Spacex announce Kickstarter campaign launch

After a period of temporary closure in response to funding reductions, Spacex has changed the way it works. In place of being a gallery with a rolling programme of exhibitions Spacex now produces projects in collaboration with a wide range of partners.

Enabling the artistic process remains at the core of what Spacex does and it needs support from the public in order to continue this work.

On 21 May Spacex will launch its Kickstarter, an online fundraising campaign, to raise £10,000 towards two artist residencies and a series of public events in Exeter.

The Kickstarter encourages backers to pledge a donation and in doing so acquire art that has been produced as part of Spacex projects and by artists they have worked with in recent years. There is also a variety of gifts from the Spacex archive to chose from including rare posters from the last forty years.

Pledges of any amount will be welcomed and backers will have the opportunity to get hold of an exciting range of rewards including catalogues, posters and limited edition prints by artists Salvatore Arancio, Lady Lucy and Laura Kikauka. Also on offer will be an original photographic print by Jem Southam, graphite drawings by Dawn Mellor and Laura White and a limited edition tin sculpture by Simon Pope.

If this Kickstarter campaign is successful it will cover the cost of two 6-week residencies and a series of integrated public events including studio visits and an associated learning programme, all to take place in 2015-16. The residencies will enable the artists to develop their practice in a supportive and critically engaged environment.

Spacex are confident that with this Kickstarter, the organisation will provide two amazing opportunities for artists and will fuel the appetite for access to contemporary art practice in Exeter.

Supporting partners, including the University of Exeter, Exeter College and Exeter Phoenix.