dot-art works with almost one hundred artist members. You could be one of them…
Whatever your circumstances, whether you have fine art training or not, whether you’re a painter, photographer, printmaker, sculptor or textile artist, becoming a dot-art Member can help you to achieve your dream of making a living as an artist.
For the past 12 years, dot-art has been running a membership scheme for artists, offering a package of support, promotion and opportunities from our city centre gallery. As well as 1-2-1 advice, an online portfolio and regular exhibitions, we generate lots of exciting and diverse projects for our members to engage with. We currently work with over 100 artists based in Merseyside, Cheshire and Greater Manchester but now need to expand our stable of artists, particularly in certain areas, as we grow and build our client base.
Many of our artists benefit from our work with local businesses. Painter Nathan Pendlebury has been a dot-art Member since we launched and regularly sells work to our corporate clients, as his large scale, colourful, semi-abstract works are highly suitable for offices. At the moment, he also has 10 paintings out on a 6 month rental contract, earning him a regular income.
Nathan says: “I feel that providing my painting through commission or loan is the best way forward with my kind of art, and dot-art is the ideal representative to help me in finding local clients that like my work. I have enjoyed working with dot-art for the past 12 years and am sure I will continue to do so.”
It’s not just painters we work with; photographer Rachel Brewster, who specialises in analogue techniques, is currently working on a large scale commission for dot-art in the Midlands, creating giant photocollages, based on the views from the client’s roof and the building’s original blueprints.
Rachel says: “Working with dot-art has helped get me in front of commercial clients who understand the value of bespoke artistic endeavour. It has allowed me to work creatively within my practice to produce something completely unique for the client and the space, that simply couldn’t be bought from anywhere else. dot-art has also given me various opportunities to deliver workshops in analogue & hybrid photographic techniques in schools, art centres such as The Bluecoat and other creative spaces.”
dot-art also works in a large number of schools across the region. Our member artists run workshops in a wide range of subjects, bringing creativity into schools. Member David Andrews recently ran sessions in 25 schools around the Anfield area, for a project which will culminate in a community art work for Liverpool Football Club as well as regularly delivering his popular 1 day Street Art workshops.
David says: “I really enjoy the variety of projects I get to work on through dot-art, and the big name clients that I wouldn’t usually have access to if it wasn’t for their representation. The LFC project will be the largest one in my portfolio and I loved working with 500 children across North Liverpool as well as staff from the club to create this mural at Anfield.
Being a member of dot-art has helped push my boundaries and comfort zones of being an artist to build my confidence, experience and portfolio. In the last 3 years of being a member, I have also had the chance to work with young people in foster care and Pupil Referral Units, as well as creating murals for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, the 50th Anniversary of Sgt Pepper’s and two office blocks.
While the commissions through dot-art have financially enabled me to continue my freelance creative career, it’s also nice to create new personal work for their regular exhibitions, in particular AEROSOL that I put together with 2 other artists and CHROMA which I was asked to join.”
We love encouraging everyone to be creative and one of the other ways we do this is by running art classes for adults and children. Retired art teacher and painter Hilary Dron leads our dot-art Club, Saturday morning drawing sessions for 7-11 year olds.
Hilary says: “As an emerging artist after retiring as a full time teacher, it has been extremely beneficial joining dot-art. At our bi annual meetings, I have been able to make contact with other artists and have an input into future exhibitions. As a result of this, I will be taking part in a group exhibition with dot-art in March. I have also enjoyed teaching drawing at the dot-art Club on Saturday mornings. The children love to explore their creativity outside a school setting and have been enthusiastic in their learning.”
If you think you and your work would be suitable for any of the types of projects that Nathan, Rachel, David and Hilary work with us on, please get in touch – we need your skills!
Find out more about dot-art Membership here: dot-art.co.uk/artist-membership/, email artists@dot-art.com or call Gina on 0345 017 6660. We’re always happy to have a chat and see if working with us is right for you!