This week Bill and I had a very fruitful meeting with the Powis General Manager, Emma Thompson, about the forthcoming exhibition. We have now got dates for our exhibition so the countdown begins.

The Private View is going to be on the afternoon of the 8th November and the exhibition will run until 28th November.

My work will be displayed in the Annex (between the cafe and the shop) and Bill’s in the ballroom.

At the meeting we drank tea and talked about the practicalities of hanging / displaying out work and times and dates to come in to set up and take down the work. We also discussed our work in more detail so that Emma could see exactly what we were intending to show.

It was a very positive meeting and I am very much looking forward to this opportunity to exhibit at a National Trust property. I need to pinch myself frequently that I am actually doing this. Powis Castle is an amazing location and is visited by many people. All these people will see my artwork and hopefully have an emotional response to it. I will need to record their responses (in the form of a visitors’ book).

I’ve really enjoyed working with the staff at Powis Castle and considering the objects in the castle for my project. It’s been very stimulating for me. One of the highlights has to be sitting in the sunshine with the peacocks by my feet talking to visitors to the castle about what they they thought about the Roman Cat statue. I met some very interesting people on that day from all over the world (Germany, New Zealand and Welshpool to name but a few locations).

Is this Alan?
Is this Alan?

The next stage now will be creating publicity material such as making a flier, designing and sending out invitations, updating web-based publicity (this blog, facebook, twitter); getting in touch with those in charge of PR at Powis and Shrewsbury College; making sure all the artwork is ready to be displayed (putting the videos on a looped DVD); planning the Private View; and deciding what to wear (a very important decision indeed) to the Private View.

Internet publicity is very important for promoting artwork
Internet publicity is very important for promoting artwork

I think October and November are going to be very exciting months.