The Crocus Gallery project

The best and worst of days (and hours) at the Gallery

2010-12-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

'What's this?' I hear you say, then 'not more numbers'. All I ask is that you bear with me for a minute at most.

What these two charts shows at a glance is the fact that Saturday has, on average, across the period 15 May – 2 December 2010 been the busiest day, when 26% of all visitors have come to The Crocus Gallery and the period 11am–3pm accounts for 83% of all visitors.

The Gallery does not open on a Sunday or a Monday. Visitors attending events, previews or coming in large parties have been excluded because these numbers would distort the percentages shown.

For the period of the '1st Open Exhibition' (15 May – 19 June 2010), The Crocus Gallery opened 12–6pm, but it soon became obvious that very few visitors came during the last two hours (4–6pm), so we made the decision to open from 11am–4pm instead (26 June – to date).

When compiling tables and charts I am always mindful of the saying: 'There are lies, damn lies and statistics'. They can be confusing. There are always exceptions and the need to qualify the information used. As the person responsible, all I can say is that I think the above graphs offer a fair picture of when visitors come along to The Crocus Gallery. I am sure we can use this information to improve visitor numbers. How? To be honest, I am not sure. That's something we all need to think about, then discuss.

What you missed with apologies

2010-10-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

The past month has flown by and I have had big problems with my picture software and the alternative is fiddly and time consuming. As of yet I have found no quick and easy alternative to use. This added to other commitments has resulted in me posting no 'virtual tour' of the Open Exhibition which closes tomorrow. In the circumstances all I can offer is a tour of what you will have missed if you haven't made your own way to The Crocus Gallery by now.

What do the numbers tell us? The making of a synergy

2010-08-22T11:05:00.001-07:00

We opened The Crocus Gallery on Saturday 15 May 2010 and since then, we have been keeping a record of visitor numbers by the day and by the hour. We haven't been open every day (never on a Sunday or a Monday) and we missed one day because there there was no volunteer (Tuesday 13 June). We have also been closed three weeks during this time to enable exhibitions to be taken down and new ones erected.

For the purposes of this analysis, the statistics I have used cover the period 15 May – 7 August 2010 (12 weeks). In other words, the period of our first three exhibitions. The following charts show the average number of visitors by days of the week and opening hours:

The average number of Gallery visitors per day has been nearly 22 (21.9), with Saturdays the busiest day and Thursdays the least popular day. So why don't we close on a Thursday and open on a Monday instead? Perhaps we should, but there is a strong argument to be made for the Gallery opening for a straight run of days. This is less confusing for potential visitors. Closing on a Monday is not uncommon, but it is something we need to keep under review.

In fact, this is what we did when it came to our opening hours. For the first five weeks we opened 12–6pm, when we decided to change the opening hours to 11am–4pm. Why? Well, the figures speak for themselves. During the first five weeks very few visitors were coming during the period 4–6pm, so we decided to open an hour earlier at 11am and chop the last two hours in the belief that we might be able to catch the 'brunch' trade at the Crocus Café and, as the above chart clearly shows, our hunch appears to have been right.

The attendance at our three exhibitions to date has been as follows:

12 May 2010. Three days before The Crocus Gallery opened and the first exhibits arrived — it all seems so long ago!

Opening exhibition (15 May–19 June), 511 visitors over 20 days = 25.5 per day.
'Lenton History' (26 June–10 July), 244 visitors over 11 days = 22.2 per day.
Summer exhibition (17 July–7 August), 272 visitors over 16 days = 17 per day.

Over the 47 open days the Gallery had 1,027 visitors (21.9 per day).

The students starting leaving Lenton in mid-June and by mid-July the schools had broken up and we were into the holiday period, which will continue until mid-September when the students return from their long summer break. Taking these factors into account, I think The Crocus gallery can claim to have had a credible first twelve weeks.

The trouble with presenting statistical information is that it can be presented in many different ways. For example we need to remember that 12 of the 47 days The Crocus gallery was open were Saturdays (more than any other day, because on some of the other days the Gallery was closed for exhibition changeovers and when we couldn't find a volunteer to cover) and that 354 (34.5%) of our 1,027 (100%) visitors came on a Saturday. The averages for opening hours are not based on the same number of days because we were only began opening at 11am on Saturday 26 June and ceased opening 4–6pm on 18 June. From an operational (and funding) point of view, I think overall totals, the number of days open and averages are probably more important than anything else. Put simply, we need to know the best days and times to be open in order to maximise the number of individuals who visit The Crocus Gallery.

Of one thing I am sure. We need to work closely with our next door neighbours, the Crocus Café. Their opening hours and activities clearly impact on The Crocus Gallery in a positive way. Similarly, I hope the Gallery is pulling extra customers into the Café. This may be something they can tell us, by comparing weekly takings for the same period during 2010 with 2009. Together, we should be greater than the sum of our parts — in other words, synergy!

I will do another review in about three months times. I hope you find them of interest. As boring as they may seem, this blog answers the kind of questions would-be funders sometimes ask. If you have any questions, please contact me — Robert.

The Self takes centre stage at the Crocus Gallery

2010-08-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Another first for our new gallery in more ways than one. Our fourth exhibition can be fairly described as 100% contemporary and interactive. It also has its own brochure. Called 'The Self' and curated by Alice Thickett, a Gallery activist and Nottingham Trent University student who usually looks after the Gallery on a Tuesday, it is an innovative mix of confrontation, mood, insight and curiosity, at least from the perspective of this viewer. The brochure says 'the artists exhibiting not only use art to express themselves creatively, they use it discuss the meaning of "the self" itself'. So, please come along and see for yourself.

As always, we offer viewers a virtual tour of 'The Self', going from left to right around the gallery walls and plinths, plus a few distractions along the way…

…including Alice herself, looking radiant and happy as she waits for the first visitors to arrive for the evening preview on Friday.

Before the start of things, Alice presented Alyn with a small gift as a way of saying 'thank you' for all his help and encouragement. It is these small moments which make The Crocus Gallery special. Enough of sentiment. Let the tour begin…

…at the entrance, where this is what welcomes visitors to The Self.

