This time tomorrow....

We will be at the opening event of Beth Ableson's exhibition of paintings she has created during her residency at Zion Community Art Space in Bedminster Down.

The event starts at 6pm and will go on until 9pm. There is free food and cheap drinks thanks to the lovely Jess at Zion. There will also be the chance to meet Beth and chat about her work and the residency.

I'm personally really looking forward to seeing the work Beth has been making. Over the month I've taken a backseat to the residency, so Beth has been totally in control of how she has worked, when and for how long. The intense short time frame of 3 weeks (as she didn't have this week because of hanging the work) is a challenge for anyone to create two new oil paintings. Yet Beth has used the time to focus on an idea that she has been wanting to explore for some time now. This has resulted in two new really exciting pieces that make up the series called 'The Last Holiday'.

I do hope you'll all be able to join us tomorrow night to celebrate all of Beth's hard work and to see the unveiling of the new paintings - of which you get a sneak preview of one in this blog.

For those that don't know where Zion Community Art Space is, type BS13 7JW no.65, Bishopsworth Road into your sat nav and you'll be delivered right to the front door.

Hope to see you all tomorrow,

Emily

Context Arts Project Co-ordinator

Opening Event

This month has absolutely flown by and we can't quite believe that this week is the last of Beth Ableson's residency at Zion.

During the week Beth will be hanging the work that she has made during the residency in preparation for the exhibition over this coming weekend.

We'd like to invite you all to the opening event of Beth's exhibition this Thursday (the 25th October) evening from 6pm at Zion Community Art Space in Bedminster Down. You'll not only see the work that she's been making, but you'll get the chance to meet her and talk about her experience during the residency and the pieces she's made, chill out in the beautiful space at Zion and enjoy some yummy food and drink.

The exhibition will remain open on Friday 26th and Saturday 27th from 10am until 4pm. It's family friendly, free and open to all.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Emily
Context Arts Co-ordinator

The Last Holiday: an insight into Beth Ableson's work

We now find ourselves in the third week of the residency at Zion, so we've asked Beth to share with you a bit more about the work she is creating and ill be exhibiting at the end of the month.


"The space at Zion is an unusual and unique place to base my practice and I have found it an inspiring place to work.

The work I am currently working on is entitled 'The Last Holiday' it is based around my deceased Grandparents. 

My Grandad died thirteen years ago so when my Nan died just over a year and a half ago the house they had lived in my whole life had to be cleared of all their personal possession's. Whilst going through the emotional journey of sorting through my Grandparent's belonging's, that represented a life built together, I came across a photo album my Grandad had created of their last holiday together. Ever since finding this photo album I have felt compelled to create something with it. 

This piece of work 'The Last Holiday' will consist of Two paintings, one of my Grandad and the other my Nan and along side the paintings will be a selection of the holiday snaps my Grandad took on that last holiday.

I will also be exhibiting a selection of other works but it is 'The Last Holiday' that has been created solely at Zion."

Beth Ableson, resident artist.

 

'The Last Holiday', along with Beth's other pieces will be exhibited at Zion from Thursday 25th October until Sunday 28th. There will be an opening event taken place on Thursday 25th from 6pm, which all are invited to come to, meet Beth, see her work before anyone else, and enjoy the food, drink and entertainment put on. 

Zion Community Art Space - the venue for our residency

The venue for our residency is Zion, a beautiful old church building which has been turned into a community art space based in the Bedminster Down area of Bristol. The last service at the Zion Methodist Church was held in August 2008, once a focus for the local community this beautiful chapel was left derelict, once the dwindling congregation could no longer sustain its use. By renovating the space it has regained its position as a focal point within and for the local community.

In 2010 Jess Wright, Director of Zion, came across the building for sale, whilst hunting for a unique property that could house the various community projects that she had worked on over the years. Once Jess had been inside the decision was made and the long drawn out battle for planning and funding began!

Completion of the building was finalized in April 2011 and work began to restore the building as a centre for this community once again and provide Bedminster Down with a creative space for all to use.

The space itself is an inspiring place that facilitates ideas, creations, get-togethers and a place for conversation within the community. It's an open plan area, which makes it ideal for the residency as our artist, Beth Ableson, has her studio based amongst the cafe, shop, gallery, hot desks and seating area.

The space is open throughout the day, which is why we felt it paramount to ensure that the residency studio was open for all to access when Beth is present. This will hopefully allow us to provide an insight into how an artist works, and the process of painting and preparation that takes place before the final piece is revealed.

It's great to be able to base the residency at Zion within the Bedminster Down community, in such a venue that is without doubt welcoming and vibrant. 

To find out more about Zion please visit their website www.zionbristol.co.uk/ 

Introducing you to Beth Ableson, our 2012 Artist in Residence

Zion Arts Space is one year old and situated in Bedminster Down in the city of Bristol - for those that don't know this is outside of the city on the way to the airport.

Context was invited by Jess, Zion's Director, to use their exhibition space during October 2012. During the same conversation we asked Jess how the opening of an arts space has engaged and created conversation within the local community. As the space is still relatively young the relationships between the space and the community have begun, however there is still work to be down in encouraging the use of the space by the community as a welcoming cultural space with the community at the heart of it.

So, what better way could we propose to use the space than to run an Artist in residency programme during the month that encourages the community to have access to a contemporary artist as they work and create art within the community that will later be exhibited for all to see.

We were keen to engage with a Bristol based artist to develop their relationships with the cities communities and also their relationship with the new space. Beth Ableson has been a practicing artist for the last 10 years, having based her work in Bath, Somerset and only recently moving to Bristol.

"'My work investigates the curious notions of my own placement, presence and physicality in relation to the people and environment that surround me. My work creates a self portrait through the faces of those close to me and the landscapes that are of personal significance.

My current work focuses on the curiosities of death and what it
means to those still living. How we hold on to a face in both our minds and through photograph's it order to preserve what is gone forever.

My paintings are as much about the physicality and presence of the paint as they are about the subject within them. Each stroke is as important as the next and mark my journey around the canvas."
Beth Ableson

Beth will be using the space at Zion to develop new work, discuss the process of doing so with those that visit and hold her very first exhibition in the City.

We will be using this blog to keep you updated with news and activity throughout the residency, including images of Beth's work as it develops and information about the exhibition at the end of the month.