Cwrs Sylfaen Coleg Menai mewn Celf yn…

Yn wreiddiol, roedd y Cwrs Sylfaen hwn, a lansiwyd yn 1981, yn cael ei gyflwyno gan sawl artist a dylunydd a oedd yn arfer eu crefft. Arweinydd y cwrs oedd Selwyn Jones, ac roedd y darlithwyr eraill yn cynnwys Paul Davies, Ed Davies, Phil Mumford ac Alan Brunsdon, yn ogystal â'r artist tirluniau, Peter Prendergast. Ddeugain mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, mab Peter, sef Owein Prendergast, sy'n arwain y cwrs ochr yn ochr â Miranda Millieur, Iwan Parry, Darren Hughes, Tim Williams a Helen Jones.

Oherwydd pandemig COVID-19, cynhelir yr arddangosfa ddathlu eleni, ac yn addas iawn, fe'i galwyd yn ‘40(+1) Celf Sylfaen Bangor Art Foundation’.

Cynhelir yr arddangosfa yn Storiel a Phontio ym Mangor, a bydd yn cynnwys gwaith 41 cyn-fyfyriwr nodedig - un artist i gynrychioli pob blwyddyn o fodolaeth y cwrs.

Bydd yr artistiaid a fydd yn arddangos eu gwaith yn cynnwys Ann Catrin Evans, Bedwyr Williams, Billy Bagilhole, Annie Atkins, Bethan Huws, Angharad Pierce Jones yn ogystal ag aelodau cyfredol o'r staff. Yn ogystal, cynhelir amrywiaeth o ddigwyddiadau - dangosir 'Shepherd' gan Russell Owen, gyda sesiwn holi ac ateb yng nghwmni Russell yn Pontio, ddydd Mawrth, 1 Chwefror, dau weithdy gyda Jessie Chorley ar 10 ac 11 Mawrth yn Storiel, yn ogystal â sgyrsiau gan yr artist Bedwyr Williams a'r dylunydd ffasiwn, Luis Lopez Smith (dyddiadau i ddilyn).

Dywedodd Owein Prendergast, Arweinydd y Cwrs Sylfaen mewn Celf,

"Yn yr arddangosfa hon, a gynhelir ar y cyd rhwng Storiel a Phontio, ceir gwaith dros ddeugain o artistiaid a dylunwyr o'r rhan hon o Ogledd Orllewin Cymru sydd wedi mynd ymlaen i wneud cryn argraff ar y byd yr ydym yn byw ynddo. Yn ogystal, mae'n cynnwys gwaith gan y tîm addysgu presennol. Dim ond cipolwg yw hwn; mae miloedd o fyfyrwyr wedi camu dros drothwy'r Cwrs Sylfaen mewn Celf ym Mangor gan ddilyn eu llwybrau creadigol eu hunain. Byddai'n amhosibl dangos gwaith pawb, ond gobeithiwn fod y sioe hon yn cynrychioli'r meddylfryd y mae pawb ohonom sydd wedi dilyn y cwrs arbennig hwn yn ei rannu."

"Rwy'n freintiedig fy mod yn dal yn rhan o'r cwrs yr wyf wedi'i arwain ers 1997, a byddaf yn fythol ddyledus i Ed Davies, Paul Davies, Phil Mumford, Alan Brunsdon a Peter Prendergast, a oeddynt oll yn artistiaid a arferai eu crefft. Mae hefyd yn bwysig sôn am Leslie Jones a Selwyn Jones a gafodd y weledigaeth wreiddiol a arweiniodd at sefydlu'r cwrs hwn. Gwnawn ein gorau glas i arddel eu hethos gwreiddiol gyda'r un brwdfrydedd a thrylwyredd ag a wnaethpwyd pan ddaeth y cwrs i fod dros ddeugain mlynedd yn ôl. Gobeithiwn ein bod yn dal ati i newid bywydau pobl."

Ychwanegodd Paul Edwards, Rheolwr Maes Rhaglen y Celfyddydau Creadigol,

"Rydym yn edrych ymlaen yn fawr at weld arddangosfa 40(+1) y Cwrs Sylfaen yn Storiel a Phontio. Mae'r rhestr o gyn-fyfyrwyr sydd wedi dilyn y Cwrs Sylfaen mewn Celf yng Ngholeg Menai yn un ragorol. Rydym yn ddiolchgar iawn iddyn nhw am eu cymorth i ddwyn yr arddangosfa hon i ffrwyth, a diolch i'r staff sydd wedi gweithio'n ddiflino i greu'r rhaglen ardderchog hon o ddigwyddiadau".

Meddai Manon Awst, Cydlynydd Creadigol Gofodau Cyhoeddus Pontio,

"Mae'r cwrs hwn wedi dangos y ffordd i gymaint o bobl greadigol yn yr ardal; mae'n wych gallu cynnal yr arddangosfa hon i ddathlu ei lwyddiant. Yn Pontio, rydym yn falch dros ben o arddangos gweithiau amlgyfrwng chwe artist - ffilm, cerflunwaith, llyfrau brasluniau a chomisiwn newydd sy'n benodol i'r safle. Mae'n gyfle gwych i gydweithio â Storiel".