The welcoming exhibit by Ivana Stojcevska is a creation made from 'the leftovers' of works she destroyed 'in order to explore… the feeling that destruction produces. The following pics of the exhibit offer a fraction of the ways in which this work can be viewed.

This final pic is of a burnt fragment of a destroyed Ivana work of which did not make it into the bandaged exhibit. It hangs, alone, on the Gallery wall.

On Saturday I returned for a second look and found Patsy, who can often be found 'front of house' at the weekends, pondering Ivana's work. She makes a perfect picture.

Next comes a visual 'portal' by Clare Harris which invites the viewer to use her work 'to release the unspoken feelings which get carpeted over and socially rarely mentioned'.

Then its into the backroom art space (being used for the first time) by George Darby and Martin Pearce. Here you (or is The Self) becomes a listener. The installation, for that it was it might be called in another art space, prompts images in one's mind to accompany the sounds. George and Martin describe the experience as an opportunity to ignore 'the constraints of traditional harmonic functionality'.

It's also a chance to have some fun if you are a young visitor. Perhaps I am mistaken and it is really a magician's box. There may be arms but, I promise you, there are no wires, so there is no risk of electrocution.

For some, the work of Bogumila Matylda Czerepak may be the most challenging. She says 'My message is not to simplify physicality and underestimate it, but to look at it as a source of importance'. It is her work which has prompted the notice in the window by the Gallery's entrance about the suitability of some of the exhibits for children.

Our virtual tour ends with two works by Chloe Barrett. They are quite large and this pic does them less than justice. Looking at them, I thought how striking they would look as reliefs on a building wall, either internally or externally. After, I read Chloe's entry in the brochure and found the following: 'My life models are equivalent to a building, they therefore only retain object value from which to convey structure and expression through paint'. As I type this I realise that I have a wall at home where I can hang them, but before I can do this I need either Ernie to come up or to rob a bank (assuming they are for sale).

The good news is that Chloe's pics and all the other exhibits in The Self show can be seen every Tuesday–Saturday 11am–4pm until Saturday 4 September 2010. Altogether, an unexpected confrontaion of the senses in the most unlikely of Nottingham locations. Miss it and ponder your foolishness for a long time to come.

Looking for Gallery rota buddies

2010-07-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Already it seems like forever, but The Crocus gallery has only been open for ten weeks since we first opened our door on 15 May 2010. For two of those weeks we have been closed to take out exhibitions and hang new ones. With have only lost one day (13 June) because we couldn't find a volunteer to be in the Gallery. There have been several close calls, with last-minute responses to appeals for cover and this Saturday will be covered by Alyn and Robert in the absence of other volunteers coming forward, despite the fact that we have 367 Facebook supporters as of today. By any measure, this is impressive.

So why can't we get Gallery volunteers? I suspect many of us see the numbers and think that someone else will come forward. In truth, the gallery is being kept open by a very small number of volunteers. Take a look at the Gallery rota for the next four weeks:

Just five people do regular weekly sessions. Immediately, we need cover for Saturdays 7th and 21st August. Officially, we try to divide every day into two sessions: 11.00am–1.30pm and 1.30–4.00pm. The good news is that you can volunteer to any 2½ hour session you want, even if there is a name there at present. This will simply allow our regular volunteers to have days off and to be there as back-up as and when needed.

What we need are some active 'rota buddies' who can work together and provide cover as and when necessary, so please look at the above rotas and contact me if you would like to become a rota buddy. My telephone number is: 0115 9700369, email: robert@parkviews.org.uk (this is a temporary contact whilst the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum are moving offices).

Your Gallery needs you. Speak to you soon. Robert

Summer Exhibition Virtual Preview

2010-07-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow you can come along and see our 'Summer Exhibition' for real. For now, enjoy our virtual preview of what you can see. The pics were not taken in ideal lighting conditions, so please bear with the shadows and other imperfections. Otherwise enjoy.

Now come along and see it for real!

Lenton knitters head for Church Square

2010-07-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Our first regular workshop, or should I say 'drop-in' is coming on Thursday 12 August and will be a weekly session for knitters.

Church Square already attracts local knitters like Natalie and Lizzy, who were regulars outside the Crocus Café until the end of term. It will be nice to see even more knitters in the Square come 12 August.

Gallery travels and our exhibitors

2010-07-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

At the end of the week before last Alyn and Parbinder went to Grantham to attend a meeting on behalf of the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum about how local groups and councils are working together to promote the arts and to engage with their communities. At the end of the day, they were presented with a cheque for £3,000 by Rachel Newton from the Urban Forum, a national think-tank based in London. Parbinder sent me the pic below marking the presentation…

Last week exhibitors began bringing their works for the 'Summer Exhibition', which starts on Saturday, one of whom came all the way from Warrington…

Meet Jina Wallwork. She found the Summer Exhibition via a notice Alyn had posted on the web and brought along her work (which you can see when I post the pre-view virtual tour on Friday afternoon). Jina went home saying that she would like to see something like The Crocus Gallery in Warrington. She emailed me today to tell me about The Gallery at Bank Quay House and said 'I found The Crocus Gallery inspiring. It was wonderful to see how a group of people created something magical. As an artist you sometimes start to believe that people don't feel art, they just see it. They don't know why its important. Art gives people the opportunity to see the world in different ways. A gallery creates space for people to feel and discover a new perspective of the world'. Thanks Jina.

Alyn's Crocus Gallery website, which is listed on the right, is coming along nicely and now includes a list of exhibiting artists, including links to their websites. There are already 27 names listed. A great achievement given that The Crocus Gallery only opened seven weeks and two exhibitions ago! The poster pic in the right-hand column comes from the website.

I also received news of another exhibitor, Ting Ting Cheng (who is listed by Alyn), via my Google blogwatch link, so news of The Crocus Gallery is beginning to spread far and wide. We have, without a doubt, come a long way in a very short time. The challenge is to keep the momentum going whilst not overstretching ourselves. To end on a bright note, you can see the following pic, plus more besides, on Ting Ting's blog. It is a delight and if this is an example of other exhibits, I can't wait until when the Summer Exhibition opens.

