online exhibition introduction

Welcome to the 2021 end of course degree shows at Nottingham College. This year I am pleased we have managed a physical as well as online show. Albeit with a limited viewing. We also managed a temporary pop up show at the National Justice Museum. Despite having to hang fire for 3 months. Making it happen regardless is an essential skill for any aspiring creative. And these students have earned their stripes with aplomb.

Being an artist at its best can sustain you through troubled waters. Curiously it can be one of the things that makes the most sense in an oft bewildering world. Our cohort has faced tough personal and collective challenges that extend well beyond the issue of limited access to the studios and technicians during the spring lockdown.  I am proud of what the students have achieved in the face of this. I salute the students and their delightful array of work. There is no house style, just a rich variety of art to delight the eyes.

Seeing ex-students popping up in future shows is one of the best parts of teaching art.

My eyes are  already scanning the horizon. Hope, tenacity and pragmatism are as important qualities as raw creativity for all aspiring artists as they venture ‘saucily into the world’. Here’s hoping.  

Tom Hackett
Fine Art Lecturer
Nottingham College