Yn ôl Delyth Williams, Swyddog Celfyddydau Gweledol Storiel,

"Rydym wrth ein boddau ein bod yn rhan o'r dathliad hwn sy'n nodi carreg filltir hynod ers sefydlu'r Cwrs Sylfaen mewn Celf ym Mangor ac o agor rhaglen Storiel am 2022 gyda'r arddangosfa arbennig hon. Mae'n gasgliad o waith celf cyffrous ac amrywiol. Cynrychiola gweithiau'r 40+ a arddangosir nifer fwy o gyn-fyfyrwyr sydd wedi parhau i arfer eu crefft, gan ddilyn amrywiaeth o yrfaoedd ym maes celf. Mae hyn yn tystio i lwyddiant yr unigolion eu hunain a'r cyfleoedd a gynigir ar y cwrs hwn yng Ngholeg Menai. Hoffem ddiolch i arweinydd y cwrs am ddod â'r cyfan at ei gilydd yn Storiel a Phontio".

Bydd yr arddangosfa hon yn agored i'r cyhoedd o 22 Ionawr tan 2 Ebrill 2022.

Bydd y mynediad am ddim. Mae cynlluniau ar y gweill hefyd i gynnal dathliad ar y cyd rhwng Storiel a Phontio (manylion i ddilyn) ar 4 Mawrth .

Launched in 1981, the Art Foundation course was originally delivered by several renowned practising artists and designers: alongside landscape artist Peter Prendergast were Paul Davies, Ed Davies, Phil Mumford and Alan Brunsdon, and the course was led by Selwyn Jones. Forty years on, the course is now led by Peter’s son Owein Prendergast, alongside Miranda Millieur, Iwan Parry, Darren Hughes, Tim Williams and Helen Jones.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the celebratory exhibition will now take place this year, and has been aptly named ‘40(+1) Celf Sylfaen Bangor Art Foundation’.

The exhibition will be held at Storiel and Pontio in Bangor, and will include the work of 41 notable past students from the Art Foundation course - one artist to mark each year of the course’s existence.

Artists’ work to be featured in the exhibition include that of Ann Catrin Evans, Bedwyr Williams, Billy Bagilhole, Annie Atkins, Bethan Huws and Angharad Pierce Jones, alongside work from current teaching staff.

There will also be a range of other events taking place, including: a screening of ‘Shepherd’ by Russell Owen, followed by a Q&A with Russell in Pontio on Tuesday February 1st; two workshops with Jessie Chorley on March 10th and 11th in Storiel, as well as a range of artists’ talks by such luminaries as Bedwyr Williams and fashion designer Luis Lopez Smith (dates to follow).

Owein Prendergast, Art Foundation course leader, said: “This exhibition, held between Storiel and Pontio, contains the work of over 40 artists and designers from this small part of North West Wales who have gone on to make their mark, significantly, on the world we all live in. It also contains work by the current teaching team. This is just a small snapshot, as thousands of students have passed through the doors of Bangor’s Art Foundation course and gone on to tread their own creative paths. It would be an impossible task to represent them all individually, but hopefully this show represents a collective spirit that those of us who have completed this special course share.

“I am privileged to still be a part of the course that I have led since 1997, and I will forever be indebted to Ed Davies, Paul Davies, Phil Mumford, Alan Brunsdon and Peter Prendergast, all of whom were practising artists in their own right. It is also important to mention Leslie Jones and Selwyn Jones whose original vision led to the course being set up in the first place. We strive to continue to push their original ethos with the same enthusiasm and rigour as when it first started 40+1 years ago. I hope that we can continue to change people’s lives.”

Paul Edwards, Creative Arts programme area manager at Coleg Menai, added: “We are very much looking forward to the Foundation 40(+1) exhibition at Storiel and Pontio. The list of past students who have followed the Art Foundation course at Coleg Menai is truly impressive. We are very grateful for their support in bringing this exhibition to fruition, and thanks to the staff who have worked tirelessly to curate this excellent programme of events.”

Manon Awst, Pontio arts public spaces co-ordinator said: “This course has steered the paths of so many creatives within the area, and it is fantastic to be able to celebrate its success with this exhibition. At Pontio, we're thrilled to show multimedia artworks by six artists, including film, sculpture, sketchbooks and a new site-specific commission. It’s a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with Storiel."

Delyth Williams, visual arts officer at Storiel, said: “We are delighted to be involved in celebrating this notable milestone of forty plus years since the start of the Art Foundation Course at Bangor, and to open our 2022 programme at Storiel with this special exhibition. We are exhibiting an exciting and diverse collection of artworks. The 40+ works on show represent just a fraction of the greater number of past students who have continued with their art practice in various creative and art-related careers.This is testimony to the individuals themselves and to the opportunities offered on this course at Coleg Menai. We would like to thank the course leader for bringing this collaboration together at Storiel and Pontio.”

The exhibition will open to the public on January 22nd, and run until April 2nd 2022.

Entry will be free of charge. There are also plans in place to have a celebratory event between Storiel and Pontio on March 4th (details to follow).