PRESS RELEASE
7 June 2016
A new chapter for WITP as it becomes a formal Organisation and announces its Board of Trustees
Now in its fourth year WITP is delighted to announce that it is now registered as a company limited by guarantee.
This exciting new chapter enables WITP to continue to support contemporary artists by exhibiting their works in vibrant and exciting locations, giving them an opportunity for future success in the art world. WITP’s ongoing objective is to create, promote, maintain and improve opportunities for contemporary artists without compromise to their artistic exploration and development.
WITP also functions on a membership basis that is open to all fine artists and creative practitioners. They are encouraged to support and engage with one another, and communicate and exchange ideas and contacts. With 54 International and UK WITP artist members currently signed up and with no cap on our capacity, the organisation actively welcomes applications from all fine artists.
WITP Founder, Curator and Director Kate Enters has been joined by Brian Harris and Stephen Crampton-Hayward to form the Board of Trustees. This strong team will ensure that WITP continues to be an inspirational cultural resource.
The organisational structure and the Trustees are to be introduced on the 7 June 2016 at the private view of the next exhibition of WITP artists at The Clerkenwell Gallery, London. This vibrant collection of UK and International contemporary artists represents clearly the WITP ethos.
The Trustees:
Brian Harris is an Arts Development Consultant committed to the creation of facilities and programmes that provide the widest possible range of opportunities for people to be involved in the arts and culture. Brian set up and ran the Battersea Arts Centre for its first 3 years and has worked as an officer for the Arts Council of Great Britain and Greater London Arts and has served as a board member for a number of arts organisations.
Stephen Crampton-Hayward is a passionate supporter of the arts. He currently holds the post of Director of Finance at WorldSkills UK prior to which he spent four years as Managing Director of the Whitechapel Gallery, London. Stephen is the Board Member and Treasurer to Paintings In Hospitals and Trustee to The Children’s Discovery Centre, East London and The Cholmondeleys. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.
Fine Artist Kate Enters has extensive PR and events experience within the arts and creative industries. From the V&A Museum and Brunswick Arts to PR campaigns for RADA, The Raisa Gorbachev Foundation and supporting The Serpentine Gallery’s Summer Party. More recently her role has been administrative within the Architectural Industry enabling the return of her spare time. This was essential for her painting career and for the creation of WITP. Kate is also an art features writer for Wall Street International Magazine.
Kate founded WITP in 2012. She has a strong conviction that individuals working alongside each other create power through exchanging ideas and sharing information and contacts.
Since 2012 WITP has increasingly grown in size and success. In 2015, WITP’s annual exhibition (responding to the title ‘What Is The Point?’) at the Mall Galleries featured 35 artists, attracted 8,000 visitors, and produced 10 sales and 2 commissions.
WITP’s objectives are to:
- Provide a charitable platform for artists to share and sell their work without reliance on a formal commission structure.
- Create international opportunities for our members and emerging artists – through such collaborations we are embracing arts formative and imaginative potential for positive social change.
- Support our members by providing PR and marketing support as well as personal mentoring and advice to help them develop their artistic practice.
- Deliver a vibrant and exciting educational programme to ensure future art practitioners have the knowledge and tools to access and play an empowered role within the art world.
- Deliver similar more general education programmes for the visual arts audience particularly in respect of their relationship with working artists.
- Sell art at affordable prices and actively encourage first time buyers and visitors to engage directly with our artists. We work hard to be accessible to all.
- Provide an open submission platform for all artists – We are an equal opportunities organisation, ensuring we are fair and inclusive of all. We hope to continue to be a truly inspirational cultural resource.
WITP cannot deliver their programme without enlightened partnerships from established galleries and exhibition spaces. As an organisation dedicated to making art accessible for all, WITP also depends entirely on the support of charitable trusts, individuals and businesses to continue its unique and important work.
On that note WITP would like to extend their wholehearted thanks to Carter Backer Winter LLP: London Accountants, Tax & Business Advisors, who have donated a year of their time and expertise to ensure WITP is successfully established. Without the vision and support for the WITP ethos from Partner Nyall Jacobs and Senior Manager Tony Chin, WITP would not be in the position it is now.
Going forward, WITP has applied to the Charitable Commission to ensure their non-profit and charitable status is formalised. WITP will also be working hard to extend the opportunities for their members and emerging artists to a global level and approaching brands to support this development. WITP is already half way there; a confirmed exhibition at the Hille & Zotova Art Gallery, Amsterdam in November 2016, and in discussion with potential exhibition spaces in Italy, USA, Poland and Ireland for 2017. WITP is also pleased to announce that it will be hosting a month long group exhibition at the Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh in March 2017.
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www.witp-art.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #witp
Notes to editors:
WITP is a company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales: 10193210 Charity Commission registration is currently in process.
Contact:
www.witp-art.com / info@witp-art.com
Kate Enters – Director: kate@whatisthepoint-art.com
Ellen Schwartze – Marketing Director: ellen@whatisthepoint-art.com