Ian Thom: Artcelebration ’90

Committee Co-chair, Ian Thom, is interviewed about Artcelebration ’90 in the Community Arts Council Gallery in front of a large painting. Various art works are profiled.

Ian Thom: Artcelebration ’90 is the visual aspect of the cultural festival of Gay Games III. The form of the show was to have a juried competition.  We had three jurors: myself [Ian Thom], John Taylor and artist Persimmon Blackbridge. And we reviewed the submissions of about fifty artists, all of whom submitted a series of slides and, on the basis of that, we selected a group of artists. There was no criteria other than the fact that we wanted the work to be by professional artists and be of professional quality and to support the ideals and goals of Gay Games III. The work in the exhibition ranges from paintings to weaving to ceramic sculpture to prints and a number of water colours and drawings as well as a couple of collage works and some photography. The whole nature of the exhibition is informed by a certain kind of sensibility and a sensitivity to concerns of gay men and lesbians. And I think that is something that marks the whole exhibition and it marks all the cultural activities of the Gay Games III. And that is something we tried to celebrate as in the name Celebration ’90.