We Face Forward - Setting Up!

Today I went to the Whitworth Art Gallery in the hope of walking around and getting some ideas for my art work.  I hoped to find new techniques and use of colour.  Instead I found that much of the gallery was shut.  I had to be escorted to the upper level of the gallery by a worker because the We Face Forward wad being set up by the artists. I was told by my escort that they had started setting up two weeks ago and still were not ready.

There was a calm, laid back feeling in the rooms but there was still a slight hint of panic.  Workers and staff were rushing about to get everything done on time but the artists were working in a very calm and collected way.   With two days left would they have it all done in time?

When I finally reached the open section of the gallery there were about fifteen paintings and collage style drawings.  I saw some amazing watercolours that really inspired me to go and do some more watercolour painting when I got home because they were so well done and detailed I wanted to improve so that I could paint as well as the artists of these water colours.

We Face Forward information -
We Face Forward starts on the 2nd June and finishes on the 16th September 2011.
We face Forward is an event that will celebrate the links between Manchester and West Africa as part of the London 2012 cultural festival.  It will take place in the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery,  Gallery of Costume, the Manchester Museum and the National Football Museum.  The Whitworth Art Gallery will be host to art and photography.  The Manchester Art Gallery will hopefully give you a feeling of connection between West Africa. The Gallery of Costume will show West African robes and clothes.  The Manchester Museum will show a play of Anansi the spider and historical artifacts, for example, a coffin in the shape of a  cocoa pod.  Finally the National Football Museum will be showing how football can give artists a way to explore the social and political conflict in Africa.
More information can be found on the exhibition site - http://www.wefaceforward.org