The organisers of the Ruby Art Expo 09 have been stunned by the quality and quantity of art works submitted for show.

This exciting weekend of art is taking place on February 21st-22nd in Holsworthy Memorial Hall. Over 50 artists have been selected to showcase their work, and the exhibition will include over 270 works – all of which will be for sale!

As if that wasn’t enough, the weekend is also featuring an exhibition of the work of the late James Ravilious (courtesy of Beaford Arts), and an exciting workshop for young people entitled “Animated Worlds” with the artist Lucy Jackson (organised by the Plough Arts Centre). This workshop will enable a small group to young people to create their very own animated film – there are a few spaces still available!

By bringing together some of the very finest contemporary art from Ruby Country and around, the organisers hope to show just how rich and varied the art scene is in NW Devon.

One of the organisers, Tom Dixon, said, “We have been overwhelmed with the amazing work that has been submitted for the show. We felt it was important to showcase just how many artists there are in Ruby Country, and how good their art is. This is an aspect that sometimes gets overlooked in a rural area, but together with the Hatherleigh Arts Festival, the Salar Gallery and the Little Gallery on the Farm, we have a very strong artistic community which deserves support. Some of this material is genuinely world-class!"

The idea for a cultural event came from well-known local councillor Des Shadrick and in fact Des has directly supported the event. It is being organised by the Ruby Country Initiative with the help of local artists, the Salar Gallery and the Little Gallery on the Farm.

The aim if the event is to “showcase the very best art and creative visual work from Ruby Country and the surrounding area, through the creation and exhibition of artworks which celebrate the diversity and accomplishment of contemporary local artists". As well as displaying and selling the very best art from the local area, there will also be a Ruby Art Award for the best work from Ruby Country.

To find out more details, download and display the poster below or email ruby.country@devon.gov.uk . A limited number of invitations are still available to the Private Viewing on 20th February – please email if interested.

ArtExhibition_RubyCountry_A4.pdf[Adobe Acrobat PDF - 1.26 MB]