A new art exhibition in Glasgow is using the power of ping-pong to help raise funds for a community table tennis club. The BACKSP!N exhibition features table tennis paddles created by artists, illustrators and designers from across the UK.
The paddles will be available for purchase through a silent auction for the first week of the exhibition, then general sale for the remaining two weeks. All proceeds will go to Drumchapel Table Tennis Club (DTTC), which provide a vital service in the heart of Glasgow.
The exhibition is the creation of Glasgow-based design studio Pim-Pam, who worked closely with Terry McLernon MBE, Chairman at Table Tennis Scotland, to bring the idea to life following the success of their first exhibition in 2019, SP!N.
The exhibition includes a wealth of creative talents from the likes of
- Comic book artist Frank Quitely
- Sculptor and Turner Prize winner Martin Boyce
- Type artist Raissa Pardini;
- Renowned Scottish landscape painter Robert Kelsey
- Signwriter and lettering artist Rachel E Millar
- Digital designer Ione Parsons
- Artist Pam Carter
- Graphic & motion designer Ashleigh Robertson
- Terrazo & Titz, who specialises in Jesmonite specific pigments; Scottish based illustrator and visual live drawing media artist Ursula Kam-Ling Cheng
- Illustrator Agata Pietrusz
- Visual artist Craig Black
Pim-Pam Creative Director, Luke McCarthy, said:“Terry and the club have kindly donated 60 paddles and one table for our creative community to get their hands on. We’ve had so much interest in the exhibition with artists all across the UK looking to get involved.
“In a period when there has been lots of uncertainty in the creative arts, it’s great to put on a show with so much talent working together. From graduates to established artists the exhibition is a real collaboration of many different principles, genres and backgrounds.”
DTTC is one of the biggest clubs in Britain, with more than 300 members aged between eight and 80 actively playing each week. A key driving force in the Drumchapel Community Sports Hub, the club plays a huge part in the development of the sport in Scotland.
Terry McLernon MBE, said: “The club is delighted to be collaborating once again with Pim-Pam on the BACKSP!N Exhibition. It will showcase a different side to the table tennis club working with local and national artists. Many of the parents and young people who come to the club have a keen interest in the art and creative sector, and it’s brilliant to have them get involved in a project like this.
Based in Wasps Studio’s South Block building in the Trongate area of Glasgow, the BACKSP!N exhibition launches on Friday 26 November at 6pm and ends on 15 December. Open to the public Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm and on Saturdays 11am – 3pm.
The opening night offers visitors the chance to mingle with the artists, learn more about the DTTC and its impact across Scotland and watch some of the club’s incredible players exhibit their skills…and even challenge them to a game if you’re brave enough.
https://drumchapeltabletennisclub.com/
©2021 BACKSP!N
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