Artesian Arts, Edinburgh
www.artesian-arts.org

Welcome

Welcome to the Artesian Web Site! Artesian is a new magazine of Upwelling
Art and Creativity. Artesian celebrates the"upwelling" visual arts - images, writings and ideas that come from the many self-taught, intuitive and visionary self-taught artists and creators whose voices we rarely hear, but whose work is raw, inspirational and touches the spirit.

These works arise out of each artist's inner need to express their own unique personal mythology, iconography and symbolism, welling up from deep inside as a means of guiding and accompanying the artist on their journey toward self-understanding and self-fulfillment, regardless of any artistic conventions or of public expectations. Artesian has been created by an independent group of artists, designers, writers and poets, all based in Scotland. The artists and creators who contribute to Artesian are of all ages, and come from a wide range of backgrounds, including artists who have survived drug addiction, homelessness, abuse and poverty, or are living with mental or physical illness or disability, have varied learning abilities, or are socially isolated.

Artesian also features the work of creators and writers who are fascinated by the creative process itself and the wondrous visionary works that can emerge once one has tapped into the deep inner source of creativity. These artists and writers have one quality in common: they all create their art and writings by giving voice to a deep inner, visionary or spiritual source. For many of the artists and creators who contribute to Artesian, their work lies outside the mainstream of the contemporary art world, their images and ideas often dismissed or ignored because they are produced by the marginalised and the self-taught, according to their own conventions rather than those of the commercial world. Artesian is not just a magazine!!

The Website

Over the last few months the website has undergone considerable reconstruction with more work to come! However, with more funding we can make our webspace more exciting for everyone. If you would like to support the work of our website designer please get in touch. visionary@artesian-arts.org The new accessible part of the website is currently under construction so we appologise if there are some broken links. These will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Fundraising

Artesian continues to fundraise for all our events, exhibitions, magazine and general cost of running the organisation. If you would like to support our fundraiser please get in touch. visionary@artesian-arts.org

Outreach Program

Artesian also offers an Outreach Program, to support and encourage upwelling creativity in individuals and groups. The Outreach Progamme includes Creativity Workshops, Creative Gatherings, Exhibitions of Visionary Art, Trips and Visits. See our Events Pages for details.

Artesian has also set up the Artesian Network. Join us to gain access to a network of upwelling artists, creators, thinkers and dreamers coordinated through our web site, msn web community, regular news-sheets, the new artesian archive, as well as workshops and creative gatherings. See details on our Artesian Network Page. Through the Magazine, Outreach Programme, and Network Artesian seeks to:

• inspire and empower actual and potential intuitive and visionary artists and creatorsfrom all over Scotland, and beyond, whatever their background
• provide a forum and network for contact, sharing, coordination and collaboration amongst such creators
• explore the sources and processes of Upwelling Creativity,as well as the processes of self-discovery and spiritual awareness that can arise during the creation of the Upwelling Arts.

Artesian welcomes images and writings by artists and creators who see themselves as one or more of the following:

• Visionary artists or creators
• Self-taught, intuitive artists
• Outsider artists
• Outside the establishment or mainstream
• Self-authorised
• "Shamanic"
• Channelled
• Contemplative
• Creator of Magical Art or Spirit Art

Artesian celebrates diversity and inclusivity, and challenges contemporary perceptions of "ART".We hope that through their art, writing and ideas, these visionary creators will inspire and empower you!

WHAT TO DO NEXT!

We would welcome any ideas, comments or feedback on this venture. If you would like to learn more about Upwelling Art and Creativity, see the article by Judith McNicol. If you would like to contribute to future issues of ARTESIAN and see your work published on our web site, please read the page giving instructions for Contributors. Best of all, Subscribe to Artesian Magazine - two issues per year for the year 2000 - although we do hope to publish more frequently from 2001 onwards.

Subscribe to Artesian

See our page on How to Subscribe to Artesian. Artesian is produced on an entirely voluntary basis. Everyone who has contributed their work to Artesian has done so on a goodwill basis - and the editors thank them for their support and generosity. Artesian is always seeking financial support for the Magazine, as well as for running our vital Outreach Programme, Exhibition Programme and the Artesian Network Scheme. Please help if you can - a donation, however small, can help bring the creative worksof a larger number of artists to public view. Sponsors of Artesian will be acknowledged in future issues of the magazine, and on the Artesian web site,as having contributed to the advancement of Upwelling Art and Creativity inScotland, and far beyond. Please help us by offering to sponsor Artesian- See the benefits of sponsorship by looking at our page on BENEFITS OF SPONSORING ARTESIAN.