Showcases that need filling, boring money issues and what our visitors say…

2010-07-06T04:03:00.000-07:00

Last week Nottingham Contemporary kindly delivered two display cases for us to use on a loan basis. From their age and appearance, they probably come from one of the City Council's museums. But hey, they're still good, as we can now better display small items for sale. What we now need is a 'gondola' so that we can display cards and leaflets. We also have £3,000 to spend on items for the Gallery.

Last week, we had a small meeting called by Fiona, but only attended by Alyn, Robert and two new vounteers, John and Alice. It went well. We discussed a future exhibitions programme. Robert is going to see if he can persuade some galleries from around the world to send us posters for long gone exhibitions which may be lurking in their stores, which we can then sell for a few pounds to help raise funds. There was also talk a show by architectural students sometime in 2011 and an exhibition 'swop' with a gallery in Leicester, plus a young persons' show.

We also decided that individuals could rent The Crocus gallery to stage their own exhibitions for an agreed charge. We also spoke about how much it would cost us to rent the unit from Nottingham City Council. At present, the rent is £2,600 per annum and we may have to find this money at some point, because City Estates are keeping the unit on the market. The Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum are moving into the three units on Church Square presently occupied by the City Homes Housing Office and this appears to be a factor in decision to re-advertise our unit as being available to rent.

Whatever happens, we need to raise income to pay our running costs and overheads. We need to prepare a budget for the next eighteen months. Boring, I know, but if want The Crocus Gallery to continue and propsper, then we have to address these issues. Enough of these things, here is what three recent visitors have had to say about the gallery:

'The gallery adds another dimension to Lenton. A very exciting development'. Jenny Hills.
'A fine amenity for Lenton'. Charles Washington.
'I think the gallery is a good thing for Lenton people to come and see'. John Hemsley.

The stuff of running a gallery…

2010-06-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

As all those who have been involved in getting The Crocus Gallery project this far will know, there is more to it than just turning up at a show and saying how marvellous it all is. It has taken a lot of commitment and hard work by a mixed bunch of volunteers (or should I say 'activists'). There is a difference. I regard myself as one of the latter and would say that a good few of those involved are activists rather than volunteers — they have got involved because they want to change things. Others come and help at the Gallery and enjoy it for what it is, they volunteer. The Crocus Gallery needs both.

This blog has documented the graft a good few times and published pics as well. Now, it could get boring for some of you. I am about to talk numbers — visitor numbers and what they tell us about the first five weeks The Crocus Gallery has been open. So, here they are. Feast your eyes!

The good news is that over 500 visitors came along and saw our opening exhibition over its five week run. Saturday and Tuesday each achieved an average of nearly 21 visitors per day. Just 12 visitors have come along on Thursdays. The figures also tell us that visitor numbers drop dramatically after 4pm — which is why Fiona, Alyn and Robert made the decision to change the opening hours. We are now open 11am–4pm. The Crocus Café usually closes about 4pm and this, we suspect is reflected in our visitor numbers after this time. However, the Café appears to have a brisk mid-morning trade and by opening an hour earlier, we hope to catch some of these customers into Gallery visitors.

We shall see when we do our next statistical analysis (which will be after the summer exhibition ends in late-August). The other thing we need to remember is that the students have gone home for the summer break and that is bound to have an impact on the number of people who visit the Gallery.

I can hear the yawns. Yawn yawn. As I say in the blog heading, this is the stuff of running a gallery. By the way, if any marketing guru or whizz-kid reads this and feels like becoming The Crocus Gallery 'Media Champion' please contact the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum office (see right-hand sidebar for contact details). We need you now.

The day that became a fortnight

2010-06-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Over 500 visitors attended our opening exhibition over a five week period. Tomorrow (Monday), I will publish some figures about visitor times and the best days for visitors and how this has led us to changing The Crocus Gallery opening hours to 11am–4pm, Tuesday–Saturday.

The original plan had been that Saturday 26 June would be a 'Lenton Living History Day', but as the idea progressed, it became a week, then a fortnight and a 'combo' show, including artworks and photographs relating to contemporary Lenton and Nottingham, plus a Nottingham City Council public consultation on the future of Lenton's two conservation areas. We hope you will come along and see what's on for yourself, but just as we did last time, we have put together a 'virtual' tour. Because we just use a digital camera, some of the pics catch the light, so not all the artworks or photographs are as clear as would like. But hey, we're on a budget of 9p (well, a little more) and, once again, Alyn has wrought a miracle of sorts.

The table and chairs are so that visitors can sit down and contribute to the living history, a local consultation and a conservation areas consultation by Nottingham City Council planners.

The virtual tour begins on the left-hand front wall.

The left-hand rear gallery corner and table devoted to the Lenton Living History Project and a wider consultation about local issues, being led by the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum and The Lenton centre.

The right-hand side of the rear gallery wall shows a display by the City Council's Planning Department about the New and Old Lenton Conservation Areas public consultation, which ends on 12 July 2010. There are copies of the two reports, which both contain excellent appraisals of the areas and how there present state came about, as well as proposals propsals for future, including a small enlargement of each area. Links to online versions of the reports can be found at: www.mynottingham.gov.uk/planningnews.

As I was doing the virtual tour, I caught Alyn hanging the last pics, which were taken by Patsy Shaw, a long-time Lenton residents, who was talking about creating a Lenton community artspace with workshops long before The Crocus Gallery was a twinkle in anyone's eye.

The right-hand rear wall (I will add the names of exhibitors later in the week to all the pics).

And so another virtual tour comes to end at the right-hand front wall. The exhibits look much, much better in 'the real', so come on down and see for yourself. Then pop next door and in the Crocus Café for refreshments and a snack (lunch even). We look forward to seeing you.

