The Roerpost Collaboration Project II

Our purpose is to bring international artists together using collaborative projects as a pipeline for the flow of creative energy, the development of friendships, and the celebration of the freedom of expression.

We paired 24 Esbjerg artists from Blå Døre with 24 Halifax artists from ArtFocus. Each artist started a work on paper. These works were sent across the Atlantic to be finished by their artistic partner. The work then made a return trip to its creative origin. Each artist subsequently created a new work in response to the experience of the collaboration in a medium of their choice.

There will be exhibitions in Halifax end of 2017 and in Esbjerg beginning of 2018. The exhibits will each consist of 48 collaborative paper pieces and 24 individual artist responses.

About the Name "Rørpost"

Rørpost  is a pneumatic tube in Danish. In the past pneumatic tubes were used in department stores to make change or exchange paper messages. In this case Rørpost is a metaphor for sending the paper exchange and art ideas across the Atlantic.

Roerpost on Facebook

Blå Døre / Blue Doors, a group of Danish artists in the town of Esbjerg, were formed in 2003 to establish an annual event called Åbne Døre / Open Doors. Åbne Døre takes place in the various Blå Døre member's workshops, ateliers and galleries. This event takes place annually on the 4th weekend in September.

Esbjerg are rightfully proud of being a strong artist community with many interesting profiles, who produce high-quality art. Blue Doors is an association, which proves that it is willing to renew itself and seek new inspiration repeatedly.
Since the last time Blue Doors took place, some of the members have been involved in an exciting cooperation with artists from Houston, Texas. The idea came from Esbjerg’s identity as EnergyMetropolis and membership of World Energy Cities Partnership, which is a global network for the leading energy cities. This resulted in an exciting process, where an art collaboration took places across the Atlantic. Art became a bridge-builder and added a new dimension to a professional cooperation. This initiative does not stop here, because this new Roerpost collaboration with Halifax, Canada is is already well underway.

The artist

Alf Pedersen + Rosemary Young

Astrid Hygom + Andrea Pottyondy

Birgit Juhl + Becky Thompson

Connie Borgen + Chris C. Brobeck

Ella Biltoft + Violet Rosegarden

Flemming Rendbo + Kay Stanfield

Gitte Hadrup + Brandt Eisner

Iben Holm Kongsbak + Lee Cripps

Jette Dümke + Kitt Clarke

Johny Wilslew + Patricia Lindley

Jytte Jespersen + Cathy McKelvey

Lars Henning Andersen + Rose Adams

Lene Vilslev + Lynn Rotin

Liv Ejdesgaard + Barbara Schmeisser

Lotte Lambæk + Philippa Borgal

Marianne Skjølstrup + Rae Smith

Niels Kongsbak +Jacqueline Steudler

Per Lenholdt + Monika Wright

René Iversen + Maritza Miari

Søren Morns + Anne Lancelott

Ulla Holt Poulsen + Carol Smeraldo

Erling Lyngholm + Faith Wiley

Susan Reeves + Ron Kuwahara

Tina Asmussen + Susan Feindel

 

For the past 4 or 5 years on the third Wednesday of the month, a variety of artists gather at the Wooden Monkey in Alderney Landing, Dartmouth, NS. We break bread, share a drink and talk. The discussion is largely unstructured though occasionally directed by a member suggested theme. Numbers range from half a dozen to two dozen artists and topics range from current topics in art to mundane issues (shipping art).

This group has evolved out of the previous VANS (Visual Arts Nova Scotia) regional rep structure. Anna Horsnell Wade as the rep for many years hosted the immensely popular coffee nights (in various locations). Artists working alone in their studios welcome the opportunity to meet with other artists and discuss topics of mutual interest. When VANS discontinued the reps the coffee nights stopped. A year or so later, instigated by Susan Feindel and Carol Morrison, this group was revived as ArtFocus.

ArtFocus members have work in collections across Canada and around the world including the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, France, Norway, Poland, Hungary, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, the Philippines, India, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand.