.

Business Wales has been on hand with expert guidance and advice, and now – with the Sketch for Survival result giving her a boost in confidence – Sonia plans to turn her vision into reality.

“I have always painted and had a natural talent for it, but it’s only ever been something I did in the background,” said Sonia.

“I was very shy growing up and this was the only real way I could express myself, so it’s something that means a lot to me. I also absolutely love animals and wanted to be a vet when I was younger, so I guess painting them is the next best thing!

“To be chosen among the finalists by Explorers Against Extinction has given me extra belief that I can and should be doing what I love and taking it to the next level, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

The family business saw Sonia travel all over the UK and attend different schools – from Swinton to Doncaster – before settling in North Wales.

She worked in manufacturing and administration and has continued to sketch and paint in the background, but with a blank canvas and renewed belief the next step is to blend passion with commerce.

“I had wanted to be an art teacher when I did my degree, but that never came to be; it dawned upon me after years of working in administrative roles and being a mum to young children that I was going to have regrets if I didn’t do something about it,” said Sonia, a former Fine Art student at Liverpool John Moore’s University.

“I did put the brushes down for a while but in the past few years I’ve been prolific, it’s been non-stop, and not just animals as I’ve painted landscapes, seascapes, portraits and more.

“I can cover most subjects, but I do have a huge passion for wildlife and conservation, especially animals under threat of extinction, which is why I entered the competition with the portrait of a wild dog.

“That will now be auctioned off for the charity, so as well as the honour of being shortlisted the piece will help the organisation.”

Sonia is looking to give back to her community and feature in regional exhibitions, before opening a studio and meeting demand for her incredible artwork.

“I’m just going to go for it,” she said.

“Turning this into a business is a difficult thing to do because creative people tend not to be commercial, but I am very determined to make a sustainable success of this.

“It’s terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure but I’m excited to see where my art takes me.”

For more information, visit the website www.soniagarnerfineart.com and follow Sonia on social media at @soniagarnerartist.

For more on the friendly and accessible services available at Business Wales, including one-to-one support and mentoring, call 01745 585025 or visit www.businesswales.gov.wales/