Future 100 Award Winners

We’re really excited to announce that we’ve been included in the Future 100 list of Young Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2011! Info below:

Alice Vaughan and Harry Owen-Jones, founders and Directors of Specs Gallery CIC are announced as two of the Future 100 Young Social Entrepreneurs of the Year on Social Enterprise Day during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2011.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is a worldwide movement of entrepreneurial people, with millions unleashing their enterprising talents and turning their ideas into reality. It began as Enterprise Week in the UK back in 2004. When news of the phenomenal success of Enterprise Week in the UK spread the globe, lots of other countries got excited about the potential of running similar initiatives in their own countries. Since its inception, Global Entrepreneurship Week has spread to 115 countries, with nearly 24,000 organisations planning more than 37,000 activities.

The Future 100 Awards were first launched in 2008 to recognise and profile young entrepreneurs running businesses, which have a triple bottom line. The definition of a triple bottom line, is a business that addresses people, planet and profit. They have a strong commercial foundation as well as a significant social and environmental impact. The Future 100 Awards recognises the success of young entrepreneurs aged 18-35 who demonstrate entrepreneurial flair and innovation in progressing a responsible business venture.

Specs Gallery is a Community Interest Company, whose aim is to showcase the work of emerging visual artists within the London area. Specs operates a ‘pop-up’ gallery model, meaning their only permanent gallery space is online. Using empty properties around the city to exhibit their shows,provides not only a flexible and unique gallery environment, but also contributes to the regeneration of the city at a time when more properties are empty than ever before.

Founder of Striding Out and organiser of the Future100 awards, Heather Wilkinson says:

“The future of our world is in the hands of individuals who are committed to generating commercial and ethical returns. Challenging economic times can offer opportunities to question the way we operate as both a business community and a society. We have a history of  profiling the ‘Future 100’ young entrepreneurs who are changing the face of everyday business and improving commerce’s impact on the wider world.”

The Future 100 awards encourages and rewards extraordinary vision, ethical business practice and social responsibility. They aim to showcase businesses that offer innovative and sustainable solutions to social problems. The Future 100 Awards is organized by Striding Out www.stridingout.co.uk, a social enterprise which is committed to supporting the development and growth of young and ethical entrepreneurs.

Further Information:

An Awards Celebration is taking place on Social Enterprise Day – 17^th November during Global Entrepreneurship Week in London. Press are invited to attend to interview winners.  For further information, please contact Heather Wilkinson, Director of Striding Out on 07795 646 646 or email heather@stridingout.co.uk

Future 100 – www.future100.co.uk – A full list of award winners can be found on the website from  17^th November 2011.

Global Entrepreneurship Week – http://www.gew.org.uk/home

New Designers Set-Up

There are loads of pictures from the set-up of our stand at the New Designers exhibition on our Facebook page, why not take a look here…

 

 

 

 

 

Specs Gallery at New Designers

This week sees the second instalment of the New Designers Exhibition at The Business Design Centre in North London. We’re really excited, because Specs Gallery is going to be showcased as part of the ‘Connecting Creativity and Business’ stand, in association with Kingston University and Designers Block.

We’ll be on stand B10 from Wednesday 6th – Saturday 9th July, so if you’re there come along and see us!

New Designers takes place at the Business Design Centre, London, N1 0QH, see their website for more information.

 

‘Under The Damp Earth’ by Stuart Kolakovic at Nobrow

If you have a spare 15 mins and find yourself in the Shoreditch area, make sure you head over to Nobrow on Great Eastern Street. Established in 2008, Nobrow is a fantastic independent print shop, studio and exhibition space, which acts as a platform to showcase the best graphic art and illustration in the city.

This exhibition, Under the Damp Earth by Stuart Kolakovic is the first to be displayed in the new downstairs gallery, and is also the first show at Nobrow to include an installation piece.

When: 5th May – 23rd June

Where: 62 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3QR, London, United Kingdom

How long: 5th May-23rd June

See more on their website: http://www.nobrow.net

Hoxton Square Gallery Visits

During this slight lull in Specs Gallery activity, I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and wandered down to Hoxton Square. I was able to take in three very different solo shows by  international artists, and here I share my highlights:

‘It’s Your Favourite Foreign Movie’
Annie Fehrenbacher at Standpoint, 45 Coronet Street, London, N1 6HD.

Fenhrenbacher’s current show at the easily-overlooked Standpoint gallery on Coronet Street is her first solo exhibition, featuring sculpture, installations and digital prints which explore the personification of modern culture, in particular the transformational effect that history can take upon fictional characters and events. Discovering that she is the daughter of antique collectors and dealers is no surprise; her works are a monument to the material, with a recurring reference to the ready-made versus the hand-made. ‘Italian Boys’ (2001), was a particular highlight for me, as was the discovery of this gallery, which I will definitely visit again soon.
‘It’s Your Favourite Foreign Movie’ is on show at the Standpoint Gallery until 12th June 2011.
See their website, http://www.standpointlondon.co.uk for more information.

