Hello world – it’s been a while

Hello world – it’s been a while

28 Jun 2018, Posted by kate_mercer in Cardiff, Community, Ffotogallery, In the news, Newport, Out & About, Work in progress

Kate Mercer – Self portrait 2018

Hello world – it’s been a while – and I’m sorry if you thought I’d ran away.

The truth is to some extent I did. Not out of choice but out of necessity. Call it a strategic retreat if you will, for both positive and negative reasons. As well as a number of large scale and high profile projects coming to fruition which I’ll mention briefly below, this has also been a time of personal growth for myself – I recently got married (as you may have seen on Instagram and other social media YEY!) and took some time out to renergise and reflect on the direction I wanted my photography and practise to go. It’s been hard work, but well worth the effort – let’s see where we go from here.

Big shout out to the team at Business Wales for their time, teaching and valuable insight in to helping me grow as a small independent business – particular shout out to Nia (great teacher and formidable business woman). If you ever get stuck or need advice, get in touch and see what courses and advice they may offer.

As for what else I’ve been up to? Well, read below! Thanks again for bearing with me – normal / more frequent posting shall resume hence with.

TTFN, Kate x

 

The David Hurn Collection of Photography at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales

 

Boxes of prints from The David Hurn Collection enter Amgueddfa Cymru – 2017

For a number of years, I have worked behind the scenes with Magnum Photographer David Hurn, firstly as an assistant on the Multistory ‘Open For Business’ UK touring project in 2013, assisting him on shoots and looking after his studio, until September 2017 when his personal edit of 1500 photographs and personal collection of other photographers images was gifted to Amgueddfa Cymru.

Following on from the success of their Natural Images project supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation which digitised the museum’s photography collection from across their departments, this marks a further boost for photography in Wales, and a clear marked policy of collecting photography at a national level. As well, with the appointment of Bronwen Colquhoun as Senior Curator of Photography, this marks an important milestone for women in photography in Wales too!

You can read more about the inaugural show here: https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/9682/Swaps-Photographs-from-the-David-Hurn-Collection/

 

Celf Ar Y Bryn Casnewydd – Art On The Hill Newport

 

Art On The Hill Newport – AOTH.NP20

After what started out as a conversation between fellow photographer Sarah Goodey, Chairman of micro-art centre The Cwtsh Alan Roderick and myself one warm evening last year, November 2017 saw the west side of Newport come alive with an open-house and art trail. Bringing together over 20 venues across the city, 15 homes opened up by residents, and involving over 60 artists in the programme, it was IMMENSE. All we can hope is that we get a similar response next time.

AOTH shall return this year, the dates of which will be the 23rd/ 24th /25th November 2018 – find out more: https://www.facebook.com/AOTH.NP20

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Photographing People – Education at FFotogallery

 

Students sharing work on the Photographing People course at FFotogallery, taught by Kate Mercer. 2018

I’m pleased to say that these courses are still running as part of the cultural programme of Ffotogallery – Wales’ agency for photography and moving image. Celebrating 40 years as an organisation, there are some big changes a foot including a change of venue! As such, it’s been a challenging time re: teaching, but the course promises to return bigger and better than ever before. Striking the balance between academic and skills based learning sometimes prooves tricky, but the more teaching I’ve done through this course, the more confident and more experience based it my teaching seems to have become – coincidentally too, much more fun.

All courses at Ffotogallery in partnership with Bridgend College based at Cardiff Arts Academy on Trade Street return in for Autumn 2018 – more information here: https://www.ffotogallery.org/learn