'Summer' is coming to The Crocus Gallery and what our visitors have said…

2010-06-10T01:24:00.000-07:00

Before the big announcement about our next art exhibition, a few words from a small selection of our visitors:

Wow! Absolutely amazing, fantastic breath of fresh air. I was amazed. Picasso eat your heart out! H. Singh.
Extremely friendly staff! Excellent pieces of work on display. Long may it continue, You have my support. Roy Kennedy.
Lots of lovely talent on show. Great for the community. Jane Smith.
Fantastique! Love the combo of art, location and space. Cherise Richardson.

Now for the big news of the day. Voters on the Gallery's email list have decided. 'Summer' is to be the theme of the gallery's July 2010 exhibition, which will follow 'Lenton Week', and Alyn is the person to contact. He will be overseeing the show.

Also news that we have £3,000 to spend on making improvements to The Crocus Gallery. Here are a few ideas, just in case yopu can't think of any (as if!):
Better lighting; a simple, purpose-built, display counter in one of the windows; a small reception desk with storage and enough surface area for the visitors book; two 'portable' screens to provide additional, temporary, hanging space, or to create a 'secure viewing area' for exhibits which may offend sensitive souls; at least 12 stackable chairs, some large folding tables for workshops and other activities. These are just ideas off the top of my head. Tell me your ideas and we will post them to the blog… I can see another vote coming on…

More good news. Kate Large has sold two of her wonderful pencil drawings of dogs. Whilst they appear in the 'virtual' tour of the present exhibition, here is one of them again. And just in case you think you can see a ghost, you can — it's the pic taker.

Whilst it already seems that we have been open for ever, we are, in fact, just in our fourth week. We have been recording visitor numbers by the day and the hour, so next week I will include a summary of our first four weeks.

Trinkets and beads to catch the eye and buy

2010-05-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we sold four items worth £24 from the earring and trinkets counter. This made me realise that the little table being used as a counter of sorts had not been featured in the blog and, by coincidence, some more items to sell were brought into the gallery.

These are the small items you can find for sale in The Crocus Gallery. All are reasonably priced and delightful.

Then there is the earring and necklace display, which looks lovely as well.

Then, yesterday, some more items were brought in for sale, so it was a quick dash to The Lenton Centre to borrow a table, which was placed in the left-hand window (from the outside). Interestingly, a number of passers by stopped and looked and two actually came in as a result. This suggests that if we could find someone who could make a wooden frame and a top, which we then covered in a thick, soft, black cloth at about the height of the bottom of the window, we could move all the small goodies for sale to one place. Beneath the top we would also gain some valuable storage space.

What do other volunteers and visitors think? Finally, I found this bowl made of rolled up newspaper pieces in the back room. I don't know who made it, but they are to be congratulated. I photographed it outside by the 'A' sign and several visitors who came it admired the bowl.

I also wrote down some of the comments in the Visitors' Book, which I will post on Monday. In the meantime, if you see any items you fancy in the pics above, come along before someone else beats you to it!

Gallery action update

2010-05-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

At lunchtime today there was a Gallery group meeting, which was attended by seven of us. At times, a little chaotic, but Fiona managed to pull us back into line more than once. What matters on such occasions is what action, if any, is likely to follow? Well, here is a list:

The opening exhibition is going to continue until Saturday 19 June 2010 and then taken down on Tuesday 22 June. Robert's 'Living History' display will open on Saturday 26 June and continue until the following Saturday 3 July and come down on Tuesday 6 July, with a new exhibition opening on Saturday 10 July.

Alongside the Living History display, there will be a Nottingham City Council Planning Department display about the future of the New and Old Lenton conservation areas. We are also trying to organise a display of Lenton and Nottingham photographs for the same period.

The 'July 2010' exhibition which follows for the rest of the month has yet to be decided and Fiona is going to ask for ideas from volunteers and others on the Gallery email list over the next week or so whilst she is away. The proposals received will then be emailed to all contacts for them to decide.

Beyond July, the aim is try and plan on a monthly basis, with people submitting proposals to Fiona, who will then decide how and when Gallery space is allocated, unless she chooses to delegate that role to a named volunteer. Everyone at the meeting agreed that Fiona and volunteers should take on specific duties and be supported by all the others involved. None of us want to sit around in endless committee meetings.

The meeting agreed that Fiona will have sole responsibility for making any decision in relation to a complaint about an exhibit.

It was also agreed to ask exhibitors in future exhibitions to donate 15% of the sale price of any exhibit to The Crocus Gallery via the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum. The Gallery needs to generate income to help pay running costs and this is one way to help achieve this objective. Another option is to hire out the Gallery to third parties in return for a booking donation. The overwhelming feeling of those present was that the Gallery is intended an open community art space and that bookings to third parties need to be managed in a way which does not undermine this aim. Until we receive the first request for such a booking and an idea of how much income this might generate, it is impossible to know how this policy will impact of open community displays. At the end of the day we need the money.

Robert is '90% optimistic' that Councillor Dave Trimble will come up with a deal which gives us at least one year in the shop, followed by another year if we can raise the agreed rent (yet to be determined). This will give us and the Crocus Café two years to come up with a financially viable long-term plan, assuming we decide to work together. By any measure, a fair deal and a great opportunity.

We also agreed no notices or plants in the windows, except for a notice in the door detailing opening hours and contact details (blog and Facebook links, Forum telephone no.) and to review opening hours at the end of June, We need someone to take responsibility for the volunteer rota to enable the Gallery to open 12–6pm Tuesday–Saturday. At present, Fiona looks after the rota. If you would like to help contact her via the Forum office.

Two hours of hard slog made me realise why I now avoid committees. Looking at the list of email contacts, we may well be Lenton's first digital community group.

More opening pics, a sale and knitters

2010-05-21T01:55:00.000-07:00

Alex from the Forum was also taking pics at the gallery's opening last Saturday and has sent me a few of her pics. I also took a couple yesterday which you might enjoy.

I love this picture of Jaqui Flude beside her exhibit. They go together perfectly.

Somehow I didn't get a pic of these two guys at the opening. Usuf and Steve have been real stalwarts, as some of the previous blog entries have shown. If any two people deserved to be at The Crocus Gallery opening just enjoying themselves, you're looking at them.

