Making it as an artist has never been easy, and the first challenge is often finding the right opportunity to get your work seen by the masses. That’s what Art Is Alive is all about – taking vibrant talent and showcasing it.

The latest Art Is Alive party happened on Wednesday 1st September 2010 in the Lower Deck cocktail bar of the Berkeley Square Hotel. It’s a glorious venue – a mouth-wateringly hip hotel housed within a Georgian building with a décor that blends history and modernity effortlessly. The cocktail bar is ideally suited to nights like this, with plenty of room for mingling and chatting, and a stage area for live music.

We arrived at 8pm, just as the party was getting started. Glasses of champagne helped the atmosphere to fizz as organiser Mike Cilliers said a few welcoming introductory words and folk singer, Ian Perry, began his set. Later, lilting Canadian singer/songwriter, Pearl Harvey, took to the stage with a mix of original songs and well-known classics.

The walls were adorned with Monika Matysik’s glowing manipulated photographs, with figures bleeding ghostlike across colourful backdrops. Grace Ekall’s fashion designs added a sculptural element – I loved her elegant high-heeled shoe built from a branch and seed heads. Grace’s daughter, Patricia, modelled one of Grace’s striking dresses for the evening, and made a stir wherever she went.

Everyone present was either a creative of some description, or had a passion for the creative arts. From poet Joanna Butler and singer/songwriter Anna Young, to radio presenter Phil Gibbons and video artist Charlotte Miller, there were plenty of interesting conversations to be had. That’s what these evenings are all about – the chance to encounter imaginative minds and potentially take your talent in a new direction.

The next Art Is Alive party will be on Wednesday 13th October 2010, with future events planned for 11th November and 1st December @ The Berkeley Square Hotel, Bristol

www.artisalive.co.uk

Judy Darley www.essentialwriters.com