Lincolnshire Digital Conference 2015

The Showroom went a bit mental in Maplin!

Due to the current collaboration with Onlincolnshire, we were invited to the Lincolnshire Digital Conference 2015, at The Showroom, Lincoln.

Mike Poole explains 3D printing technology at Lincolnshire Technology Hubs

Jason Bradbury introduces himself via gadgets

Jason presents his talk on a "hoverboard"

Jason's first hoverboard made in Lincoln

DeLorean

Jason is currently building a DeLorean for the anniversary of Back To The Future coming up in October this year. We predict that Lincolnshire County Council will increase parking charges for time machines, and that he should build a 1985 parking meter and park on 1980s rates!

Using Minecraft to illustrate quotes and statistics

LAN/Onlincolnshire workshops

More information and booking form on The Collection website here

LAN / Onlincolnshire workshops

Previous workshops were rescheduled due to illness, and are updated as follows:

We still have spaces available for 1 or 2 more artists, please get in touch if interested!

LAN / Onlincolnshire workshops - Open Call

Magna Carta

The Magna Carta has always been an important part of our identity as artists living and working in the city of Lincoln, and the LAN has always had it’s own Artist’s Charter, which forms the basis of the group.

At the end of 2014, a proposal was created and submitted to The Collection for their Courtyard Gallery space, for Lincoln-based artists to create and exhibit work in response to The Magna Carta. There was much interest in this from artists wishing to get involved.

However, we were disappointed to receive yet another rejection email from The Collection, not enabling us to do this.

Advice often given – often those that think fine art is important say that “you can do anything as an artist” (as opposed to illustration, where apparently you can’t, for some unknown reason).

However, we’re not able to create and exhibit work in The Collection during the upcoming Magna Carta celebrations, because they said no.

Let’s have a look at the Magna Carta and the rights and freedoms it expresses.

For instance, a current campaign is ongoing to Save Lincs Libraries.

When our Alice in Disneyland exhibition couldn’t be exhibited at the Odeon cinema, we found Lincoln Central Library an appropriate venue in which to exhibit.

Here at the LAN, having examined Borges, and spent a lot of time in Great Central Library writing dissertations, we rather like them.

Lincoln Cathedral has one of the best libraries in the country, the Wren Library – some of the medieval illuminated manuscripts look as if they were written and illustrated yesterday, and there are some fascinating insights into the goings on of a certain Robyn Hode.

So it’s sad that plans are afoot to close many library services in Lincolnshire. And in relation to this, is this article about the significance of libraries and the Magna Carta:

http://www.labour-rose.co.uk/archives/804

So, not only are libraries under threat of closure, they’re also denying local graduates an opportunity to create contemporary fine art in response to the Magna Carta itself. So much for democracy.

Happy New Year 2015!

2014 has been a quiet year for the LAN, taking a step back to stop and draw to a close opportunities that didn't quite work out the way we'd have liked.

It's been a year to take some time out to concentrate on personal issues, then to start again to renew Lincoln Artists' Network.

Most of the time spent not applying for "opportunities" that won't benefit the LAN, and challenging them.

We're still seeking funding - this is a huge bugbear for the LAN.

We are constantly told to apply to Arts Council for funding, and artists really need to get together with us in order for this to be successful. Strength in numbers.

a-n's #payingartists campaign takes a lot of the groundwork out of campaigning for better artists' rights, although we're still not sure why it is that, 5 years on, it's so hard to generate an income for artists.

We applied to The Collection for a Courtyard Gallery exhibition, which wasn't successful. We were told this was because there are already lots of Magna Carta themed events next year. We would like to have been involved, for Lincoln-based artists to get together to create and showcase work, but we need to expand from "grass roots" level now.

Exciting things have been happening behind the scenes at the LAN towards the end of 2014, looking forward to new beginnings and new opportunities.

We're in the process of developing workshops, with a potential fundraising event coming up in May, and plenty of ideas to work towards.

We'd like to thank all those that have been getting involved, and the support from businesses and the University of Lincoln.

Lincs Chamber of Commerce Building A Better Business #GoingForGrowth

The LAN requires two things at the moment. One is a regular source of income for artists involved, and to realise projects, or one-off grants / funding to initiate individual projects, and new space of our own in which artists can use to create new experimental work, events, projects and exhibitions, so for this purpose, we went to the free Lincs Chamber Of Commerce Going For Growth event to see what support there was available. 

We seemed to be successful in updating available grants, but whether we are eligible for the criteria, apply and are successful will take time and resources that will be wasted if not.

L: Charley Sowden Shooting Star PR

Charley Sowden of Shooting Star PR made outrageously negative football-related gender associations #everydaysexism but otherwise was informative and knowledgeable despite experiencing challenging presentation issues.

Ross Ryan from Pera Consulting - Growth Accelerator and Andy Clayton of Ruddocks

Streets Accountants declared that we were all capitalists. We thought that capitalism was over in 2008.
And some thought that illustrating their point could be done without the use of any actual illustrations, so this was why we actually DID illustrate some of the speakers! 
In our experience, illustrators are the most attentive people, capable of listening to lectures whilst illustrating Illustration lecturers, and similarly illustrating events as they happen live, instead of taking selfies. We'd like to think that these illustrations resemble the actual people that spoke. If in some way, there is someone that thinks we weren't paying attention, and instead drew a picture of someone else, then we'd be very interested, Brian Sewell. 

If you think that saying words is illustration, or a boring chart with numbers is illustration, without any form of visual communication at all, then we can help you out there. 
To illustrate the point that we don't work for free, you will notice that the pen still has the cap on.
You can even add a personal touch and some class to your company website by hiring an artist or illustrator to create portraits of your team - stock photography is cheap, hiring a photographer is better, as Andy Clayton showed, but hiring an illustrator and having quirky, innovative portraits on the office wall, or a literal mug with the director's face on it will make you literally stand head and shoulders above your competitors.

Even better is to commission some artwork for your reception area or office, that expresses your core company values and shows that you really are a creative and innovative enterprise.

If this would be of interest to you for your business, we would be happy to meet for a consultation to discuss ideas, working to your budget, and we can then source an artist or illustrator whose work we think will fit with your business to create something truly unique. Don't just rely on a logo and a colour scheme, go further - commission an installation by a local graduate, or sponsor an LAN exhibition.