Gathered together outside the gallery just after Dave Trimble had performed the official opening. A moment to remember and Alex was on hand wih her camera to capture it.

Alex also took this lovely pic of Danushka with her silks. She came along and ran a workshop on making silk scarves…

… and when I arrived at the gallery yesterday (Thursday), these two reminders of the workshop were hanging a wall in the back room. Whoever made them must have had fun. Don't they look great?

Local exhibitor Hannah Peters, who is a 2nd year history student from Manchester, had the distinction of making the first sale within seconds of the gallery opening. Hannah sold her picture of the spoons for £30. It is also the first time she has ever put her work on show. She says 'I started painting when I was 15 and still think these pieces are amongst the best ones I've done. I use pretty much what is lying around. I've drawn things in eyeliner, used teabags, children's watercolours and pencil crayons. I draw what's in my head which are my more abstract pieces, or sometimes whatever takes myfancy. I don't like my work to look pretentious'. This is what The Crocus Gallery is all about — helping folk like Hannah.

Sitting outside the Crocus Café and the gallery yesterday were two knitters, Natalie and Lizzy. They whiled away the hours, sometimes engrossed, taking breaks from time to time to greet and chat with friends. It looked idyllic. I imagine a large table in the middle of The Crocus Gallery where folk like Natalie and Lizzy can sit and be creative whilst enjoying the company of others who have a shared passion or want to learn a particular craft. It could be anything and all could have their time in the gallery. Life doesn't get much better than this.

The day The Crocus Gallery flew

2010-05-16T04:06:00.000-07:00

93 days after being conceived in the Crocus Café, the bird (or the 'gallery' as it is better known) took to the air. A remarkable achievement by any measure, which has been achieved without any money as such. Everything to make the project happen has been either given, begged or borrowed. By far the most significant gift has been the time and efforts of all the volunteers which have got The Crocus Gallery community led arts project to the point where it was able to open yesterday. This blog was started with the intention of being as much as a chronicle as about publicising the project. As for yesterday. Well, what a day! Truly enjoyable and with its moments. If Lenton has a glitterati, then yesterday was the day to see it — Nottinghamshire Life eat your heart out on this…

Fiona was there an hour before the opening preparing a table of 'nibbles' for the guests and volunteers, who were due to arrive for 12 noon, when the gallery would officially open. Doesn't she look like 'Amelie'?

Perhaps this pic shows it better. If only I had a better camera and had time to pose the shot instead of taking a quick snap. Thanks Fiona for all your hard work.

There were other preparations going on before the moment when Dave Trimble, one of our local Nottingham city councillors who represent Dunkirk and Lenton ward, cut the ribbon and declared The Crocus Gallery 'open'. There was Robert cleaning the windows (unfortunately there was too much reflection in the pics I took, so I have been unable to use one). Alex, Steve, Usuf and Alyn busied themselves with last touch finishes and I did my bit as well — which is why there are few pics of the final hour before opening.

You see what I mean about 'glitterati'? Nottinghamshire Life, where the county set and the new money pose every month to show off their wealth and superiority, couldn't match this for class in a hundred years. Dave, Jacqui and Danushka soak up the mid-day sum before going inside.

Three Lenton stalwarts, Patsy, Marion and Sarah, capture the mood of the occasion. All smiles and clearly enjoying themselves. Between them, they have put in many years of effort, along with others, to ensuring that Lenton's 1960s shopping precinct has survived far better than nearly all the other precincts in Nottingham of a similar age and style.

A few feet away and another small group enjoy the opening. Parbinder and Caroline 2nd from right ( I will have other names tomorrow).

It looks all quite leisurely in this pic, but, at times, everyone was rubbing elbows, which made being able to take pics, talk and eat the odd samosa (and lovely they were) very difficult.

On such occasions, there are always folk the camera seems drawn towards and this special group is no exception. I could tell you things about all of them, but to have them in one spot and to capture them altogether. Well, that is quite a feat. Jacqui, Lesley, Dave and Sarah are part of the glue which bonds Lenton together and makes it a great place to live.

My last pic from the day shows Danushka preparing for the first-ever workshop in The Crocus Gallery. I never got back to photograph the participants, as I went off with Dave and Sarah to get some local Labour Party 'campaign' pics for next year's Nottingham City Council elections, when Dave will be seeking re-election and Sarah will be the other Dunkirk and Lenton Labour Party candidate.

I want to end on a light note. This is Alyn posing beside his exhibit — 'A Damian Penny', 'one of a limited edition of 100', price £10. It was found on the gallery floor whilst cleaning up and became the first exhibit to go on display. Stranger things than this have made fortunes for artists. Maybe Alyn will get lucky!

All in all, a great day. Alex from the Forum was also taking pics, so I will she if she has any I can add. In the meantime, enjoy what I hope is a lovely memory of the day The Crocus Gallery 'flew' for the first time.

Today's the day – a sneak preview

2010-05-15T02:38:00.000-07:00

Being a Crocus gallery volunteer does have some advantages and one was being able to have a sneak preview of the Gallery's opening exhibition once all thirty-four pictures from ten exhibitors were in place, thanks to Alyn and Parbinder. So, just in case you can't make it to Church Square, off Church Street, New Lenton, between 12 and 6pm, here is what you will be missing.

Maureen Birkin came by just as Alyn and Parbinder were finishing, so she took the chance tyo have her own sneak preview. Maureen is the local City Homes Housing Patch Manager, who is a well known and popular among many Lenton residents for her commitment beyond the call of duty to Lenton and its many council tenants. What follows is a 'virtual tour' of The Crocus Gallery opening exhibition visitors will see. Enjoy!

Now and come and see them properly. We look forward to seeing you soon.

No time for opening jitters

2010-05-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Less than 72 hours to opening and yesterday already seems a lifetime away. The name above the entrance is now complete and the floors have had the last vestiges of white paint removed.

Steve, Usuf, Alan and Fiona take a moment to stop and record the moment Usuf completed the signage. It looks great. They all deserve our thanks for all their hard work.

