Ponches Estruval Art Exhibition

The Dompierre sur Authie and Ponches Estruval Festival runs from 31st May to 2nd June and covers the villages of Dompiere and Ponches in Picardy, about an hour's drive due south of Calais. When Anne Howard and I went previously, in 2010, we displayed work in the small village church of Ponches Estruval where 2 classical concerts took place over the weekend. We also attended a much larger concert featuring dutch, english and french musicians in the large church in Dompierre sur Authie, a welcome and presentation ceremony with the mayor, were treated to a barbeque and chips and were guests at the Festival Dinner and entertainment (Scottish drum and pipe band from Boulogne and an accordian band) in a farm barn in Ponches.

The link between Arlington and Ponches Estruval is a cultural exchange forged between the 2 church parishes with the help of Interreg funding in 2008. 

 

We invited musicians and artists from the region, and the chair of Les Amis du patrimoine Ponchois et vallée d'Authie, to attend and take part in the Arlington Arts Festival in 2011, and once again we have been invited to send artists to this year's Festival Franco Anglais. The organisers have also booked the Cajun Dawgs, the dance band that impressed them at our Arlington Arts Festival, to perform at their Festival Dinner.

For any artists interested in taking part in the festival, you will need to arrange your own transport but accommodation will be provided by the hosts - Anne and I stayed with an english couple in the village who fed us very well. The exhibition will take place in the church alongside the concert - I am waiting to hear which church - and, if it is the same set up as when Anne and I went, you hang work in the church when you arrive on Friday afternoon and take it down after a concert on Sunday afternoon. There is no fee to take part, you can make a donation if you sell some work. Anne and I  sold three of the pictures that we took with us. All work should be priced in Euros and purchases are made in cash in euros.  We have the offer of 3 screens which will hold a total of 10 to 12 average sized paintings, I have been told. The chair, Michele, has asked for some miniatures, icons and sussex landscapes, but I am sure she would be happy with other work too, so long as it is suitable for display in a church.

When I have more information I will post it here, but if you are interested please let me know because the hosts need to arrange accommodation.

I can not volunteer to take other artists' work with me to display this year as I will have very little room in the vehicle because I shall be travelling with the Cajun Dawgs and all of their instruments!

Josie