Approved: 25.07.2014

Elena Thomas

Artist, Event organiser, Maker, Writer

Approved: 25.07.2014

Elena Thomas has an ever-changing multi-disciplinary practice that ranges across drawing, textiles, installation, sound, songwriting and performance.

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Thoughts

     

    Artist Statement

    Elena Thomas has an ever-changing multi-disciplinary practice that ranges across drawing, textiles, installation, sound, songwriting and performance.

    Her train of thought meanders through relationships she witnesses either first hand, or as observer and eavesdropper.

    She finds herself increasingly interested in the way political issues effect those relationships. Her current project Five, Six, Pick up Sticks concerns the statistics of child poverty in her own part of the West Midlands. She is working towards a solo exhibition of this work in May 2023.

    Elena has a Masters Degree in Arts Practice and Education from Birmingham City University’s School of Art. 

    Her visual works, sound and performances have been seen across the UK, in the USA and Sweden.

    CV & Education

    Elena Thomas

    email  [email protected] 

    Website    www.elenathomas.co.uk

    Facebook     https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elena-Thomas-Art-and-Textiles/123618094363659?ref=hl

    Personal blog    Threads: https://www.a-n.co.uk/blogs/threads or also available at https://elenathomas.co.uk/blog/

    Artist’s Recent Biography

    2022

    Fronteer Gallery Sheffield, Open Exhibition judging panel

    Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
    Members and Associates Exhibition 2022

    Radio Public
    Social art festival on Dudley High St in conjunction with CoLab and Workshop 24

    West Midlands Open
    selected works at The New Art Gallery Walsall 

    2021

    Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
    Members and Associates Exhibition 2021

    Black Country Radio Xtra
    Drawing Songs Interview with Bill Laybourne

    Beautiful Freak 
    Big City Radio (Birmingham) and Hive Radio UK (Manchester)

    Collective Brum
    ArtRooms Kings Heath and Red Brick Market, Digbeth, Birmingham

    Drawing Songs
    Exhibition, Performances and Workshop
    General Office, Stourbridge

    Associate of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists

    Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
    Candidates Exhibition 2021

    The Drawbridge
    Exhibition by members of the Facebook Group

    Drawn In
    Glitterball Showroom Online solo exhibition
    Enköping, Sweden

    Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
    Friends Exhibition 2021

    Drawing Songs
    Arts Council England funded project

    General Office Stourbridge
    Winter Open Exhibition Online - Highly Commended

    Adventitious
    Daphne Francis Gallery Online Group Show

    2020

    Adventitious Daphne Francis Gallery (online exhibition)

    Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
    Selected work in Prize Exhibition - Highly Commended

    Drawing Songs
    Arts Council England funded project

    Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
    Friends Exhibition Online 

    Connections  Daphne Francis Gallery Birmingham

    2019

    Cause and Effect (solo show)  General Office Studios and Gallery

    Cause and Effect (podcast)  General Office Studios and Gallery

    Drawing Your Space does The Big Draw General Office Studios and Gallery with Sarah Goudie

    Drawing Your Space General Office Studios and Gallery with Sarah Goudie

    PoArtry Collaboration with poet Leah Atherton

    Textile Workshops:
    Text and Textiles,
    Ostentatious Mending,
    Pockets are a Feminist Issue

    General Office Studios and Gallery Stourbridge

    Art Digbeth Group Show Custard Factory Digbeth Birmingham 

    Birmingham Weekender Cobalt Blue group show and Sitting Room performance

    2018

    Black Country Radio The Sitting Room feature spot

    The Sitting Room at No Covers Club, Newhampton Arts Centre, Hexagon Theatre, Arena Theatre Wolverhampton, The Platform, Tower of Song, Kitchen Garden Cafe

    CD artwork for Joe Bayliss

    General Office Monthly Open Crit sessions for artists 

    Studio Workshops Text and Textiles; Lyric Writing, Ostentatious Mending

    General Office Drawing your Space (with Sarah Goudie)

    General Office “Body of Work” Inaugural exhibition of studio artists

    Artist teacher mentoring scheme with Carol Wild

    2017

    Artist Teacher Scheme Birmingham City University and New Art Gallery Walsall - Tutor

    Alternative Portraits Group Exhibition, Access Gallery, Sheffield

    Regeneration Open Exhibition ArtistsWorkhouse - Highly Commended

    Nine Women ArtistsWorkhouse Studley Warwickshire - solo exhibition and performance with Dan Whitehouse

    Text and Textiles: an exploration of memory and narrative ArtistsWorkhouse - Artist talk and workshop

    Circle on the Road Arena Theatre Wolverhampton - "The Sitting Room" performance

    Wolverhampton University New Art Gallery Walsall - PGCE Arts Tours

    2016

    Open Weekend Old Library Studios Stourbridge - Exhibition and performances with "The Sitting Room"