The view that Steve and co can see as they look beyond the camera is this. The Lenton high-rise flats providing homes for a mix of residents from all corners of the globe and all walks of life. Some of the older residents have been in the flats for forty years or more and are Lentonians born and bred. Others are refugees and asylum seekers or young people in need of a home. Lenton's flats are that rare exception that prove that high-rise blocks can be successful and not seen as a blot on the landscape. We hope that many flat residents will become actively involved in The Crocus Gallery as either volunteers, artists and visitors.

Inside, Alan was back at work recording works of art as they arrived. On the left, Mark Lowe, a second year Fine Arts student at Nottingham Trent University hands over three exhibits. He describes himself as 'a minimalist painter who wants to explore the boundaries of what paint as a material can become'. If you come along on Saturday 15 May 2010 between 12 and 4pm, you can see his three exhibits for yourself.

Leaning against a gallery wall are the first arrivals. As I left, wall brackets were fixed by Parbinder and Alan in preparation for hanging. We had hoped to have a hanging system in time for the opening, but not being able to find one free means that it will be rawplugs and screws instead.

One of the great things about the project is how decisions get made as and when necessary. We have got this far since the end of march with just three meetings. Most decisions have been made this way and speaks volumes about those involved in the project. All are 'doers' more concerned with tasks and outcomes than ticking boxes. Parbinder may work for Nottingham City Council, but he has a long record of personal involvement in community arts and is here because he wants to be. Similarly, Fiona as Acting Manager of the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum found the time in the midst of a hectic and demanding workload to gather together a small group of interested residents and inspired them to take on an empty shop and work a miracle. Alan has joined the project as a volunteer quite recently, but he has found himself a role by finding out what other volunteers do and don't want to do. It is the way the project team welcomes others that make the project very 'Lenton'.

Local residents like Jacqui Flude drop by to see what is happening. She is a very skilled craftsperson and active in the local community in various ways. Just another example of how local residents are keen for The Crocus Gallery community arts project to succeed.

As I left, a photographer from the Nottingham Evening Post had just arrived to take a pic to help with some pre-opening publicity, so look out for a pic and news story in the next couple of days. If we don't see you before, remember to come along on Saturday. See you then, if not before.

A day with the workers

2010-05-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Four days to opening on Saturday 15 May and still the preparation work grinds on (literally) as my first pic shows.

This afternoon Steve and Usuf were hard at work scrubbing the gallery floor and putting up the gallery signage on the unit's facia board. Before Usuf could finish, some rusted bolts needed removing and ever resourceful Steve went home and returned with his grinder. Job done and Usuf could get on with placing the lettering which he had designed and drawn on the spot.

Inside, the gallery space is unrecognisable from how it looked just a few short weeks ago…

…especially the back workroom. Steve has brought a kettle and a microwave from home and, already, you begin to get a sense of being there, life is being breathed into the space and in just four days the gallery will come alive. For those of us involved from the start, it is these little touches by Steve and others which make you feel part of something special.

Out the back, it looks all so different to the pics I posted on 2 April 2010, when these same walls were covered with grafitti and toilet bowl was black. Not anymore thanks to Steve and others who have, a bit at a time, painted the walls and scraped off the dirt. There's still work to be done, but as the pics show, we are getting there.

When I left the signage was nearly finished. The word 'The' and a flower have still to be added. They should be there by tomorrow, when the first pictures and artwork for hanging and the opening on Saturday arrive. Not all the things the Crocus Gallery Group wanted to do are yet in place. Such is the achievement with next to nothing in terms of money, that it is going to be a fantastic day…

…and some just can't wait to have a peek. I know this lovely lady well, but given that she told me it was alright to take a pic of her bottom, but not her face, I can only assume that, on this occasion, she wants to protect her modesty. And I cannot deny her that.

I hope to be back in the next couple of days with pics of artwork arriving and details of the actual opening day programme. It is still being finalised, but, hey, we're getting there.

Look out for the poster

2010-04-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

The day is getting ever closer, as this poster just issued by the Forum shows. There is still work to done and more help needed. We hope to be posting information about more 'work days' soon.

Saturday 15th May countdown begins and we have a name

2010-04-02T02:51:00.000-07:00

An opening date for The Crocus Gallery has been fixed — Saturday 15 May 2010. And that is about all we can tell you for now. There are ideas about the opening exhibition, but they remain somewhat nebulous at the moment. The big idea is to identify local artists who would like to take part in an opening 'taster' month, which would see us through to the Dunkirk and Lenton Community Festival on Saturday 12 June 2010.

Of immediate interest is the fact that a name has been agreed. It will be 'The Crocus Gallery'. This will enable us to work closely with our next door neighbours, the community run Crocus Café. We can plan joint promotional events and share publicity material. Ideally, we can use the 'Crocus' brand to promote the Church Square precinct and Lenton in general. It is still early days. As a group, we first met just six weeks ago and we have already come a long way. The gallery space has been transformed with just two coats of white paint and soon our chosen name, 'The Crocus Gallery', will appear on the front of the gallery — which is where the above pic comes in. Usuf (centre) is going to make a sign to fit onto the existing fascia board. Steve (left) and Parbinder (right) are going to help. We will use the sign going up to launch our publicity campaign leading up to the gallery's official opening on 15 May.

But before then, there is still work to do, which is why another gallery work day has been arranged for Thursday 8 April (next week). The back room has to be sorted and painted and as for those 'works of art' hanging on the wall, they are printed, decorative, IKEA panels. Perhaps the biggest challenge 'behind the scenes' is making the small kitchenette and toilet area sparkle!

The word which comes to mind is 'yuk'! It may even be against Health & Safety at Work regulations to have a toilet door off a kitchen area. So, as you can see, there is still plenty to do and we have just six weeks to opening day. From a standing start to opening in just twelve weeks will be a fantastic achievement by any measure.

We are even beginning to get outside help, thanks to our Dunkirk and Lenton city councillor, Dave Trimble, who found us a contact at the Castle Museum, which has led to offers of help and advice, plus the loan of two display cases. More about these things in a future blog.

