Plans are underway for this year’s Urban Art event which raises money for both JAG and local charity partners. Find below a copy of the leaflet sent to properties with railings earlier this month. If you do not wish artists to hang work on your railings, or wish to use them yourself and have not contacted us, please let us know by the end of this month.
It is also worth pointing out that the fewer the railings we can use means the more expensive it becomes for the other artists. If the event becomes unaffordable for the artists we do not have an event, and JAG will lose its only fund raiser.
Dear Resident
The street’s thirteenth annual fund raising event ‘Urban Art’ will take place Saturday and Sunday, 12th and 13th July, 2014 (this is the weekend before the Lambeth Country Show). For those new to the Avenue here is a quick summary of what the art fair does and who it benefits:
Urban Art was started by residents in 2002 as a one day street event providing:
• fund raising opportunities for local causes
• affordable exhibition space to local artists
• a positive event for the local community
The art fair has proved popular, and with the help of charity partners it now runs the whole weekend and includes food stalls and street art section. The artists pay a pitch fee to the organisers (openartsproject.com, a non-profit social enterprise formed by local residents in 2012) plus 10% commission on work sold which is then given to the charity partners; last year the event raised over £1,000 each for the Josephine Avenue Group, Jubilee Primary School, Holy Trinity School and Southside Rehabilitation.
The artists will be using the pavement side of the railings to hang their work and for the event to be a success we need your cooperation:
A) Will you be using your railings to hang your own work that weekend?
B) Are you unwilling for your railings to be used for Urban Art 2014?
If the answer is ‘yes’ to either of the above questions please let us know by either writing to Open Arts Project at 1 Helix Gardens SW2 2JH, phone 020 8674 1777, or email tim@urbanart.co.uk. If we do not hear from you by 31st January 2014 we will assume that you are willing for your railings to be used.
All three previous charity partners have asked to be involved in next year’s event, but if you have any alternative suggestions please let us know (please bear in mind that you will probably need to become involved yourself and the charity partner must pledge volunteers for the event weekend).
We thank you for your cooperation in the past and look forward to another year’s successful fund raising and a street full of wonderful art next Summer.Tim Sutton
(Event Organiser)