Visual Arts Exhibit in Margate
The Visual Arts programmes were recently showcased with an exhibition on Margate seafront, hosted by a brand new space, Artgame, a short walk from Turner Contemporary. This was the latest iteration of the 'external' show staged by West Dean Visual Arts - including work from graduating students from the Graduate Diploma and MFA programmes - which have in previous years taken place in various locations in London. Taking the work to the south east coast proved to be very successful indeed, bringing in a whole new audience to see the strength of the work produced on the programmes, as well as providing the students with a boost to their own personal profiles.
The gallery consisted of two floors, both quite different in character: an airy ground floor space with a beautiful wooden floor (perhaps testament to one of the building's rumoured former uses as a dance school), and a whitewashed basement space (complete with the remnants of an old sea wall and a strange, cone-shaped alcove - perfect for installation a magic lantern projection!).
Just over 450 people visited the exhibition during the week - a high turnout boosted by a summer heatwave that brought huge crowds to the beaches and cultural venues of the town. A great deal of enthusiasm for the exhibition and individual works was evident, with a sense of anticipation relating to the Turner Contemporary's hosting of the Turner Prize later in the year.
Look out for the forthcoming MA exhibition at West Dean College between 13-15 September 2019
