Key Arts - the artist run space in Ipswich

Key Arts is an artist-led space, at the moment based at St Mary at the Quay, Key Street, Ipswich, in the heart of the exciting dockside development.

St Mary's is a large, beautiful and crumbling disused old church. The subtle hues and surprising chalky pinks of the walls have changed and softened over the years giving a warmth and new identity to this possibly austere empty building. In the day the light pours in through the windows, at dusk it is full of shadows and moods. We have no lighting and only a few power points so in the night the church can only be dimly lit, making it an exciting experience just to be there. Come visit - you will not be disappointed if you take the time to absorb the ambience, read it's heritage and spend time with St Mary.

You can find out more about its fascinating history on http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/stmaryatquay.htm

2010 Events

Next Event

‘LES BIKES DU BOIS ROND’ BY GAVIN TURK - 22 JULY - 28 AUGUST 2010 - THU to SAT 11am - 4pm

‘Les Bikes du Bois Rond’ designed and produced by Gavin Turk in response to the work of Polish artist Andre Cadere are being exhibited at the church. The bicycles were commissioned by Commissions East as part of the Fleet project and are being used for two bicycle rides on the Suffolk and Essex coasts on the 3rd and 17th July.

Gavin Turk was born in 1967. He achieved notoriety for his final piece at the Royal College of Art – a blue heritage plaque inscribed ‘Gavin Turk worked here 1989-1991’. He is one of the most respected of his generation of Young British Artists. He is well known for his recycling and paraphrases of well known works of art, which often involve him disguised as tragic anti-heroes or revolutionaries such as Sid Vicious, Andy Warhol and Che Guevara.

Fleet: Art in the Haven Ports brings art and artists to unusual locations on the Essex and Suffolk coasts. The project promotes the use of train, cycle, bus or walking for visiting the various projects. For further details visit www.fleet-art.org

Previous Event

KATE ACKERLEY - THE SACRED SUPERMARKET or ‘WHERE DO YOU SPEND SUNDAYS?’ - 13 - 16 July

Kate Ackerley juxtaposed the sacred and the secular with two installation spaces, ‘Church’ and ‘Supermarket’, within the walls of St Mary’s at the Quay. Paintings, photographs and constructed items furnished the two spaces for you to experience and then reflect on the nature of the sacred in 2010. Visitors were invited to bring fresh flowers and prayer cards for the ‘Church’ and plastic bags (to recycle into flowers) and Wanted ads for the ‘Supermarket’. See more of Kate's work here www.kateackerley.com

Click here to see details of all future events.
Click here to see details of all past events.

Members Online

As a Member of Key Arts you can use this site to create your own page, tell people about and show images of your work. Take a look at some of our artist profiles or add your own here

Kate Ackerley

Susan Farrington

Borin Van Loon

Elizabeth Gwilliam

Robert Walker

David Hardy

Emma Buckmaster

Join Key Arts

If you like what you see and want to get involved, the best way is to become a Member. The concessionary membership costs just £10 for the year and only £15 for everyone else. Simply click here and print the form. Click here for more information

Hold your own event or exhibition

Do you have an idea for using the space at Key Arts? If you are a Member you can make a proposal to run an event or exhibition. We are open to suggestions. You can print off a Proposal Form here or contact us at keyarts@hotmail.co.uk. Click here for an Event Checklist which may help in the planning of your event and here for a plan of the church. These are the responsibilities for artists using the space. If you are running an event at Key Arts click here for some publicity tips.

We are now receiving proposals to use the space in 2010. There are still spaces in the schedule so take advantage of this unique opportunity! You will need to set up, take down and man your show but support is available from the organising committee.

Who we are

Click the map to see where we are!

Key Arts is supported by The Churches Conservation Trust, Ipswich Borough Council and, of course, its membership. Our aim is to assist artists who live in the local area of Ipswich and the region in their work, providing a much needed space where artists can meet and exchange ideas through exhibitions, events and talks. It is a place where artists and the community can come together - sharing in the creative opportunity that Key Arts offers.

We are an artist-led group. That means contributors who want to influence our activities, or lead new ones, are invited to make their suggestions. Our Members include painters, printers and film makers, as well as installation artists, photographic artists and sculptors, all at different stages in their creative careers, from students and recent graduates to college lecturers and professional artists.

Read the Key Arts FAQ if you are new to Key Arts and want to catch up with what we are about.