PAD relaunch

The 1^st of August saw the opening of the ‘Our Preston...Our City’ exhibition at PAD gallery in its new location on Market Street in Preston.

I wasn’t participating in the exhibition on this occasion but as a resident artist, and knowing Preston well, my interest was piqued. As we came to the gallery it was obvious that there was a good turn out as people were spilling out onto the pavement enjoying the refreshments and a good smoke in the warm evening air. We managed to make our way inside but the throng of people was so strong it was hard to view the artworks properly; we either had our noses pressed so close we couldn’t see or there were clusters of people obscuring our line of sight.

Thankfully as time wore on and the crowds dispersed we were able to wander round freely and examine the exhibits to our hearts content; and what a collection there was! There was a stunning variety of art and a wide range of disciplines and approaches. One piece in particular has stayed with me and I’m kicking myself that I don’t remember the name of the artist...I’ll have to make a point to find out and I’ll post it here...but it was a small, almost overlooked picture, with a large black mount and dominating black frame; but when you came in close you realised the black and white image was the view from a surveillance camera in the centre of town. I loved how you had to get in close to see this one properly; almost like you were spying on the scene yourself.

Alongside the exhibition were the offerings from the resident artists. I found myself drawn to many items and creating a mental wish list I WILL be sharing with my husband; an adorable charcoal leather clutch, ceramic sculptures resembling poppy seed heads, abstract bowls with rivulets of blue glass...oh I could go on!

In all it was a grand success (I saw many a red dot denoting a sale) and a great opportunity to get to know some other local artists and collectors.