Press
Artist Cal to host exhibition at Garibaldi pub, Stourbridge
By Bev Holder @Stourbridge News 18th April 2023
Chief Reporter
Cal is set to host an art exhibition featuring work by himself and 19 other artists at The Garibaldi in Cross Street on Friday April 21 to help raise awareness of the plight facing the pub which has been put up for sale by Marston’s.
An open call was put out to local artists a month ago and Cal said he received an “overwhelming response from the thriving local art scene”.
Cal said: “I wanted this to be an opportunity for artists to meet and make connections and I’m thrilled this has given some artists the chance to exhibit their artwork for the first time.”
He said the evening “promises to be a relaxed evening of music and art and an opportunity for the new landlady to welcome the local community”.
Landlady Helen Penny took over at the pub on December 30 and just a week later found out it was to be sold off by pub company Marston's.
The mum-of-three, who moved her family from Halesowen to Stourbridge to take on the venture, vowed to continue to plough ahead with her plans to transform the pub and said she has been blown away by the response from the local community.
She said of the art exhibition: “I am so grateful to Cal for organising this exhibition and all the artists involved and I cannot wait to see their artwork in the pub.
“This exhibition is just another example of how the local arts and music community have really supported me in this new venture.”
Some of the artworks displayed in the exhibition will be for sale and some pieces will remain on show at the Grade II listed pub.
The exhibiting artists will be: Paul England, Kate Martin, Warren McCabe-Smith, Tashar Cattell, Stacey Smith, Nicole Prince, Helen Sweeting, Heather Wilson, Stacy Hammond, Sarah Bentley, Jess Silk, Ellie Greenwood, Martin Garrington, Terri Wadeley, Sean Counley, Bridgit Bergström, Gav Keyes, Ele Watts.
For more information visit calsartwork.com
Cal will also be displaying some new paintings and sculptures from his latest body of work which aims to raise awareness and support for the complex issue of homelessness.
Exhibiting artist Warren McCabe-Smith said: “I've known Cal for many years now and it's a pleasure to be asked to participate in such a project. Bringing together local artists to showcase their works in a pub setting is a fantastic idea and will hopefully bring business to this community driven establishment.”
The exhibition open evening will start at 7pm and will feature live acoustic music from Patrick Hannon, David Brinkworth and Gayle Plant.
Artist jazzes up vandal-plagued changing facility in park
By Bev Holder @StourbridgeNews 21st September 2022
Chief Reporter / Data Investigations Reporter
A Stourbridge artist has been doing his bit to brighten up a run-down, vandal-plagued changing facility in a local park.
Experimental artist Cal, who lives in Norton, has jazzed up the bright green changing rooms in Swan Pool Park that were often daubed with graffiti.
Marlene Cauldwell, a resident in South Road, was delighted with the work, which Cal has undertaken at his own expense, and she said: "It's been covered in awful graffiti. "He's made a beautiful job of this installation. It really is lovely. I'm so pleased to look out the window and not see all that scrawl. He's taken responsibility."
Cal said he decided to give the changing rooms a makeover after being approached by Labour campaigner Cat Eccles.
He said he understood conversations had taken place with the council's parks department in 2019 and that permission to give the building a revamp had been granted so he "just paid for it and did it".
Cal, who regularly visits the park off South Road with his son, also painted the youth shelter "as it was an eyesore" and he told the News: "The council don't seem to care about the park and have neglected it for years. All the money gets spent on Mary Stevens Park."
He said the paint had cost him around £200 and he added: "The public have been thanking me lots for doing it and one came over and brought me cups of tea.
"The response off the local public has been excellent. For a couple hundred quid, it's cheered a lot of people up" and he said if vandals continue to graffiti the walls in future, he will just retouch the artwork - adding: "I think they'll get bored before I do. I've got more paint and time on my hands."
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, Dudley Council's cabinet member for public realm, said of the work: “We welcome any opportunity to work with local groups and people to improve and enhance parks.
"In this case we would very much like to speak to the artist and find out more about the inspiration for their work and involve volunteers at Swan Pool Park."
"People should get permission from the council before starting projects like this to ensure they meet with the vision of the authority and Friends groups to create vibrant, welcoming parks and open spaces.”
Cal, whose other work can be seen online at www.calsartwork.com, said he hopes to finish off the building and paint the other side with a swan-related mural, in honour's of the park's name, and he said: "I'd like it if the council funded it but we might look at crowdfunding."
He said the inspiration for the artwork done on the changing rooms came from dazzle camouflage used on ships during world war I and II to make it difficult to estimate a target's range, speed, and heading.