Artists’ Books Special Collection in Howard Gardens Library

Some of the items from our 50 new Artists' Books are now on display in a magnificent lighted glass case to be found in the Yellow Room (to the left as you enter Howard Gardens library). Information about the books  can be found by searching LOCATE, the Library catalogue, as normal . The books are for reference only and not kept on the shelves but may be viewed upon request -ask for details at the Library desk. The display in the Artists' Book Collection glass cabinet will be changed periodically to allow the full range of material to be seen.
The collection includes items such as Sioux Bradshaw’s ‘Art Lover Seeks’:  a simple A4 single printed and folded page and Franticham’s Assembling Box of visual poetry and Fluxus inspired works - a set of individual sheets from over 20 contributing artists. Some of Jill Barker’s ‘Somerset Stones’ series include wood engraved prints and house actual stones within the pages, and Jo Wilson’s limited edition ‘Beside the Sea’ is a single scroll contained in a boxed wooded frame. The collection also includes Zines. New artists' books will continue to be added to this new and exciting resource.

Bright Ideas Lighting

Inhabitat (a weblog forum for emerging trends in architectural interior and product design), in partnership with Philips Lighting recently ran a competition called Bright Ideas Lighting. The idea of the competition was to showcase the potential of LED lighting. They were looking for examples of inspiring eco-friendly lamps that make smart use of materials, and are designed to work with low-energy LED replacement bulbs like Philips AmbientLED. (Since LED bulbs are low heat, this was an opportunity to get creative with other materials that might be off-limits with traditional incandescent bulbs). The panel of expert judges selected 20 finalists based upon aesthetics, creativity, sustainability, practicality, and commercial viability. Readers then voted for the winner.

The winner, designer Edward Chew,  cut box drink cartons into hundreds of strips and folded them into pieces to create his Tetra Pak lamp . Along with its retro looks and attractiveness it is also a creative example of upcycled design and craftsmanship – it was even assembled without the use of any adhesives!

Read about the competion and the other winners here

Ted Prize 2011

TED is devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design.

The TED Prize is awarded annually to an exceptional individual who receives $100,000 and, much more important, "One Wish to Change the World."

After several months of preparation, the wish is unveiled at an award ceremony held during the TED Conference. Over the life of the prize, wishes have led to collaborative initiatives with far-reaching impact.

This year the prize was awarded to JR

JR owns the biggest art gallery in the world. He exhibits freely in the streets of the world, catching the attention of people who are not the museum visitors. His work mixes Art and Act, talks about commitment, freedom, identity and limit.

JR creates "Pervasive Art" that spreads uninvited on the buildings of the slums around Paris, on the walls in the Middle-East, on the broken bridges in Africa or the favelas in Brazil. People who often live with the bare minimum discover something absolutely unnecessary. And they don't just see it, they make it. Some elderly women become models for a day; some kids turn artists for a week. In that Art scene, there is no stage to separate the actors from the spectators.

JR’s One wish for the World is here. A fabulous talk by the very charming JR and details too on how you can become part of his project Inside Out

The Arts Desk

Anish Kapoor’s Leviathan, a commission for the Monumenta series at the Paris Grand Palais

Here's a great newletter to keep you up with a wide range of items on what's new and good in the media and the arts . Here you will find theatre and film reviews, features on matters of interest such as  'Is Classical music relevant?'or a list of this year's Festivals , and CD, DVD and book reviews and interviews with people from the arts and a comprehensive listing of whats on in cinemas, theatres, galleries and concert halls. Sign up and get a weekly round up of all this in your inbox. As well as seeing  the very latest in the arts you can also view the archives of the newsletter. To subscribe look for the box on the right hand side of this page halfway down

Michael Iwanowski-Photography evening at Chapter

FORUM is an informal, monthly event aiming to develop a core network of emerging artists together with students and graduates. It is co-ordinated by Ffotogallery and WARP for critical discussion and conversation
May's FORUM will be held in Ffotogallery’s meeting space at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff on Thursday 19th May -they will be meeting in the main foyer (box office) from 6.30 to 6.45 – look out for the person with a FORUM sign!
if you arrive later call 02920 668 695 when you arrive and you will be directed to the meeting space.

This Forum will present the chance to hear Cardiff-based photographer Michal Iwanowski talk informally about his practice and projects, followed by Q&A. The rest of the evening will be opened up to the floor for anyone to show and discuss works in progress or forthcoming events or opportunities.No booking necessary. FORUM is a FREE, drop-in event.

If you have any queries or questions please call (029) 2070 8870 or email turnerhouse@ffotogallery.org

Smithsonian Folkways

For access to a virtual encyclopedia of the world's musical and aural traditions comprised of an unprecedented variety of online resources go to the Smithsonian Folkways website here. From this webpage you will be able to search and identify recordings of all types of music , or search for recordings of a particular artist or for music using particular instruments. Links from these search results allow you to sample and  if you wish purchase the recordings as digital downloads. The database also includes recordings featuring the spoken word: humour, scientific and historical topics, poetry, birdsong and much more.

For UWIC staff and students: there is a link to this website on  the Subject Guide for  Music Technology

Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951.

The Mapping Sculpture database , the outcome of a major three-year research programme conducted by The University of Glasgow, in partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum and Henry Moore Institute , delivers the results of the first comprehensive study of sculpture between the Great Exhibition of 1851, and the Festival of Britain in 1951.

If you are on a smartphone and would like to access the mobile version, click here

The project  can be summed up as an investigation of sculptural practice that aims to reveal the numerous personal and professional connections underlying the production of sculpture. The project's state of the art database provides the means of searching this complex web of connections.

There are over 50,000 records in the database. This wealth of information can be used to answer many questions and will also suggest many new avenues for further investigation.