Seeing the difference - Exeter and visual art

It's 10 years since I gave up my 'proper' job in London and headed off to Exeter to start a new one as a freelance artist and writer.  If I'd known then what I know now about artists' careers (not to mention rising fuel and travel prices) I might have stayed put.  But, at the time, it seemed important to put myself in a completely new place physically if I was going to be in a new place mentally. And, looking back, I'm pleased to see just how much Exeter has developed as a centre for visual arts.

When I graduated from Exeter School of Art & Design in 2006, the college was about to relocate to join its parent organisation, Plymouth University, and the prospects of any thriving visual arts scene in the city looked bleak. We had a smattering of galleries in the city and an annual open studios event, but the ground for new artists was sterile.  It was clear anything I did, from exhibiting to finding studio space, was going to have to be self generated.

However, it's hard to describe the level of inertia I encountered. At the very first meeting about setting up studio space, an artist who'd lived and worked in the city for several years came along solely to tell us that it 'couldn't be done'.

These days Exeter feels like a different place. A centre of excellence even back then, Spacex now engages more actively with local artists providing freelance and  professional development opportunities, small commissions and occasional residencies.

Its near neighbour Exeter Phoenix has been showing good quality contemporary art in its galleries for a few years now and offers a number of exhibiting and professional development opportunities for SW visual artists. It's become home to Double Elephant print workshop, which has recently started to offer residencies and bursaries to contemporary artists. And to start-up PrtSctPress, which produces risograph artist editions.

OrganicArts, the farm-based arts and education charity has gone from strength to strength since 2006, and the Centre for Contemporary Art & the Natural World (CCANW) found a home at nearby Haldon (though it's soon to relocate to Exeter University and work on a project basis).  The university itself has recently launched courses and research programmes in Art History and Visual Culture and is working hard through its Arts & Culture team to engage with the wider community in Exeter.

Last but not least, the newly refurbished Royal Albert Memorial Museum has just appointed a panel to advise on contemporary arts programming. And the city council in general is much more arts friendly, perhaps looking to its competitor Plymouth and seeing the surge in energy and profile that hosting BAS2011 brought.

As a result, more artists with energy and ideas seem to be basing themselves here. There are now two group studios offering access to workspace: EVA (offspring of the project that 'couldn't be done') and the new Arts Hub.  These complement the private studios that have sat above Spacex for many years. Best of all, we've seen a number of artist-led projects such as No Guts No Glory, DIY, This City's Centre, NOSE2013 and Stowage.  Exciting times for Exeter.  At last I can allow myself to feel at home.