DITTISHAM ARTS FESTIVAL
Saturday August 21 and Sunday August 22 2010
The exhibition of art displayed in the Village Hall and St George’s Church last weekend can only be described as a feast for the eyes. Mark from Coombe Gallery in Dartmouth Riley was the curator and Jon Pusey, the designer, and his team had transformed the Village Hall into a dazzling New York style gallery. Work had gone on all week and 181 paintings of a great variety of style, medium, size and subject had been hung.. If that was not enough in the church there was an extraordinary exhibition of floral arrangements inspired by a well known painting.or sculpture. The arrangers were really put to the test and came out trumps. There was also a fine selection of 3D exhibits and sculptures. Well over one hundred people came to the preview party on the Friday night and the Hall hummed with excitement as many red dots appeared on the works. The idea of the Festival was to encourage amateurs to submit their work which would be displayed alongside prestigious professional artists from the West Country. One such artist Howard Mills from Paignton said ‘when I took my acrylic painting of Warfleet Creek along for inspection I felt a bit daunted and was very proud that it was displayed and pleased that it sold.”
Trevor Pollard, Chairman of the Village Hall Committee, all of whom had worked so hard, said in his welcome speech ‘this village has two valuable assets which soak up money they are the village hall and the church. The money raised from the commission on the painting sales will be spent on maintaining these buildings for our future generations”. He gave particular thanks to Mark Riley, Jon Pusey and Stella Stottart but everyone involved deserved a huge thank you also. Outside the hall tall colourful flags welcomed the children to an art workshop which entailed painting on a blank four coloured mural.(see photo) The stripes designated sky, buildings, river and underwater. The mural will be sealed and varnished and kept at the Hall.
The concert in the church on Saturday evening was a sell out also. The pianist Jonathan Watts, our organist and a man of many talents, and the clarinetist Colin Parr who has worked with the City of Bimingham Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattleand who who now lives in Diptford, had put together a delicious programme ranging from Bach to Ravel to Moszkovski ending up with a Stick o’Liquorice a 1940’s jazzy number by Billy Amstel. The dexterity and lightness of tone of the clarinet and the delicate frothy touch on the keys was a delight. A 13 year old Alasdair Tew from Birmingham who lowered the average age of the audience somewhat said ‘I loved the music but you see I am a piano player and just passed my Grade 3 with distinction.’ Sadly because of the rain the evensong had to be moved from the Ham into the church. There were some special readings and favourite songs and hymns were sung. The chaps braved the wet and cooked hot dogs by the West door which were eaten inside the church and very welcome they were, too. It is wonderful how our church is now used in so many different ways I think a barbeque is the first but maybe not the last.