16/12/2016
Please read and share
IN PUBLIC ... Artists Studios, which has been operating at 116 Osborne Street, Glasgow will CLOSE on Saturday 17th December, 2016 at 6pm.
Unfortunately, THATS IT ... it WILL NOT open again at this location.
IN PUBLIC, was and is a non profit making art studio/gallery charity, situated in the middle of Glasgow city centre.
ALEXANDER GUY (Sandy) set up a large city centre, art studio/ gallery in 2011, offering people from all backgrounds the opportunity to develop their art skills, to learn, share and showcase their talents. He wanted to provide high quality, low cost, art coaching and encouragement that was accessible to all.
The aim was to provide opportunities for talented people who may not normally have had the chance to make and exhibit their work in a public gallery, alongside a variety of others including, professionals, beginners, students, recent graduates, homeless people, people in addiction recovery, children, amateurs and bedroom artists.
Sandys idea was to have a totally, non elitist, non exclusive, artist studio, promoting accessibility, social inclusion, equality and integration for the use and enjoyment of everyone and a place for people to come where otherwise they felt unwelcome in Glasgow, a place to come and feel welcomed.
SANDY MADE THIS IDEA HAPPEN!
He worked really hard for five years, giving people his knowledge in painting, his coaching and his encouragement, to people who may never have had this opportunity. He gained no financial reward as this was a low cost service to make it even more accessible to everyone.
Sandy made this happen because of his belief that art shouldn't necessarily be the domain or right of the financially advantaged and that it should be made available to all.
His work, his teaching delivers a high quality, deluxe product to a wider audience, this has always been a major driving force and motivation in Sandys career.
This is and was Sandy Guys philosophy for IN PUBLIC.
IN PUBLIC is completely democratic, based on a principle of socialism and the fact that capitalism will, and is imploding. IN PUBLIC is not about power, it's about equal rights and opportunities, EMPOWERMENT FOR EVERYONE. Unfortunately it needed people to support this idea and understand what it was. It became financially untenable for IN PUBLIC to continue due to rent and lack of public support.
I have observed and been part of the story of IN PUBLIC for four years. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from Sandy in my practice, but I have also watched the happiness, sadness, satisfaction, frustration that everyone who passed through the doors of IN PUBLIC had. This was all part of the dynamic and the experience of being there.
IN PUBLIC may seem to some as being 20 years behind the times, or could be seen as being 20 years ahead of its time. The facts are it is both.
Sandy and I will find new premises and IN PUBLIC will continue, Sandy has worked hard to make this work and I have tried to support him as much as I could.
THIS STORY IS NOT OVER ... It just needs understanding, support, input and energy from people who are genuinely tired of the way society is declining and for people to take the chance and the challenge to be proactive, meaningful and positive, to actually do something rather than talk about it or just liking things on social media etc ...
MERRY CHRISTMAS
From
Sandy and Caroline x
