Artel History
In January 1999 three artists from Chichester called an open forum meeting of artists to meet together and discuss whether or not an artists group would be viable. Out of this initial meeting 17 artists formed the group and decided to call it ARTEL from the Russian word artel- a workers guild, a cooperative union or organisation.
The group is based primarily in Chichester, West Sussex, but this base includes artists living in Hampshire, East Sussex and London. The nearest professional artist groups are in Portsmouth and Brighton and in the course of setting up the group links are made with Artspace in Portsmouth and Red Herring in Brighton.
Artel Studio Trust was formed as a non-profit making company in 2000. Although one of the primary aims was to find affordable studio space, the group found it difficult to find a space that was available for long enough to justify investment and attract support. As property prices in the area rose, already well above average, the objective of finding studio space seemed to recede.
However, what has emerged over time with networking, group events and exhibitions, is a core community of artists, who work not only on their own professional practice but also share their skills in collaborative projects.The problems of isolation, lack of affordable studio spaces, and few galleries or exhibition opportunities haven’t changed since the formation of Artel.
The members of Artel have focused on forging links with a variety of institutions like the Chichester College University, Chichester District Museum, Southampton Oceanography Centre and Arts Council England to name a few. The resulting support, collaborative projects and exhibitions are making a difference not only for the artists but also for the public. We hope to continue to play a role in promoting art, engaging the public and facilitate a dynamic artistic community.
