OHOS and arjeea21 artists to work with REME Museum of Technology

Ten artists from OHOS and arjeea21 are excited to be working with the REME Museum of Technology in 2014 to make work that responds to items in the collection in Arborfield and to the work of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.  Visitors will be welcome at two art exhibitions: "Test Pieces" in the Keep in Reading in April that shows the use of small models in creative and technical processes, plus a major exhibition in the Prince Philip Vehicle Hall at REME in Arborfield throughout the summer.  This project is funded by a grant to the REME Museum by Arts Council England.

 

Alok Sharma, MP supports OHOS and the Keep

Alok Sharma MP, artist Jenny Kiehn, and OHOS Chair Ingrid Jensen

OHOS is delighted to be visited by Mr Alok Sharma, MP for Reading West.  Mr Sharma was given a guided tour of the Keep, including the artist's studios and gallery spaces, plus some of the more hidden areas.  He was very interested in tha artists' work and the history of the Keep and its associated heritage, and enjoyed seeing the Giant Hand made by artist Jon Lockhart for Handstellation - part of Whitley Arts Festival.  Mr Sharma's support for OHOS's campaign to restore the Keep is much appreciated, and he has already helped publicise it by writing a post on his website (click here to read more), and by organising a BBC radio interview for OHOS's Chair.

Architectural Heritage Fund Grant

OpenHand OpenSpace is delighted to be awarded a grant of £2900 from the Architectural Heritage Fund for a Project Viability Report.  This is to assess plans for the future sustainable use of the Keep, and includes a new structural survey and costing of likely works needed.  OHOS has commissioned Mark Lovell Design Engineers for this project, as Mark recently worked on the very similar Devizes Keep, and therefore has good knowledge of the problems presented by the Reading's Keep.  This is an important step towards securing the future of the artist's studios and art gallery.

If You Stare At It Long Enough

The Peacock Gallery in Maiden Erlegh is showing the work of OHOS artist Clemens Steigleder from 9 November to 5 December 2013.
It includes a year of landscape painting, focusing on the four seasons.  Clemens' work is influenced by the harmony found in the work of composers such as Bach or Palestrina.  He marks each painting with the composer and opus to which he was listening as he worked
 http://csteigleder.blogspot.co.uk/

Christopher Hunt: Reciprocal Narratives About Place About Home

Christopher Hunt is showing work in the National Gallery in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; 22 November - 16 December 2013, in an exhibition Reciprocal Narratives About Place About Home, curated by Mthabisi Phili.  Chris also has other talents: he is OHOS's new treasurer, and we are grateful to him for his time and expertise in keeping us financially orderly and solvent.

Petre Nikoloski's sculpture "Diary" installed at the University of Reading

OHOS artist Petre Nikoloski's sculpture "Diary" has been installed in the sculpture garden at The University of Reading's Education Department on the London Road campus.  Petre is meeting the students to talk about his work, which includes various projects in Macedonia.
www.diary.petrenikoloski.com