Teacher Ian scoops Open2011 £500 first prize

Teacher Ian Dyke from Weymouth has won the £500 first prize in the fourth Dorchester ARTS Open art exhibition with his striking abstract painting System.
Ian, who teaches at St Nicholas and St Lawrence's Primary School said the work started as a study of field systems in Portugal but then gained a life of its own.

"I'm delighted to have won - especially as I was up against some really good competition," said Ian who received his prize from Dorchester ARTS' strategy director Chris Huxley.

Other winners were Lucas Weschke for his block print Token and Sarah Bunnell for her Giclee print Surfsce Tension. The exhibition, in the gallery at Dorchester ARTS is open every day until June 12, admission free.

Winning smile: Ian receives his £500 cheque from Chris Huxley of Dorchester ARTS

Open 2011 winner Ian Dyke explains his painting to  Dorchester Mayor Tess James

Round off the weekend with Dorchester ARTS Sunday Sessions !

Spend a relaxed Sunday evening in the company of some of the best of our local musicians and performers. With a mix of acoustic rock and blues, roots, folk, jazz and classical music. And a keenly priced bar that’s open all evening. LOCAL and ACOUSTIC is what the Sunday Sessions are all about, because we’ll be bringing you the very best music in the cool and relaxed ambiance of our new Gallery space.

What better way to finish off the weekend!



Sunday 11th September:
Helen Coombs with Salon Baroque
Dorchester Arts Centre 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm) £5 buy tickets
Helen will be rocking out the harpsichord together with her Baroque string players to give us an evening of the very best music and gossip from the 17th century - and beyond!
Its been a long time since Dorchester Arts Centre has hosted classical music and we hope this will be the first of many occasions.



Sunday 9th October:
Bag Of Rats
Dorchester Arts Centre 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm) £5 buy tickets

The Bag of Rats musical world, like the world of their furry namesakes, has no borders. They draw on Country, Blues, Punk, Jazz and Traditional songs and tunes, as well as their own original material, to create their verminous, psychedelic concoction. Committed to the swing and primal throb of traditional music, Bag of Rats play with joyous abandon that produces enough energy to give you sunburn.
So come and spend some time on planet Bag of Rats; just remember your sun block!

www.bagofrats.co.uk



Sunday 13th November:
y’Strel’s Band
Dorchester Arts Centre 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm) £5 buy tickets
y’Strel’s Band back at DAC for an evening of Music Hall and Victorian Parlour Ballads to help ease your way into the winter months.
www.reverbnation.com/ystrelsband
or just google for the crazy YouTube videos


Sunday 11th December:
Messiah in an Art Gallery
Dorchester Arts Centre 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm) £5 buy tickets
Yes, yes - we all try to catch at least one Messiah before the turkey arrives, but this is the one where you’re positively encouraged to turn up with your score and JOIN IN! With a funky band of professional musicians and a director of international repute, this is the Messiah to be seen at!
more info: ystrel@tiscali.co.uk

Judgement day for Open 2011 entries

Members of the Open2011 judging panel meet today to consider this year's entries in the Dorchester ARTS Open art exhibition.

Entries in this year's show are down, but that was no surprise, says Open2011 administrator Suzie Cox.

"With no Dorchester Festival this year and no Dorset Art Weeks, we were expecting entries to be less than last year, but what has really delighted us is the very high quality of work that has been submitted. It's going to be a very interesting session for our judges."

The juding panel, supported by Suzy Cox and Simon Barber, is as follows: Nigel Lord overall winner of the 2010 Open, Jane Burden of ArtXtra, visual art administrator Selina Malins and artist Julie Herring.

Work selected for the Exhibition will on show in the Dorchester ARTS gallery from May 28 -  June 12.