Before we got involved with the amazing Background Bob project we’d never heard of the Firstsite Gallery in Colchester (shame on us). But this stunning art gallery was brought to our attention when the project and all of its wonderful artworks were exhibited there under the title ‘Background Bob and his amazing friends’. Now Firstsite have just launched The Great Big Art Exhibition and are encouraging us all to get involved.
As the title suggests, Firstsite are hoping that it will indeed be great and big, as everyone and anyone is invited to create artwork and share it via their garden or window at home thus turning the whole of the UK into a living art gallery. They then ask you to share your lovely art on social media using the #thegreatbigartexhibition2021 and #firstsite so they can follow and collate all the work into a digital gallery on their own Firstsite Gallery website.
To help get you started Firstsite have got some well-known artists on board such as Antony Gormley, Ai Wei Wei and Sonya Boyce to provide inspiration and advice (and of course bring some clout and PR to the whole idea) which can be found in their information pack when you register.
In an interview with The Guardian, Antony Gormley explained “I think we could now celebrate the diversity and extraordinary range of creative talent there is in Britain. People will say, ‘I’m not an artist I don’t draw things’, but I think actually everybody can, once they get going.”
We think it’s a great idea and hope you get involved. If there’s one thing these lockdowns have shown us it’s we’re an inventive bunch. With art galleries shut, curators and organisers have had to find alternative ways of showcasing art. As a result, there have been many creative projects launched during these uncertain times and this is another wonderful project to help keep our creative juices flowing and our sanity in check.
To get involved with The Great Big Art Exhibition, all you need to do is go to Firstsite.UK, register your interest and they’ll email you an information pack for you to download.
