New team members

Please welcome Domenica Reinoso Montalvo and Tyler Austin who have taken up roles as Arts Assistants to help us deliver Electric Medway festival this year!

You can read more about them on Our team page.

Here's what they got up to when they visited Rochester Art Gallery and Medway Archive Centre in their first ever joint blog.

Domenica wrote:
​I was at the Chatham Intra Photographers in the Victorian Era exhibition hosted by Medway Archives Centre and curated by Rikard Österlund.

​You had the opportunity to travel into the past to learn how photographic techniques had evolved between the years 1852-1918 and gain an insight into the lives of the photographers of this age. This was the period when studio portraits first became commonplace providing a new competitive and innovative trade.

This exhibition was full of biographies of Victorian photographers of the Old Intra High Street, not just providing information on their techniques, but also the studios that were used and what purpose these buildings hold today. It delved into their techniques, such as how they used the daguerreotypes and wet plate collodion. 
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When photography was still a new concept, the shortest method lasted 15 minutes. This was a major improvement from how long it took to shoot the very first photograph in 1826, which took 8 hours to produce!

Tyler wrote:
Who is David Tovey? To me, this morning he was a stranger. This afternoon, a true survivor.

The Unknown Soldier exhibition at Rochester Art Gallery explores the struggles that people face when leaving the armed forces, and why life falls apart for many ex-personnel. 

Whilst in the army, David spent years as a decorated chef, cooking for the Royal Family and many celebrities. After his leave from the army, life for David fell apart. David ended up homeless after struggling with substance abuse and mental health. This led to complex health conditions that crumbled hope in seconds. Fortunately, David’s love for the arts helped him find his voice. David’s art holds a true message, nonetheless a voice. A voice for the silent.
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The popular saying “art has no boundaries” resonates a lot with me while viewing David’s work today. That no matter what life’s bumpy road may bring, art gives voice, connects one another, and finally brings hope.

David's art spoke to me today. In my own creative practice, I like a message or story to captivate the viewers mind, and David certainly achieved this today. This has motivated me to have a voice in my passions and my own personal message within my art.