Finally, the other big decision made at the meeting this week was our opening times. Initially, it will be Tuesday–Saturday 12noon–6pm, with evening activities and workshops as and when arranged. We will need volunteers to cover the opening hours and to help with other things as well, so if you would like to be involved in any way, please contact the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum office, tel: 0115 941 9525. We look forward to hearing from you.

Art waiting for the call

2010-03-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

I took this pic of Rexx and Phil in the back room of the gallery. It wasn't until I was looking at the pic at home on the computer that I noticed the three painted squares on the wall behind them which, I assume, were left by the last occupants of the shop.

This pic shows two of the squares enlarged. I won't know until we go to the gallery for the meeting next Tuesday morning whether they are prints or original. Are they art? They are certainly decorative. I find them quite pleasing and wonder, just wonder, if they are waiting to be called into action — perhaps as part of the gallery's title.

Fiona has asked for a volunteer to do a gallery sign for the shop fascia. I don't know if anyone has come forward yet, but if you have any ideas, then please then to me (as a .jpg file) and I will post your idea(s) to the blog.

Why size doesn't matter

2010-03-11T01:51:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I popped into Thomas Helwys Baptist Church, a few yards away from Church Square and the Crocus Gallery, and spent a few enjoyable minutes with Claire and her colleagues in the art group, which meets in the church hall every Monday from about 1–2pm. Before the class begins you can enjoy a large baked potato with various fillings for just 50p, so it's really about more than just painting and drawing. It is about being in good company and enjoying life as it should be.

Most of the time, the group was oblivious to me as I snapped away with my camera. The pleasure was palpable and I thought to myself if our Crocus Gallery project is able to bring small groups of people together in this way to do all manner of artistic things then it will be a great success. I look forward to seeing similar groups sitting at tables in the Gallery, talking to one another, or simply content to be quiet and working away in the company of others.

I was also conscious of the fact that what Claire and her colleagues were doing, and what we want to do in the Crocus Gallery, could not be achieved by a college, a local council or even the Workers' Educational Association (WEA). Even the University of the Third Age (U3A) might struggle. For all of them, the bottom line would be numbers and finance. Local and neighbourhood art and craft activities have different roots and different priorities — at grass roots level, providing there are three or four of you, size really doesn't matter.

I know that the Thomas Helwys Art Group is planning to put on an exhibition in the Crocus Gallery once it is open and on the basis of what I saw on Monday, I look forward to seeing their work on display. There may be similar groups in and around Lenton, small in size, but big when it comes to sharing enthusiasm and skills. I am sure as the Crocus Gallery community arts project progresses, other groups will come to our attention and all should know that they will be welcomed by us with open arms.

The joy of things that just happen

2010-03-07T05:11:00.000-08:00

In this blog's first posting on 15 February, I said of our first meeting that 'there was a clarity of intent, but a vagueness of how (which) is not as bad as it may seem, for it means that no route or approach has been excluded'. And so it is proving to be. Just three weeks later and the gallery space is taking shape. Fiona from the Forum and Parbinder from the City Council are providing leadership and guidance to a motley crew of volunteers and enthusiasts, all drawn to the project for a wide variety of reasons. At the moment, the project is just happening and people are finding or making a niche for themselves.

The message our community led arts project wants to send out across Lenton and Nottingham is that everyone is welcome.

Compare this pic with the one I posted last week. A second coat of white paint has worked wonders and it really is beginning to look like an art space.

Ali came along this Saturday for the first time and was soon at work putting a second coat of paint onto the window frames. I call this my 'Ali through the window' snap which has caught, quite by accident, a reflection of the Lenton flats, which appear to be inside the gallery — which is, of course, where we want many of their residents to be on a regular basis, as both visitors and volunteers.

Outside, Rexx, roller in hand, has a chat with Richard, a Crocus Café stalwart and cook. Above them and the door you can see 'no1' — which is why some volunteers have suggested that we should call ourselves 'the no.1 gallery'. Some would like to call it 'the crocus gallery' because this name helps to promote the Crocus Café next door and increases the 'brand' profile. A compromise might be to call it the 'crocus gallery' with the strapline 'Lenton's no.1 gallery'. There might be other name suggestions. If you have another idea for a name, please tell us and we can post it on the blog, then we can have a vote of some kind — with a paragraph about each preferred name, then we vote by email or simply phoning the Forum office? We need to settle on a name by the end of March, so that we can begin promoting the project.

This Saturday, our local Nottingham city councillor, Dave Trimble, dropped in and for a few minutes he lent a hand touching up. He's a dab hand with a paintbrush and suggested that we ask the City Council to guarantee the project use of the shop for at a fixed period, rather than the 'sudden death' arrangement we have at the moment. It is early days for the project, but the will and support is clearly there for this to be a long-term project.

Across from Dave, Ali was learning fast and had graduated from a paintbrush to a roller. Outside, Parbinder was chatting with the project's latest visitor, Morag, who came with an example of her origami work. People are hearing about the project and want to see what's happening. Once there are things on the walls to see and actvities to do, we will have even more visitors.

So, what next? Well, we need to find a picture hanging system for the walls and feelers are out to see if there are any going spare anywhere. Contacts have been made with Nottingham Contemporary and Nottingham Castle Museum. If you have any contacts who might help, please contact Fiona at the Forum office.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the blog.

What a day it was!

2010-02-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

On Saturday a bunch of us Crocus Gallery enthusiasts spent the day together painting walls, filling holes and generally bonding ourselves into a team. I took a fair number of pics of the team at work, which I have posted to a page on my website. To see them all, simply click here.

By way of a follow-up to my last posting, I showed my version of a pic which Fiona and some others posed for when a photographer from the Nottingham Evening Post came along so that a pic could be taken to accompany a news story in the paper. It appeared on Friday, but the pic used was one taken as an after-thought of me and Fiona. The page has been cropped and only part of the news item shown, so that I don't infringe the NEP's copyright. To see the full story and a picture link on their website, click here.

