Sue Pritchard
My name is Sue Pritchard and I like to make stuff. I have always created stuff from as far back as I can remember. I have had a career as an art teacher encouraging others to make stuff and now, in retirement, my own stuff making is taking over again.
Personal Profile
An enthusiastic and dedicated artist/educator with considerable success in mainstream education and in the generation and management of extra-curricular projects. A qualified teacher with many years’ experience as a practising artist.
Key Attributes
- An enthusiastic environmentalist using recycling to put across my message through my art.
- A creative artist in a wide range of two and three dimensional media.
- IT literate with experience of Windows, PC Paintbrush, Photoshop, digital cameras, projectors.
- A proactive networker with ability to liaise with artists, professional groups, specialist bodies and the media.
- A tenacious self-starter. Highly proficient at organizing and promoting exhibitions.
Career History:
- 2009-Date - Retired from teaching and concentrating on my own art
- 1990-2009 - Swadelands School, Lenham, Kent.
- 2001-2009 – Head of Creative Arts
- 1994-2001 – Head of Art
- 1990-1994 – Art Teacher
- 1987-1990 – Scholastic Publications Ltd
- 1987-1990 – Educational Consultant
- 1971-1976 – Davigdor School, Hove, West Sussex
- 1974-1976 – Teacher of Art with responsibility for textiles
- 1971-1974 – Teacher of Art and textiles
Qualifications / Education / Training & Development
- Word for Windows / Further Features Pitman Traing Centre Maidstone 1996
- BA Hons Fine Art Kent Institute of Art & Design 1994
- Certificate in Education Eastbourne College of Education 1971
Achievements
(Since retiring)
- Continue to sell work through craft fairs and exhibitions and have formed my own business: Sue’s Stuff.
- Started Can’t Sew Club with business partner which has successfully run ten week courses and one day workshops and continues to thrive.
- Took Maidstone Visual Artists Network to a more professional level with a constitution and elected officers, and continue as the secretary.
Achievements
(Practising artist)
- Won acclaim for innovative work using textiles. Resulted in an invitation to exhibit.
- Gained recognition as an artist with a strong track record exhibiting widely within Kent and Sussex, mainly in group exhibitions.
- Generated publicity and sales through solo exhibitions in 1996 ‘Internal Forest’ and 2005 ‘Sylva’.
- Initiated staff art exhibition to recognize and celebrate talent.
Exhibitions
2010
- ‘Solo – Trees’ – Craig Turner Gallery, Maidstone.
- ‘Maidstone Art Trail’ – Maidstone town centre shops.
- ‘MVAN Diversity’ – Graham Clarke Gallery, Maidstone.
2009
- ‘MVAN Summer Exhibition’ – Graham Clarke Gallery, Maidstone.
- ‘VIR-Art Exhibition’ – Cranbrook Library.
2008
- ‘MVAN Summer Exhibition’ – Graham Clarke Gallery, Maidstone.
- ‘VIR-Art Exhibition’ – Cranbrook Library.
2007
- ‘Forging Links’ – Worthing Museum.
2005
- ’21st Century Textiles’ – Shirehall Gallery, Stafford.
- ‘Sylva’ solo exhibition – Goldsmith’s Fine Art, Lenham.
- ‘Material Values’ – Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery.
- ‘VIR-Art 1′ – Maidstone Museum Gallery.
2004
- ‘VIR-Art 1′ – Maidstone Museum Gallery.
- Conquest Hospital, Hastings.
2003
- ‘Imago’ – Ramsgate Hospital.
2002
- ‘Drawn Together’ – Kent Music School.
2001
- ‘Start Again’ – Swadelands School, Lenham.
2000
- ‘Start’ – Swadelands School, Lenham.
1999
- ‘Virus 5′ – Market Buildings, Maidstone.
1998
- ‘Elements’ – All Saints Church, Maidstone.
1997
- ‘Reused’ – Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.
- ‘Unfolding Art’ – Maidstone Festival.
1996
- ‘Seen, Smelt, Heard, Felt’ – Gravesend Library.
- ‘Interior Forest’ solo exhibition – Whitstable.
- ‘Undercurrent’ – Kent Institute of Art & Design, Canterbury.
- ‘Take Two’ – Canterbury Festival.
- ‘Revival’ – Market Buildings, Maidstone.
1995
- ‘Space Between’ – Maidstone.
- ‘Small Wonders’ – Maidstone Museum and Art Gallery.
- ‘Kent Textile and Fibre Artists’ – Ashford Library Gallery.
- ‘Seen, Smelt, Heard, Felt’ – Royal Star Arcade, Maidstone.
1994
- ‘Orion Degree Show’ – Kent Institute of Art & Design, Canterbury.
- ‘Celebration 94′ – Eurotunnel Exhibition Centre.
- ‘Pulse’ – Market Buildings, Maidstone.
- ‘Kent Textile and Fibre Artists’ – Maidstone Adult Education Centre.
1993
- Crawley Arts Festival.
- Riviera Textile Exhibition’ – Hastings.
1992
- ‘Orion Diploma Show’ – Kent Institute of Art & Design, Canterbury.
1991
- ‘Sculpture at Canterbury’ – St Augustine’s Gardens, Canterbury.
- Wind powered kinetic sculpture sited at Museum of Kent Rural Life.
- ‘Local Roots’ – The Space Frame Gallery, Gillingham
Other Achievements
- Coordinate MVAN and produce monthly newsletter.
- Founded VIR-Art, an innovative and promotional community arts group.
- Worked as treasurer managing funds.
- Successfully generated funding for ‘Seen, Smelt, Heard, Felt’ exhibition.
- Commenced the development of a portable exhibition. Anticipated broader application, both for users and by bringing art to a wider audience.
- Introduced gallery education programmes which increased both the awareness and understanding of viewers.
- Chaired the Orion Degree Show Committee and played a major role in events organisation, and in setting up the post graduate Orion group which continues to exhibit annually.
Achievements
(Teaching)
- Updated the Art & Design syllabus at Swadelands in line with the national curriculum.
- Wrote a new departmental handbook setting up systems for student records, reports and rewards.
- Established an ‘A’ Level course now on it’s seventh cohort. Convinced management of it’s viability.
- Established links with local libraries to increase access to information for students.
- Involved the school in an ICT initiative; Art on the Net, introducing multimedia and performance art to the department.
- Took part in the Stour Valley Art Project.
- Attracted funding from NGFL for a special project to carry forward work begun in Art on the Net.
- Took part in the Eco Schools Initiative and Art/Maths project.
- Coordinated community textiles project to celebrate the Golden Jubilee and St. Mary’s 1200th birthday.
- Successfully coordinated Artsmark Gold application.
- Expanded the department to incorporate Textiles and Photography within a Creative Arts Department