Proud 2 Create at The Margate School

After an incredible 16 days of the Proud 2 Create show put on by Sandra at Art4All, we took a well-earned break to have a chat about how the exhibition went.

Sandra from Art4All in the exhibition space during Proud 2 Create

A group of volunteers helped Sandra to create the show and dedicated their time to ensure it looked as wonderful this year as it has in past years. From hanging the works in the gallery space to organising the logistics of the day-to-day running, the team of volunteers gave their time to ensure that the exhibition made the very most of the space and showed the works off in the best possible environment.

Joyfulness tends to come out when you just let go. My focus is on the individual and their well-being, through creativity

Sandra’s skills are rooted in special needs and communication, and she does this through art. During the Art4All classes, she focuses on the happiness, wellbeing and anxieties of the artists who work with her. She noted that one of the main takeaways from her classes is that if someone arrives in a state of anxiety, she wants them to leave feeling much less anxious, if at all, and if she gets that right, the work that is produced in the studio is simply stunning.

Each day that the exhibition opened, the show naturally evolved as people came to buy the works, leaving spaces on the wall to be filled with new pieces. As the show involved a year’s worth of work from 12 different young artists, there was a large body of work to adorn the walls, so from day 1 to day 16 the exhibition space looked completely different. Across the 16 days of the exhibition, over 50% of all of the works were sold (around 100 pieces), with over 1,960 people attending the exhibition. Sandra noted that conversations around deaf and autistic artists were full of joy and excitement, and informative to the viewers.

A selection of works by the artists on show at Proud 2 Create

“We would not have the sales we’ve had over the years, and we wouldn’t have art in Australia, Lebanon or Belgium if it wasn’t for The Margate School”.

Here at TMS we are always thrilled to support Sandra and the artists at Art4All. The works that they produce bring a blanket of incredible colour and vibrancy to our gallery space, and we’re incredibly grateful for the beauty and positivity that the works and the community always bring with them. The Margate School is looking forward to welcoming Art4All back next summer for a new exhibition of works made across the coming year.