Surrey Homes | SH101 | June 2023 | Education Supplement inside

Two Halves of a Whole
Art events are often split into two categories – those that teach us how to create and those that show us the
creations of others. The Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington seeks to blur the lines for a more dynamic
experience. We talk to Abigail Thomas, Visual Arts Curator (pink) and Gregory Emfietzis, Creative Learning
Manager (blue), to find out what makes this unique space tick
istockphoto.com/ Punnarong
hat exhibitions and events
do you have planned for
the coming months?
We will have Gaia by Luke Jerram and
Art Retreats in August too – it’s going
to be a crazy summer. There is so much
happening in and around Gaia. It’s more
than just an exhibition.
Yes Gaia is something I wanted to
programme for a long time. We expect
over a thousand people a day will be
coming to see it. I can’t wait for Gaia,
and the thousands of new audiences
that will be able to attend with the
free tickets we are giving away.
How do you make the Landmark
Arts Centre engaging for visitors?
I’ve always liked complementing
our exhibitions with live events or
demonstrations. Since being at the
Landmark, I have found that visual arts
audiences are rarely spectators, they are
passionate ‘thinkers and doers’. They
are the type of person who will get
more enjoyment from a deeper level
of understanding. I believe audiences
flourish when the arts scene is accessible
and exciting. For example, at a recent
art fair we chose to document the
event, not with photographs, but with
incredible drawings by a local artist. The
line drawings communicate more than
a photograph, and our visitors loved the
surprise of finding themselves depicted
in artwork which they could buy.
Yes and if someone is interested
in an artwork, we can enrich their
experience by showing them more
of the process and the practical. We
offer demonstrations, trial classes
and even year round courses.
What do you love most about your roles?
One of the reasons I love being the
visual arts curator here is that we aren’t
just a gallery – creative learning keeps
the building vibrant all year round.
It’s true. Somehow we manage to
squeeze more and more in every year.
The summer used to be a quiet time
for us, but this summer is the busiest
ever. I have loved working at the
Landmark for a long time, but I think
I am more excited about the work we
are beginning now than I have been
about anything we have done so far.
You recently got a new Director, Harper
Ray, how is his influence changing things?
Harper is always looking for ways to
engage and develop artists. He has
shown us how the bigger picture relies
on that. It’s a more collaborative and
supportive way to look at the arts.
That is true. Also, our departments – arts
curation and creative learning – were
always quite separate, and our audiences
were considered separate too, but now
we have been given the freedom to blur
the boundaries between the two. By
working together, we view art less as an
endpoint in the creative process, and in
doing so we make the arts scene more
sustainable. If your business was printing
books, then to be sustainable you might
plant trees and teach reading. For us,
growing both artists and audiences
improves the sustainability of our work.
One could see the number of exhibitions
we stage and think that the visual
arts programme is why we have arts
audiences, but they are not the driving
force, they are the proof. Well attended
exhibitions are evidence that the area is
full of passionate and informed people.
I agree, creative learning may not seem
in the same league as professional art
exhibitions, but learning about art
helps to grow an appetite for it, and
so our art classes develop an authentic
cultural landscape. It’s not enough
to put on an exciting exhibition – a
love of art needs to be nurtured
year-round in the community.
What are your art classes like?
The classes at the Landmark are taught
by exceptionally talented tutors who
are all working artists. When sourcing
tutors, we look for the same qualities as
we do for exhibiting artists – we both
value excellence and look for original
voices. We want to fill the building
with artists that have the capacity to
delight and inspire. But the classes
are also all about bringing people
together. Art is how we contextualise
the world and express ourselves.
We sometimes talk about creating a
‘culture of creativity’, in which we give
opportunities for everyone to be creative.
Yes, they are all about sharing a love
of the arts and a wish to communicate
that joy to others. My arts practice
can often feel like meditation, there
is no pressure of an endpoint, and
there is no exam. There is just the
joy of personal artistic endeavour. I
know our tutors also feel like this;
they are not simply giving instruction,
they are passing on their passion.
For more information about upcoming
exhibitions and classes at The Landmark
Arts Centre visit landmarkartscentre.org
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