Wednesday 31 August 2011

Homer at SHOP

The lovely Ted Homer opened his exhibition of photographs of Sharpness Dock yesterday. He has been fascinated by the location for years after growing up nearby and this exhibition is the result of years of work snapping the village and surroundings with his wait for it .... 'film' camera!

Ted is in the arts space until Saturday.

Here's a few pics:







Tuesday 23 August 2011

NEW, NEW, NEW, NEW SIGN!

Recently we made our fourth - and hopefully final - attempt at SHOP-signage.

Who knows what the inspiration was, but we found ourselves on a sunny day last week standing on a step ladder with a can of metallic gold spray paint and a stencil of our SHOP bird 'H' in our respective SHOP-hands.

What began with a subtle and sweet bird on the front of SHOP, soon became a (possibly fume induced) obsession with painting everything in sight, gold and we decided the time had come to sacrifice our 'famous' red step for a new jazzy gold one. We're hoping someone doesn't try and steal it, as it looks quite bullion like.

We are rather enamoured (3 days and counting, still in the honeymoon period, but we think this 'un might be a keeper) with our new attempt, so here's some pics - hope you like it.

We already made this joke, but here it is again for your pleasure ... Jaynksy!

And this one ... Gold, GOLD! Always believe in your ... step? Ouch.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Joining The Dots: Preview

'Joining the Dots' is the new exhibition in SHOP's arts space. It's a group show of the sisters Almeida (Natasha and Chandra) and Bett Norris, all recent illustration graduates. This is the second time they have exhibited in the arts space and we are very happy to have them back!

Here's some pics from the preview, but it's best to come see for yourselves!


Some of Natasha's prints and cards

Scenes from Chandra's book 'The Three Sisters' on the left and Bett's alphabet on the right

Chandra's stamps from around the world

Bett, but with Natasha's work in the background

Drinkin' and talkin' art (with Bett's portraits of Virginia Woolf and Frida Kahlo in the background)

Mmmmmm mini snacks

The secret, not so secret door to the arts space

Virginia and Frida, by Bett Norris

Saturday 6 August 2011

Michelle Trepka: Greek Restaurant

Michelle Trepka has re-created a former world at SHOP with her new drawing installation in the Arts Space.

Once upon a time, SHOP was a Greek Restaurant and Michelle took this and other stories from residents and people who remember the Steps in times gone by, to create a series of large scale drawings based on these stories.


Here is 'George' who had a second hand bookshop at 5 Christmas Steps. He was very well known in the city for having a room of 'dodgy' books, which you had to know the special routine in order to gain access to. Michelle has cleverly placed the drawing so that if you turn around you can see the actual doorway in which he used to stand:


This is the original George keeping watch outside of his shop:

The area around Christmas Steps has long had a history of unusual shops and their shop-keepers. Pastimes has been at the corner of Lower Park Row for as long as anyone can remember and is still there - somewhat surprisingly - with is crumbling exterior and rotting window frames. The owner there told Michelle how he used to meet antiques dealers at the Greek Restaurant to buy and sell medals and other collectibles:


Finally, there is our Eddy. Eddy visits shop regularly, he has become a part of what we're about in a way. Sometimes his brings his saxophone or clarinet and sits and plays in the lounge. Sometimes he accosts Spanish or French tourists and uses them to practise this languages. But, the original reason he ever came into SHOP was because he used to visit the Greek Restaurant with his then girlfriend. He told Michelle of a time a resident living upstairs from the restaurant had shouted at him and girlfriend for kissing 'in public' - shocking for the day!


Eddy, today with his picture:


Eddy in SHOP when it was a Greek Restaurant:


The show runs until the 10th August and really is worth a look.

Tuesday 2 August 2011

AugTember Newsletter!

AUG-TEMBER!

Here is born a brand new month, one what we've created - all hail
AugTember! So called because the wee SHOP-lettes are taking a fun 'holiday'
thing (I think that's what they call them?) at the beginning of September so
we won't be here to provide your start-of-the-month-e-mither. So, this one
is just gonna have to last you, okay? And don't go asking for seconds
before you've finished what's already in your inbox, tsk tsk. You'll be the
death of us.

TALES FROM SHOP


A teenage girl approached the counter...
"Do you sell cloth?" she asked.
"Do you mean for dressmaking?" .
"NO! Magazine!" Came the reply.
"Oh, sorry no we don't"
The teenage girl left.

NEWS


We're all going on a summer holiday...well we are.
As of the 4th of September we will be setting off on holiday for a bit. As
of this moment we will be open during this time, so don't cry now! But, it
does depend on whether our SHOP-angel gets himself a proper job before then.
Obviously, we hope he does get a job. No, we really do ... honestly! Oh,
okay, no we don't we want him as our SHOP-slave!

Sign of the times...
For all of those SHOP fans who've noticed our SHOP sign missing, fear not
we're just having a little re-paint. For those SHOP haters...*RASPBERRY* IN
YOUR FACE.

Next week we will also be finally sprucing up the outside (weather
permitting). We've never really been happy with our signage outside and
there's no guarentee we will be after this latest attempt, but here's
hoping!

EVENTS

LUSH GORILLA PERFUMERY
Friday September 2nd, 4pm - 9pm

SHOP is extremely excited to be hosting Lush's Gorilla Perfumery's pop up
event on the 2nd September!!

There will be the full range of Lush perfumes for you to try, as well as
their B Side and Rarities range which is only currently available online,
where it can't be sniffed, so be sure to come along and get two nostrils
full!

The Lush team are also going to be providing delicious cocktails and cakes
based around the different ingredients of the perfumes.

This really is not to be missed, we might have said that before, but this
time we mean it!

EXHIBITIONS


Greek Restaurant - Michelle Trepka
August 6th - 10th, 12pm - 6pm

A drawing installation based on themes of memory.
There will a preview on Friday 5th August, 6pm-9pm

Joining The Dots - Group Exhibition
August 16th - 28th, 12pm - 6pm
A group exhibition featuring:
Natasha Almeida
Chandra Almeida
Bett Norris

Returning for their second group show at SHOP are the very talented group of
artists and illustrators.

There will be a private view on Tuesday August 16th 6pm-9pm.

Photography Exhibition - Ted Homer
August 30th - 3rd September, 12pm - 6pm

A collection of photographs of the village and port of Sharpness,
Gloucester.