Tuesday 30 November 2010

Perrr-fect News!!

Alice Stewart was delighted to tell us that she and other NEOS artists had been approached to design & decorate one of the 15 Kelly's Cats in this years fund raising for the The Diced Cap Charitable Trust. Kelly’s Cats are iconic to Aberdonians and are the leopards that adorn Union Bridge.

The Diced Cap Charitable Trust was founded in 1990 and is a Registered Scottish Charity unique in the UK, being run voluntarily by Police officers, support staff from Grampian Police along with a number of retired officers and associates. Although associated with Grampian Police the charity exists as a separate entity.

The aim is to improve the health and well being of any deserving persons, resident in or connected with the Grampian Police force area. Although it is a comparatively small charity DCCT has raised and donated a considerable amount of money and this year, their 20th year, they hope to hit the £1,000,000 mark.
Acting as an effective catalyst in attracting other sponsors / monies to the many individuals, charities and organisations that Diced Cap supports.

DCCT Aim is to:
• Create immediate impact locally.
• Bond communities.
• Help those abandoned by other agencies.
• Reduce social exclusion.
• Empower rather than enforce.
• Encourage & recognise good citizenship.

As this is a special year for the trust, they are trying new initiatives to raise money, so the completed Kelly's cats were auctioned off at their Winter Ball at the Marcliffe, Pitfodels on Saturday 13 November, with money donated to local causes.

Looking For Artists to Paint Portraits

I am an artist based in Glasgow and have been commissioned through Aberdeen City Council to undertake a public art project in the East Green area of the city.

I have a designated area to work in (around the indoor market, historic area between Union Street & railway station - including Hadden St, Carmelite St etc). My project is part of a wider evaluation into how people can participate in art and what role that could play in the regeneration of an area. I am responding to the designated project area and the community in and around it and through this experience I am going to make an art work to be finished by late February. What I want to do is find people to collaborate, to be part of making something and in the process they themselves become part of.

I work in various ways, with photography, video and music so I see the finished outcome perhaps being an event which will take place, perhaps with a musical performance (not quite sure yet). But I see the portrait idea as the starting point of what ever the work becomes. It will be a fundamental part of the overall work, which is going to depend on who I meet and work with along the way. I am interested in stories and finding ways to share these and document people's everyday lives.

By finding willing artists, not only will we then be able to work as a group to engage with the community around us but we can also get to know each other and share our own ideas/ stories.

The portraits themselves may be used to make a series of postcards or posters as part the project. I like the idea of different people being interpreted by different artists, building up a picture of people in the community, not only those whose image is used but the marks made by the person who has created that image.

If you are interested, please email Amy Marletta at amymarletta@hotmail.com