The first arts partnership project, between Bideford and Manteo, came to fruition on Friday 3rd June 2011. The Bideford Bay Creatives lead exhibition at the Burton Art Gallery in Bideford went very well. There was a very good turnout on the evening of Friday 3rd June for the Postcard Exchange with eight pieces being sold on the first day. Although a 6×4 postcard is very small many of the visitors stayed for over an hour reading the 60 suspended images and their text reverses.
In October 2010 Dave and Sadie Green, representing Bideford Bay Creatives (BBC) met with the arts community in Manteo, North Carolina, Bideford’s twin town. This was part of a Winston Churchill Travel Fellowship for Sadie and a NAN go-and-see award for Dave. The aim in Manteo was to extend the hand of friendship from Bideford’s arts community and to work towards making links and strengthening the bond between the two towns through the arts. Sadie worked with Laura Martier, director of Dare County Arts Council (DCAC), based in Manteo, on a three year plan and Dave collaborated with Fay David-Edwards, gallery director of DCAC, on the first partnership project, an Artists Postcard Exchange. This project gives an artist in the Bideford or Manteo area an opportunity to make contact with their twin via a postcard, handmade in any medium, to reflect in image and words something unique about where they live. Up to six postcards can be made, half of which will be exhibited in their home town and half will be sent to their twin town and exhibited in a group show there. The exhibitions will open simultaneously on June 3rd to coincide with Manteo’s 1st Friday (of the month) celebrations and the Appledore Visual Arts Festival (AVAF) three miles downriver from Bideford.
To take part in the Postcard Exchange you need to be a DCAC member, Dare County resident or a member of Bideford Bay Creatives. A leaflet, brochure or, what the Americans call a prospectus, is available now as a download for our Postcard Exchange at from the BBC website.
