The Visual Art Network's aim is to raise the profile of the visual arts
in Shropshire and beyond.

In November 1999 a group of artists felt that the visual arts was under represented in the Shropshire region and called a public meeting in Shrewsbury. Artists and non-artists attended the meeting and the Visual Art Network was established.

VAN is a charity with a constitution that states its main aim…

To promote, maintain, improve and advance education by developing public appreciation and understanding of visual arts and by improving access to, and the quality of, the visual arts in the county of Shropshire and its environs.

Development
The inclusive mix of artists and non-artists has continued and has given VAN access to numerous skills, networking contacts and has become a strong lobbying platform for the arts.

Since its first meetings VAN has worked to raise the profile of the visual arts in and around Shropshire and to promote the value of visual art in the community as a whole.

VAN is a non-selective network, its membership made up of artists and non-artists supportive of its aims. VAN's voluntary committee is formally constituted to manage day to day running of the network. VAN's strength is in its membership and relies on its members coming forward with projects and ideas. It is important that members show an active interest and involvement in VAN projects to keep it alive and well.

Since its inception VAN has been a major driving force for cultural development and is directly and indirectly responsible for the inception of many different arts related projects in the region and has significantly kick started the growth of the arts in Shrewsbury . VAN is currently exploring ways to support visual art activity across Shropshire and is actively making links with other networking groups in the region.

VAN Projects to date

Lobbying
Lobbying is a constant role the trustees perform and takes the form of;

By lobbying, we help to create an increasingly favourable climate in order to see, appreciate and produce visual arts in Shropshire .

The trustees have been actively involved in lobbying the councils and businesses to support the visual arts. This has proved to be very successful throughout Shropshire .

Networking
By getting involved in the network and by volunteering, attending meetings or joining a project, many partnerships have been created that have developed outside of VAN. Exciting examples of these include;

There are many exciting new partnerships evolving;

Shrewsbury Visual Art Festival
Branded “This is Art” to illustrate the inclusive festival flavour, 2004 saw the 5 th annual visual art festival and is now a partner of the new 3 month combined arts festival Shrewsbury Summer Season. The visual art festival has introduced established and inspired festival culture to Shropshire 's county town.

Art in Shop Windows, a major International Open Art Competition, A4E Art for the Environment Trail, Shrewsbury Open Studios, Artist Collaboration Projects, talks and many more events, all are part of Shrewsbury 's cultural calendar.

VAN Roadshow
A project to take an exhibition of VAN members works to different parts of Shropshire . Exhibitions were held at Wem and Bridgnorth but the VAN ran out of steam as not enough volunteers supported the project.

Artists Meetings
Monthly social meetings for artists. These stemmed from the early general meetings that led VAN decision making. As the organisation grew and projects were decided upon, day to day decision making became too cumbersome for big group discussion, so a more social feel emerged. The meetings depended on a volunteer social secretary co-ordinating and attending. Meetings will start again in Feb 2005.

VAN Website www.vanetwork.co.uk
A site was developed by volunteers to provide information about VAN, pages for news and project information, a bulletin board for members, artist's pages and a virtual artist's studio. Digital artists have been in residence, work experience students engaged in visiting and documenting arts projects and creating web pages that were posted onto the site. Due to growing time demands made by the site that couldn't be met it has been simplified and focuses on artist's pages and VAN news and information.

The Artist's Eye Newsletter
A bi monthly newsletter including visual arts news, exhibition reviews, opportunities for artists and local exhibition listings.

The climate for the visual arts has changed in Shropshire since November 1999, not in the least due to the efforts of The Visual Arts Network.

In Shrewsbury we now have an Arts officer, a dedicated contemporary public art gallery, a Moving Image Theatre, more commercial galleries, new contemporary public art , a major established visual art festival, and the re-branding of Shrewsbury by the Council as a cultural destination.  

In Shropshire artists now regularly open their studios. Visual artists are recognised as creative industries and have received major European funding .

Membership benefits
As a member you will be supporting visual arts development across Shropshire and its borderlands. You will find out about many opportunities to get involved in visual art projects in the newsletter and at network meetings. You will be able to join projects that help promote your work, meet other artists and to support a powerful lobbying platform for greater visual art provision in the region.

It is VAN's intention to develop services that help the creative community sustain their practice over time. We hope to develop services such as access to advice, specific training opportunities or access to expertise, artist's portfolios database that promotes artists linking to business as well as researching issues of studio provision and exhibition opportunities in the region.

It is an ambitious list but by joining with us you can help us make it all happen.

To join Visual Art Network contact Dave West,
VAN Secretary, 4 Gorse Lane, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury SY3 0JJ - email admin@vanetwork.co.uk