STATE OF THE ART

112th Annual Paintings Exhibition, Bristol 1904 Arts, until 7 May

The Bristol 1904 Arts plays a major role in the cultural life of Bristol. It’s a centre for painting, music, magic, poetry, storytelling and fellowship. There are also active birdwatching, walking, photography, classic car and chorus groups. Meetings are on Wednesday evenings in their hall attached to the Red Lodge in Park Row Bristol where their major artistic event, the 112th Annual Paintings Exhibition, will be running from 29 April –7 May, open to the public every day from 10.30am to 4.30pm. Paintings by the society’s team of talented artists will be on sale.

• bristol1904arts.org; Red Lodge, Park Row, BS1 5LJ

Image: Early Morning on the Canal © David Royle 2023

In this solo exhibition, Rick Grimster explores his relationship to the country of his birth. A war baby, born in London in 1945 to a Mvskoke father and an English mother, his life is but one of the numerous unique stories that make up the Indigenous diaspora. Whilst Grimster’s abstracted landscapes fit firmly into the school of mid-century British modernism, they are elevated by an instinctive, unbridled joy of colour and love of nature aligned with his Native American heritage. Where we land on this earth is dictated by forces beyond our control –migration, colonialism and in this case World War II. How we make sense of our individual journeys is up to us. Rick Grimster has found peace and belonging through his lifelong love of painting and an unbreakable connection to land, wherever he may be.

• rainmakerart.co.uk; 140 Whiteladies Road, BS8 2RS

Image below by Rick Grimster

BS5 Art Trail, across the BS5 community, 20 –21 May

Celebrating creativity across the BS5 community, the popular BS5 Art Trail is back for its third year on the weekend of 20 – 21 May. With registrations now open for artists and venues, The Chocolate Factory visitor centre in Greenbank has confirmed it will once again be hosting.

Lime Tree Gallery is broadening its horizons with work from two artists new to the galleries. French abstract painter, Alain du Pontavice, brings beautiful, subtle colours and textures, while Swedish artist Carina Prigmore, now resident in Scotland, paints lovely moody landscapes, often of the majestic Cairngorms. A different kind of horizon has inspired West Cork-based Ian Humphreys for much of his career. The dramatic coast and islands of his locale form the background to his increasingly abstract work, which is almost obsessed with the horizontal.

• limetreegallery.com;

Image: Evening on the River by Carina Prigmore

Each year the organisers aim for the event to be bigger and better with homes, gardens, artist studios and group venues in BS5 showcasing wares and open for exploration. So far over 100 people have signed up to participate in the event, making it more popular than ever before.

The inaugural BS5 Art Trail took place in September 2021 and saw over 80 artists and makers exhibit at venues across the neighbourhood.

Once the list of locations and participants is finalised the map of the event will be produced and available online and from local venues.

• Details about registering for the event can be found online at: bs5arttrail.co.uk or by following the BS5 Art Trail on social media @BS5ArtTrail and on Twitter at @ArtTrailBS5