PUBLISHED March 4th, 2012 05:55 pm | UPDATED May 9th, 2018 03:13 am
For weeks now I have been walking past the stretch of Fort Canning Park which runs along the back of Clarke Quay, wondering to myself what was going to be made of the conservation building at it’s foot which had been restored. I secretly longed to myself that it would become an arts space. And so I could not contain my delight when my wish was granted when I found out that is precisely what it had become in the form of Viridian Art House (VAC).
What is remarkable about VAC is that it’s been conceived – and personally funded – by six passionate artists who are on a mission to use the space as a platform to appreciate the work of up-and-coming artists and provide a space where artists and art lovers can work and share. This in my mind is the true meaning of grassroots art.
The six artists – Shiah Chyi Yun, Joyce Loo, Teo Huey Ling, Chang Wei, Priscilla Teoh-Stoute and Chua Boon Kee – have lovingly converted the space into a wonderful little hub for the arts with combines gallery space, studios, classrooms and a quaint cafe with their earnest. Their hard work and passion is evident in every nook and cranny.
On the day it opened, it contained a showcase of the works of art created by the artists across a variety of media including claywork, sculpture, photography, print, drawing and painting. It’s proof that you don’t need big bucks to put an exhibition on and that the barriers to entry for showcasing your work as an artist can be broken down. Even the display fixtures re made by the artists themselves out of what they could lay their hands on – evidently mainly wood from crates.
In bringing this art space to the field, VAH promises to bring local sculptors, painters, photographers, ceramic artists, designers and many more in to hold classes, exhibitions, talks, and much more by offering out their space out to artists and art enthusiasts at rock bottom rates because quite simply, they are doing it for the love of art. This is the kind of grassroots activity which promotes local art exposure and sharing that we need more of in Singapore.
They will also be bringing into the mix workshops in a variety of disciplines including ceramic handbuilding, oil painting and photography workshops. And it doesn’t end there because of course what better way to appreciate and share art than over a good cuppa. Opening very soon is VAH’s on-site cafe where you can mellow out in the lush green surrounds of the park with a brew, sweet treat and artistic communal vibe. The cafe will also be the place to browse and buy a small collection of art pieces from local artists which to me – in the nightmare of gift-buying – seems like a genius move. Expect to pick up lovingly created pieces starting from under $100.
So folks, let’s support this art space and the collective behind it, and applaud it’s mission to be a hub for grassroots arts appreciation, sharing and showcasing. I know I will be.
Written by Ms Demeanour