‘The Most Beautiful World in the World’
Friedrich Kunath at White Cube Hoxton Square, London, N1 6PB

White Cube Hoxton Square present Kunath’s first UK solo exhibition, a visual circus which encompasses painting, sculpture, illustration, film, photography and sound works. The Press Release describes Kunath’s work as ‘a focus on universal themes of the human condition: love, loss, loneliness, optimism and dejection, all imparted with a tragicomic pathos.’ Stepping into this exhibition was like entering another world, with the darkened walls, eerie sound effects, and imposing sculptures all contributing to the atmosphere. An upstairs room held the most interesting works, in the form of an installation, ‘Window Pain’, and the painting ‘Sad Polo (One of these days these days will end)’ which offered a tranquil change from the more oppressive space on the floor below. Born and Germany and now living in Los Angeles, Kunath himself has noticed how his new surroundings have affected his work: ‘I guess the colours got brighter and the topics got darker. Sunshine and Noir.’
Quotes taken from the White Cube press release.
‘The Most Beautiful World in the World’ is on show at the White Cube Hoxton Square until 4th June 2011.
See their website, http://www.whitecube.com for more information.

‘I Did It My Way and Took The Highway’
Alejandro Almanza Pereda at ROVE Gallery, 33-34 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6NN

ROVE gallery presents this exciting exhibition of Almanza Pereda’s work in collaboration with Fundación Magnolia, an organisation which aims to connect the world to Mexico through contemporary art. This, his first UK exhibitions, sees Almanza Pereda return to the themes which often dominate his work, as he further pushes the boundaries in his exploration of the effects of gravity upon materials. The site-specific installations which command the space give insight into the artist’s methods, allowing the viewer to piece together the processes which are so vital to construction of these works. Two works in particular captured my attention, ‘After all these years I realised that it is better to live outside the garden with her than inside without her’ (2011), an installation which beautifully captures the fragility of the materials used, as well as the sentiment behind the title. ‘Horro vacui’, a painting covered in concrete in a way which is both haphazard and measured at once, leaves its mark among the other installations in the room. I will definitely follow the work of Alejandro Almanza Pereda in the future, and I’m excited to see how future exhibitions in the ROVE Gallery further explore the ways in which this space can be transformed.

‘After all these years I realised it is better to live outside the garden with her than inside without her’ (2011) Alejandro Almanza Pereda at ROVE Gallery.

‘I Did It My Way and Took The Highway’ is on show at the ROVE Gallery until 11th June 2011.
See their website, http://www.rovetv.net/ or the website of  Fundación Magnolia at http://fundacionmagnolia.org

MEMO Extended…

For those of you who haven’t managed to make it down to MEMO yet, you’ll be pleased to hear that we’ve decided to extend the show for a further fortnight, with the final day now being Saturday 28th May.

Opening hours will be as follows:

Monday 9th – Friday 13th May: 10am-6pm
Saturday 14th May: 12-5pm

Monday 16th – Friday 20th May: 10am-6pm
Saturday 21st May: 12-5pm

Monday 23rd – Friday 27th May: 10am-6pm
Saturday 28th May: 12-5pm

*** Please remember to RSVP! ***

Send your full name, names of any guests, and the date you would like to visit to info@specsgallery.co.uk

Specs Gallery presents MEMO

Specs Gallery CIC is pleased to present its first show, Memo, featuring the work of both art students and recent graduates looking for a platform to showcase their recent work.

Established in January 2011, Specs Gallery is a Community Interest Company which is looking to act as a springboard for the careers of students and graduates from a range of visual arts and design courses. Specs Gallery aims to bring these individuals to the attention of more established galleries while providing them with the opportunity to gain vital experience of exhibiting and selling their work. Artists represented by Specs Gallery are encouraged to produce new or site-specific work for shows, and it is hoped that exciting collaborations between artists may form as a result of participating in group exhibitions.

Taking place over 9,000sq ft of disused office space adjacent to Old Street Underground station, MEMO explores issues of place, scale and the urban environment, and aims to deliver a thought-provoking alternative to a conventional contemporary gallery environment.

With works comprising a variety of mediums, Specs Gallery is proud to present the work of a diverse group of 12 visual artists and designers, curated by the founders of Specs Gallery, Alice Vaughan and Harry Owen Jones.

MEMO will take place between 7th-14th May 2011, at 211 Old Street, London. To download the press release with full details of the exhibition, please view our website homepage.

somewhereto_

Yesterday I went along to an event hosted by somewhereto_, a really interesting initiative which unlocks space around the UK, making it available for use by 16-25 year olds ‘to do the things they love doing’. Working in partnership with Channel 4 and Livity, with funding from the Legacy Trust, somewhereto_ aims to be an important part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

“somewhereto is the place to find the space you need for the things you love to do. We’re here for all 16-25 year olds in the UK to use as a service to make great things happen, whatever your passion.”

At the event, held at the incredible Shunt on Bermondsey Street near London Bridge, I met some of the somewhereto_ staff, including alot of the regional coordinators. It was so great to speak with people who are working in this field, and I’m hoping that the success of the somewhereto_ project will increase awareness of the diverse ways in which empty spaces can be used to their full potential.

Although we don’t exactly count as a space-holder, there are many similarities between the aims of somewhereto_ and Specs Gallery, especially considering our commitment to providing opportunities for young people within the arts industries.

Take a look at their website and follow them on Twitter too, I’m sure that there are going to be some very interesting projects being developed through the somewhereto_ programme. I hope that there will be a way for us to work together in the future!