Thursday 7 July 2011

Will You Help This Exhibition?

Will You Help This Exhibition?

A Graceful Death needs help from all of you.  I am painting again now, and creating more works to add to the next exhibition which will be in Birmingham in November 2011.  With each showing, the exhibition gets bigger and there is more to do.  Will you help? 

This blog has told the story of what I am doing, of what the exhibition means, how it started and the problems it encountered at first.  I started in 2009 with the very first exhibition of A Graceful Death, and there is much history in this blog for you to read.  You can see the paintings themselves on the top right of this blog, there is a small slide show.  You can read of the trials and successes of this exhibition and see how people react to it.

  I need your help though, I need you to come on board.  It is a wonderful exhibition and the work is piling up.  You can help by -

  • Donations to the costs of running the exhibition.  I make no money at all doing A Graceful Death, and charge nothing for the work I do nor for the creation of each exhibition at each new venue.  I hope for my costs to be covered and generally they are, but the administration, the organising, the transport, the printing of invitations, the catering, the paperwork, the following up of individuals who want to be painted and the actual painting of the pictures (include in that the wood that I work on, the paints, the time, the travel time to see and interview them) and the costs of Neill filming new people and all that goes with it - all this I have to find the money for.  I do receive such generous help from those who can donate money to the exhibition and all the costs associated with it, and I am very grateful, but the costs are constantly ongoing.  Once I have finished one exhibition, the next has to be planned, organised and more work created. There is a dedicated bank account for A Graceful Death for this exhibition only.  Please donate to AGD.  My email address for you to contact me is antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com
  • Donate services or time to helping with the maintainance and creation of exhibitions.  I have been amazed at the kindness and dedication of those who have donated services such as accountancy help, such as transport help, such as providing a venue for free.  Can you help with time or a service?  Services such as PR - helping to spread interest and understanding in the exhibition and the subject of the end of life expressed through art, help with marketing - interest people, organisations and fund raising bodies in funding and helping AGD.  Do you want me to give talks, with or without the paintings, on the end of life and art?  Do you want me to talk on the exhibition itself? Help with finding and supporting the exhibition in a new venue, help with contacting new people and organisations that may be interested in the A Graceful Death exhibition and what it stands for.  It stands for the opening up of a much needed and deeply longed for conversation of what it means to die and to be bereaved.  It does this through the medium of painting, poetry and film.   And also help with fund raising -  can you raise funds for AGD?  Are you good at finding funds from various bodies and organisations?  Can you help AGD to secure some funding?
  • Are you able to take part?  Are you at the end of your life and do you want to donate yourself and your story through painting, prose and film?  Are you, or do you know of anyone, who may be interested in taking part in the AGD exhibitions?  I visit and talk with those who want to take part, to discuss what we can do and what image to create.  I like to take notes so that I can reproduce your story to show with the paintings, and at no time is there any pressure to continue if you feel it is not for you.  The paintings are shown only if you agree.  If you are interested then email me and I will contact you back.  antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com
  • Are you a Survivor?  Have you survived the grieving process and want to be painted and say something?  Are you still in the grieving process and want to take part?  Have you survived a terminal illness or are you taking each day as it comes with a terminal illness?  Would you like to be painted and can you offer anything by your experience to AGD?  antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com

This exhibition and this work is my passion.  It comes from my heart and soul and I am moved to do these paintings, record these words and show you that we can face the subject of the end of life, and what it means.  I don't find it easy though, despite loving the work I do, and I am moved by the people taking part.  My next paintings include the lovely Nushi Khan Levy who is recovering from cancer, work with an articulate and brave man called Stuart who lost his wife to suicide, and with a lady who does not like the word Survivor, so I won't use it on her - Sarah has come through both cancer and the loss of her partner.  I am also very honoured to be able to exhibit the work of a very talented and deeply modest artist friend, Stevan Stratford, who is the artist in residence of a hospice here in West Sussex.  Stevan has much experience and a wonderful way of expressing his art.  All this will be exhibited at St Martin in the Bullring church in Birmingham in November.  

I am very grateful for your input and help.  Contact me, and I will call or email you back.  Thank you.