Spring Magic Exhibition

The Arts Society Camberley held its second Spring Magic Exhibition during the last weekend of the Spring Term, miraculously without snow, hail, or too much rain. The Exhibition contained work from thirteen Surrey Heath primary/infant schools, and was opened on the Thursday afternoon by Kari Butler from the Young Arts team at The Arts Society House.

Yet again, the Exhibition delighted us all with the quality and variety of the work submitted. We have never imposed themes or artistic techniques on the schools, and believe the exhibition to be the richer for this. Certainly, there were many techniques involved in the art the schools sent us: paintings, collage work with beads, strings, ribbons and other tactile materials, computer generated art, natural material exhibits caught in photographs and laminates, framed personalities created from nuts, bolts and other curiosities and a wealth of 3D and sculpted exhibits. These included dragons, rockets, aliens, cups and fruit bowls, suspended aeroplanes, ethnic masks and some very exciting clay sports people.

Spring Magic takes well over a year to bring to fruition, and we have learned the importance of maintaining contact with Heads or the appointed Art Co-ordinators throughout this period. We go into schools to visit new people in charge, to explain what happens, and keep reminding everyone of the deadlines for certain parts of the organisational process. We like to feel we establish a relationship with the art co-ordinators we are dealing with, some of whom are art specialists, most of whom are not. Whatever we do to advertise the event in the local community, it is the advertising done by the schools which is so important to the success of the exhibition, and we are completely in their debt for this. We send in flyers and posters both in hard copy and electronically, for use around school, on their websites and in newsletters to parents. Both we and the schools took to Facebook this time round, with beneficial effects. When the schools have decided on their exhibits, we send in small Congratulations cards for the young artists, which also serve as an invitation for the whole family to visit.

Friday is the day on which the schools are invited to walk children down to the Exhibition: we were overwhelmed with the numbers this year, many groups arriving in the course of the day, and two schools bringing every child to see the art. The response of the children is hugely rewarding: they seem at first overwhelmed by the amount of “their” work on show, in a public space, but soon start to look at the art very carefully, noticing things that we, as non-artist adults for the most part, have failed to appreciate. They were also generous in their praise for the art of other people, no matter whom, and if asked were very good at explaining the reasons for their preferences! Several children told us proudly, ”I had art in the last exhibition as well”, which was encouraging, as it shows the event remains in their memories, and is becoming a feature of school diaries. Teachers have always been very appreciative of the event, for various reasons, but the response of pupils and teachers always makes the effort worthwhile, and it is surprising how good it makes all involved feel. Our society is only a small one, but the experience of coming together to produce the Spring Magic event for the local community, as a shared effort and achievement, is a very valuable, intangible asset.

Saturday is a day we all enjoy: children who have already seen their work frequently bring their parents to have a look as well, and those from further away bring parents and family to see their work in a public exhibition for the first time – there are many proud family members in the Hall on that day, and all seemed very thrilled that such an Exhibition takes place. Arts Society volunteers were there to chat to visitors about the art, and what The Arts Society is, AS stickers were dispensed to the artists, the tea-room flourished, and sadly, although in record time, Spring Magic 2018 was put away to became yet another happy Arts Society Camberley memory.

Enormous thanks to the children, teachers, Young Arts group, Committee members past and present, society members and all our other friends who helped in any way at all.