26B Rathbone Market was a shop unit earmarked for demolition to make way for a new housing development During an interim period designated by contractors John SISK & Son, the unit was transformed into a temporary creative community hub which became known as Rosetta Rathbone Art Studios or RRAS. Consisting of an old public facing shop space, a kitchen area, two toilets, and back room storage spaces, it was a hive of lively activities with a range of programmes and initiatives from artists-in-residence, workshops, a gallery for exhibitions and venue for hosting special events for artists, families and school visits. This artistic intervention spanned almost two years providing rich cultural experiences and opportunities for thousands of local people, schools and groups of all ages.
As a community-facing gallery set up as part of RRAS, Rosetta Windows encouraged members of the public to interact with artworks without having to cross a threshold or walk in to a formally designated art venue. At the time, Newham was identified as an area in England least engaged with the arts, and our research suggested this was in part attributed to an element of elitism within the mainstream art world that was prohibitive to engagement – countering this was a vital part of the gallery’s ethos.
Rosetta Windows made steps towards breaking this barrier through the accessible approach of the exhibition programme, which was outward and community facing. The application process was free, simple, and made available to anyone to apply. Furthermore we encouraged and facilitated collaborative partnerships for artists to work together and with other organisations to produce exhibitions. We supported exhibitors with PR and marketing, installation and curation of the exhibitions and hosting the opening events.
The inaugural double exhibition ran from 1st July to 15th September 2011 and featured a group show entitled Here and Now – a showcase of the Mosaics Group work created by adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. Here and Now featured paintings, drawing and prints created by participants of the Young Newham Artists as well as Rosetta Arts Professional Development Programme. The exhibitions were officially opened by Cllr Paul Schafer, Lead Councillor for Custom House & Canning Town, and Anthony Greene, Site Agent for John Sisk & Son. The exhibition
The full exhibition programme is listed here:
Here & Now 1st July – 15th September 2011
A group showing of paintings and monoprints by Rosetta Arts resident artists, The Professional Development Group.
CAPTURE 19th September – 13th October 2011
As part of Photomonth: the East End Photography Festival, this exhibition showcases a variety of prints by photography students of Rosetta Arts.
Drawing Age 17th October – 30th December 2011
An inter-generational exhibition of drawings as part of the national campaign ‘The Big Draw’, featuring drawings from Rosetta Arts’ students from 8 years to over 70’s!
Waste 17th October 2011 – 9th February 2012
Photographs by David Allies-Curtis of a community in India, which survive on the sale and reuse of materials that would be considered as Waste in the UK.
Scary Objects 10th February – 21st March 2012
Paul Doeman champions everyday and sometimes neglected objects that we take for granted, consider boring or even throw away. Objects in his work fight back and show their personality.
Legacy 26th March – 20th April 2012
This exhibition showcased the art works created by the Children’s Visual Art School inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Values.
The Mirror of the Sea 24th April – 23rd May
Thi Bui, Alex King and James Phelps each explored, from unique perspectives, human relationships to the sea. Like fragments of biography the photographs told stories of exile, transience and escapism. The exhibition brought these varied works together with the work of local students and artists revealing their own connections to the sea.
Elements of Nature: Fire, Earth & Water 29th May – 21st June 2012
Three local artists, Frank Jennings, Karen Colley and David Ross explored concepts which related to the natural environment within their work. The works are connected in an elemental way through their use of natural materials that are integral to the creative process.
Dispersal 26th June – 19th July 2012
Photographers Marion Davies and Debra Rapp displayed their work that captured the last moments of an industrial culture before it made way for the 2012 Olympic Games. Over a period of eighteen months, from 2006-2008, they gained exclusive access to more than seventy businesses in the area that would later become the Olympic Park.
