Visual Arts

Designed and delivered by our Artist in Residence, Anne Culverhouse Evans, Valleys Kids’ Visual Arts Programme encompasses art classes, residentials and summer schools, international exchanges and collaborative projects with national and international arts institutions such as Artes Mundi, Art & the Environment and the Royal Academy.

Overview

The Art in the Attic Robert Maskrey gallery, curated by the Artist in Residence, is an accessible exhibition space at The Factory, Porth, and a platform for local, national and international artists to share their work with the wider community, with exhibitions taking place each month. Valleys Kids’ Artist in Residence has developed strong proactive partnerships with prestigious Arts organisations across the UK and internationally including Artes Mundi and Tate Exchange.

Our visual arts programme runs across Valleys Kids. Our art classes for older adults run in Penyrenglyn, Penygraig and Porth. These are fun groups which don’t just focus on art, they also act as a social setting for older and vulnerable adults who could otherwise be quite isolated.

During the covid-19 lockdown, the participants of the art classes were loaned iPads so they could continue to attend art classes virtually. This meant that the group still had contact with the outside world at least once a week.

The Art in the Attic gallery has a fully packed schedule of exhibitions, ranging from Valleys Kids groups to local and national artists.

Recently we have partnered with ACE Arts, to work collaboratively on a project called Explore Collective. It is a two-year project funded by Arts Council Wales ‘Connect & Flourish’ fund, bringing together a range of creative organisations. The aims of the project are to share artistic techniques and processes and to learn new creative skills, along with offering trips and showcasing exhibitions that will help participants to connect and share artwork and achievements with a wider audience.