    Family Workshops New Art Gallery Walsall

    Wolverhampton University New Art Gallery Walsall - BEd. Arts Tours

    a-n Professional Development Bursary

    Junction Festival of Contemporary Art Wolverhampton Art Gallery - Group Show

    The Life of a Song (made at mac) mac Birmingham - Featured Artist

    Practice Imperfect Symposium for Artist Educators at Birmingham City University - Event Organiser

    AWE1 Artists' Workhouse Studley Worcestershire - "The Sitting Room" inaugural performance

    Artist Teacher Scheme Birmingham City University and New Art Gallery Walsall - Tutor

    2015

    Life & Other Art Forms ArtSpace Dudley - Group exhibition

    Artist Teacher Scheme Birmingham City University School of Art - Lead Tutor

    Mouth and Music Boars Head Gallery Kidderminster - Performance of songs from Nine Women with Dan Whitehouse

    Nine Women ArtSpace Dudley - Arts Council England funded project

    WORN  3rd on 3rd Gallery Jamestown New York USA (Elements from Nine Women)

    ARTMobile  Vasteras Sweden (Elements from Nine Women)

    From the Grass Roots - Emerging Strategies for Art and Design Education Symposium Birmingham School of Art Birmingham City University - Invited speaker

    2014 

    • “The Send Off” First World War commemorative exhibition of contemporary art, Knole House, Kent - for The National Trust
    • Artist Teacher Scheme, Tutor, Birmingham City University, in conjunction with         New Art Gallery Walsall
    •  “Colonize Revisited” Arena Gallery, Liverpool, (Biennial Independents         programme)
    • “United States of Art” Custard Factory, Birmingham.
    • New Art Gallery Walsall - Freelance Researcher and Education Team
    • Artist Teacher - Our Lady and St Kenelm Catholic Primary School
      Teaching Art to Key Stage 1 and 2, curating permanent and temporary displays, organisation of events such as The Big Draw, Arts Week and delivery of multi-disciplinary activities and workshops including staff development sessions. (From April 2004 - May 2014)
    • One(2) ArtSPACE Dudley, joint exhibition with Bo Jones
      With open studio events
    • “COLONIZE” Group exhibition with SCIBase in Jamestown, New York. The     residency included artist talks and workshops.
    • “Collaborate” Artist talk and presentation at Mitchell Arts Centre Stoke on Trent, for a-n and Appetite Stoke
    • Artist in Residence, Artspace Dudley (From Feb to present)
    • “Collaboration” workshop with Bo Jones at Ikon Gallery Birmingham, in         conjunction with Birmingham City University School of Art.
    • Junction 5 Joint show at Wolverhampton Art Gallery
    • Text and textiles one-day workshop at Newman University

     

     

    2013   

    • “ONE” Joint exhibition with Bo Jones, a one year collaboration exploring the     relationship between pixel and stitch. Ledbury, Herefordshire
    • Member of Department for Education Expert Advisory Group for Art and Design (2013-2014)
    • Artist talk and weekend textile workshop at Canford Independent School, Wimborne, Dorset
    • St Laurence School Northfield Birmingham
      Staff inset training "Art and Display" and "Arts Week"
    • Embroidery workshop at Craftswomen's Club for Arts on Our Doorstep, Rural Warwickshire
    • NSEAD National Annual Conference, Artist/Teacher presentation
    • Our Lady and St Kenelm's Arts week, Event organiser. 
      Delivery of ceramic and textile workshops.
    • LOAF 13 Arts and Music Festival, Stourbridge.
      Event organiser and contributing artist
    • Junction Festival of Contemporary Art, Chapel Ash Wolverhampton,
      contributing artist and steward.

     

    2012    

    • Forge Forward Dudley - An empty shops gallery project
    • Junction Festival of Contemporary Art - Featured Artist
    • This Doesn’t Add To The Debate But - MA Exhibition, School of Art,     
      Birmingham City University
    • National Gardens Scheme - Shed as retreat, gallery and performance space. Cutnall Green, Worcestershire
    • Social Media and Arts Manager for Hub Stourbridge
    • Event organiser, curator of LOAF - Life and Other Art Festival - Coach House Arts Centre, Stourbridge (Featuring my life drawing group and the Rebellious Quilters and a programme of live music)
    • Shed installation featured in “My Cool Shed” by Jane Field Lewis published in April
    • Poetry reading and music performance at Mouth and Music - Boars Head Gallery, Kidderminster.
    • Inside Tracks - WCRFM Radio - interview about my work and the importance of music in my work and life.
          

    2011    

    • Junction Festival of Contemporary Art – Residency
    • Trailer for My Cool Shed with Plum Pictures for Channel 4 TV
    • Worcester Open Arts Exhibition
    • The Hankie Show, London Print Works
    • Life and Other Art - Life drawing exhibition, Shed installation and live music event - artist, curator and event organiser
    •  Krasif Aid Charity event, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton - Installation of Shed as performance space
       

    Qualifications

    2012    MA Art Practice and Education - Birmingham City University School of Art

    2009    BA (Open) Open University

    1994    Cert Ed (Further, Adult and Higher Education) University of Wolverhampton