VAG Newsletter No. 1 October 2018

OCTOBER 2018 NO.1

Welcome to the first edition of the RPS Visual Art Group newsletter. We hope to be able to produce these on a regular basis, updating members on new programme events and sharing experiences and learning as we go forward.

As the new secretary of the RPS Visual Art Group I would like to take this opportunity to say hello to you all and hope that you are enjoying and learning from your experience as a member of the Group.

As you know the Visual Art Group’s activities encourage both traditional and contemporary interpretation of a wide variety of subject matter, from still-life, landscape and architecture, to portraiture and macro photography.

But did you know that we have roots going back to 1921 through our predecessor organisation, the Pictorial Group, and have nearly 1000 members (many overseas) which makes us the second largest of the RPS Special Interest Groups?

And did you know that we provide a varied annual programme of events, all organised by committed volunteers, including:Venice Black by Angela Ford ARPS

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Two residential weekends packed full of learning and opportunities to make friends and take photographs in some stunning locations. For example 2018 sees the group in Alnwick in Northumberland and Wareham in Dorset. The first residential weekend for 2019 will be in Windsor on the 5th – 8th April.

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Visual Art – a twice yearly high quality magazine focusing mainly on the work of members of the Group plus a monograph normally on a single outstanding photographer.

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An annual print exhibition shown at various locations around the UK including London and Edinburgh, for the duration of the Festival.

Portfolios - both print and digital, where images are exchanged with other members for comment and analysis.

Sub-groups in the South West and in Central England holding a varied programme of events, talks and members’ days.

A member’s only Facebook page.

However, the committee believe that the membership deserves more and that with your help and engagement we can deliver a more forward thinking, dynamic and innovative annual programme for 2019 and beyond.

Many of you will have read “A View from the Chair” in the latest Visual Art magazine encouraging membership participation and asking for your thoughts on how we can improve and move forward.

I would like to build on this message and say that we are very interested in getting to know and understand our members better, increasing membership participation and meeting those of you that have the time, skills, passion and the commitment to get a bit more involved.  

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Do you want a new challenge?

Have you already got skills and abilities in IT, design, publications, communications, marketing, organising, etc?

Do you want to learn new skills/acquire new knowledge?

Meet new friends and talk about photography with like-minded people?

Do you want to put something back, make a difference or simply feel valued as part of a team?

We can offer you a range of these opportunities if you are willing and able to engage with and get more involved with the

Visual Art Group. For example by helping out with any of the events that run throughout the year, or being part of the team planning the annual print exhibition. Would you be interested in helping to organise one-off lectures or a more extensive programme of workshops?

Do you think that with support you could establish a sub-group in one of the many parts of the country not currently covered?

Would you like to attend committee meetings as observers; or try it for a six monthly period or even better become part of the regular Visual Art Group Committee?

We want to be flexible in our approach and offer lots of different levels and types of participation but we need to hear from you, and find out what would work best for you and the Group.

In effect this means that you would become an RPS volunteer – one of over 400 that provide the backbone of the RPS and deliver on its programme of events.

All Special Interest Groups are run totally by volunteers, and without them the Visual Art Group would not exist.

So if you would like to get more involved then let us know. Even if you are not sure what you can offer but are interested and want to talk over possible options and ideas then contact us by phone or email as below. But be careful – it can get addictive.

I am hoping to meet and/or hear from many of you over coming months, swapping new ideas and images and helping the Visual Art Group to grow and deliver an exciting and innovative new programme for the coming years ahead.

If you are interested in any of the above please contact myself or any of the committee as listed below.

Janie Chapman Secretary: RPS Visual Art Group.

The 2019 Members’ Print Exhibition.

Dates: 16th February to 9th March Location: Croydon Museum Note the last day for receiving entry forms and prints is Saturday November 10th 2018.

This exhibition is available to Visual Art Group members only and is an opportunity for you to have your work displayed and viewed in gallery conditions.

An RPS Gold Medal will be awarded for the overall best print together with three certificates for Highly Commended prints and three for Commended prints. In addition each selector will make a personal choice for the award of a certificate.

All selected entries will be reproduced in Visual Art Magazine and on the RPS website.

Last year we had just over 400 prints entered with just over a hundred selected to be hung in the exhibition. We hope to accept and display at least one print from every entrant but this cannot always be guaranteed. Please note:  

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A maximum of four prints may be submitted per individual.

Entries must be submitted on paper no larger than A3 with sufficient space around the image to allow the exhibition team to mount and frame the image.

This allows all pictures to conform to the 40x50 cm standard and provide a consistency of approach.

A second showing is available 11th April – 22nd April at the Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington TW11 9NN and a smaller selection in Edinburgh during the festival weeks.

Entry forms and more details are available on our website.

In the event of any enquiry regarding the exhibition please contact Robert Charnock on 02085704116 or email at rjcharnock@hotmail.com

Annual Programme 2019.

Residential weekends.

Spring 2019 Dates: 5th to 8th April Location: Windsor Our scheduled speakers include Paul Colley ARPS, a wildlife photographer famed for his underwater work; Kevin Marston, formerly creative artist in residence at Loughborough University, and Joseph Ayerle, an experimental contemporary artist from Germany. We will also have the company of two workshop leaders, Nathan Barry with his dramatically lit landscapes and Rhiannon Adam who will guide her group in street portraits of strangers.

The booking will open towards the end of October. Details will be posted to the website and also emailed to you directly. Interest in these weekends is always keen, with the number of single occupancy rooms limited.

Remember the early bird...

Autumn 2019 is still in the planning process but you will be the first to hear the details.

In the event of any enquiry concerning the residential weekends please contact Andreas Klatt on 01608684848 or email at visualart@rps.org

Useful Contacts Chairman: Andreas Klatt ARPS 01608 684848 Email: visualart@rps.org Secretary: Janie Chapman LRPS 01327 342226 Email: visualartsec@rps.org Membership Secretary: Mark Deutsch 07736 480227 Email: mrkdeutsch@aol.com Web editor: Michael Butterworth LRPS 01295 710348 Email: visualartweb@rps.org Portfolios: Gill Dishart ARPS 01332 874841 Email: gill@dishart.plus.com

Web site address http://www.rps.org/special-interestgroups/visual-art

And finally a few thoughts to leave you with.

Do you know what visual art photography is?

Or how we are distinct from some of the other RPS Sub-Groups?

Do you know if you are in the right group or are producing visual art photography yourself?

I came across a couple of quotes recently that have helped me, as a relative newcomer to Visual Art to understand better what visual art photography is and what I should be aiming for – so I thought I would share them with you.

“Visual art photography is defined as showing evidence of a personal vision or style which should convey a sense of design, emotion, mood or some meaning which encourages the viewer to look beyond the subject.”

“Pictorial photography (the predecessor of the Visual Art Group) is primarily the expression of an idea. It may be some abstraction of pattern or play of light, or mood of nature but it is always the expression of an idea rather than a copy of a thing or record of an occurrence. “ I hope these prove helpful to some of you.

Portfolios.

If you are interested in joining we currently have 5 vacancies for new members in our email circles. Or if you’d rather join a print circle you would be top of the waiting list.

Your contact for more information is Gill Dishart as above.

They are not meant to be prescriptive or definitive. After all the Visual Art Group is also here to support photography and photographers of all genres.