I'm not sure what happens next. I will check with Fiona and do an update tomorrow. We should also know what the preferred name of the project is, as Fiona asked the team on Saturday for their views.

Finally, I couldn't resist this pic of Fillipe, the student journalist from Nottingham Trent University, who came along with Chloe to do a news story about the Crocus Gallery for the University's TV station. Saturday was obviously such a 'slow news day' that he decided there was news to be made from watching paint dry!

The Post man comes to take pics

2010-02-25T05:09:00.000-08:00

Fiona puts a preparatory stroke of white paint on a Gallery wall yesterday, with other volunteers on hand, for the man with a camera from the Nottingham Evening Post. With the help of some publicity in the local newspaper, the Forum hopes to alert people across Nottingham to this new arts project in Lenton's Church Square shopping precinct and next to the Crocus Café, so as to attract more volunteers and others with a potential interest in this exciting community led arts project. I took advantage of the photographer's skills in getting the group to pose for his pics and took a couple of my own. The young man with no name I'm afraid is an interested volunteered from Sherwood. Second right is Deborah, then Ruth and Fiona, all from the Forum. The others present were camera shy.

Parbinder Singh, who works for Nottingham City Council's as the Area 8 community link for Dunkirk and Lenton, was also at the gallery for the photoshoot. I first met Parbinder in the early-1980s when we were both involved in, what at the time, was the pioneering Nottingham Community Arts Project in Hyson Green. So to have Parbinder supporting us is really good news. I am sure he will do all he can to help, as will our two local city councillors, Zahoor Mir and Dave Trimble — we may be short of cash and have no guarantee of how long we can stay in the empty shop, but we have lots of goodwill and support from those who could well help to make the project permanent if we show signs of making the project viable.

Fiona will at the Gallery space this coming Saturday, from 10am until about 4pm, to lead the volunteers who turn up to help the tidy up and, hopefully, brushing down the walls and painting the white. Volunteers are still needed, so if you are interested please contact Fiona and her colleagues at the Forum office , tel: 0115 941 9525.

I suspect the Evening Post will run its pic and story about the project in the next day or two, so if you read it, then keep your eyes open for Fiona with her brush.

The day an idea became a project

2010-02-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday (11 February 2010), ten people sat around a table in the Crocus Café in Church Square, Lenton, in inner-city Nottingham and discussed whether or not to proceed with a community led arts project, which has been spoken of off and on for quite a few years. The meeting had been called by Fiona from the Dunkirk and Lenton Partnership Forum after Nottingham City Council agreed to let the Forum use the empty shop next door to the Crocus Café free of charge until such time has a new occupant, willing to pay rent for the shop, can be found.

For part of 2008 and 2009, the Crocus Café were trying to raise the money to extend into the shop and Fiona sees this project as a way of helping to raise the visibility of Church Square and, hopefully, creating a community led arts project which can eventually afford to rent the shop and work with Crocus.

I think it fair to say that at our first meeting today there was a clarity of intent, but a vagueness of how. It is not as bad as it may seem, for it means that no route or approach has been excluded. The project or the planned arts space has been given no name as of yet, so I have taken the liberty of calling it, for now at least, 'The Crocus Gallery Project'.

Fiona from the Forum had publicised the meeting beforehand and attracted nine people. In my pic, you can see, from left, Yusuf and Charlotte, both local artists. Then Marion, Rexx and Sue, all of whom have been involved in museums and art galleries as professionals at some stage. Next there is Clare, Vida and Fiona. Missing is me, Robert, as I was taking the pic, and Emma, who arrived just after I had taken this pic. Listening to the group talk, I was impressed by the range of skills and experience there were, but, above all else, the enthusiasm.

I see my own contribution as this blog and a pair of helping hands. In another life, I was actively involved in the creation of the Nottingham Community Arts Centre in Hyson Green, but that was a long time ago.

The aim is to create an art space where local artists and others can display their work and wares. If they wish to sell them, then some mechanism will need to be found so that the Gallery can receive a modest commission to help with running costs. Publicity will also be important, as the aim is to attract visitors from a wide area around Lenton. A 'Lenton Arts Map' was also mentioned, with Church Square at the centre and showing other Nottingham galleries, perhaps including a 'Crocus Nottingham Arts Tour', with a break for lunch at the Crocus Café.

There was talk of running workshops, perhaps beginning with beads. What this all too short session revealed was the potential of the project to help raise the profile of Lenton in positive and new ways.

The empty shop next to the Crocus Café, which Nottingham City Council is letting the Forum use free of charge until a tenant can be found or we can make 'The Crocus Gallery' so successful that it can afford to pay the City Council rent.

The door to the shop is opened by John West from the City Council, with Fiona looking on. There is no going back now.

Inside, group members look around and assess what it is that they are taking on, whilst on the left, Fiona signs the necessary forms and gets the keys to the shop. The Forum has some money to help cover heat and light costs, but there will, clearly, be a need to find additional funding and practical support for some of the work which needs to be done to make the space secure and attractive (eg. creating a 'security' lobby and reception/information corner near the entrance lobby).

As you can see from the picture, the shop space is open and clear from clutter. There is room at the rear of the shop and a toilet area. It needs painting and Fiona has alreadt received an offer of paint from M-S Estates. Marion, Rex and Susan quickly established, and agreed, that the walls are as such that there will need to be a hanging system and some display lighting installed. As a first step, the Forum is going to ask the new Contemporary Nottingham Arts Centre if they can assist in any way, given that their pre-launch publicity made great play of their commitment to community outreach work.

There is a need to get the show on the road quickly, so the first 'work day' will on Saturday 27 February 2010 (10am start, with more details shortly, cake and sandwiches will be provided), with a view to having the Gallery open from Easter, with a formal opening on May Day Bank Holiday (3 May) or the Spring Bank Holiday (31 May). This is an ambitious timetable and it may need revisinng, but it does provide something for the group to think about.

If you would like to be involved in some way, please contact the Forum office direct, tel: 0115 941 9525, email: forum@dunkirkandlenton.co.uk.