www.rawartlink.com

P.G.C.E (Post 16), B.A (Hons), G.C.G.I E-mail: rawartsfestival@yahoo.co.uk Artist, creator and director of: Raw Art Link and five Raw Arts Festivals

www.rawartsfestival.co.uk

Profile:

"The artist Piers Midwinter is the creator and director of Raw Art Link and the Raw Arts Festivals. He believes that it's important to stay true to oneself as an artist and that Raw Art (Outsider/Self-taught/Visionary art etc.) comes closest to expressing this. Midwinter has been interested in Raw Art since 1989 and in 2001 he set up Raw Art Link in order to create a website which contained links to all the things that interested him. It was probably the first web portal dedicated to such a task. Since then it has become one of the world's premier Raw Art websites leading to setting up events like the first Raw Arts Festival in 2004 that became London's largest and best International exhibition of self-taught art mounted to date..." Published by the New York Arts Magazine, January/February 2005.

“Piers Midwinter is a visionary artist and the creator/ director of Raw Art Link and the legendary international Raw Arts Festivals. The websites he has created have become standard reference points and the critically acclaimed Raw Arts Festival is the first of its kind and magnitude. Upon creating the first two festivals single-handedly Piers then started collaborating with the New York Arts Magazine. His achievements have pushed the creative envelope and have made him a highly influential artist. In Midwinter's art, one comes face to face with a wide pantheon of artistic expression, ranging from dark black-humour to the highest spiritual yearning. All of which is brought to light in glorious techni-color honesty through Midwinter's highly imaginative paintings.” Published by the New York Arts Magazine, January/February 2007.

Profile of the Raw Arts Festival:

The Raw Arts Festival London 2004 exhibited over 65 artists’ works from 9 different countries. The Raw Arts Festival London 2005 bettered it by exhibiting 95 artists works from 12 different countries. This included a vast proportion of the world's best raw artists. The 2005 Festival has been widely referenced as being „London's largest and best International exhibition of self-taught art mounted to date”, quote from the New York Arts Magazine. Most search engines reference the festival as "the first of its kind and magnitude to be staged in the capital." Since then, the Raw Arts Festival has exhibited in different locations worldwide (Valencia 2006, New York 2007 and Los Angeles 2008) and was widely recognised as being one of the worlds most prestigious non-mainstream arts festivals. It has been featured in prestigious publications worldwide including Raw Vision, The Times, Los Angeles Times, New York arts magazine, The Independent and Art Fairs International etc

Objective:

To develop and promote raw art.

Solo and Group Exhibitions:

Books:

11/02: My web-site and I are listed in the 'Raw Vision Outsider Sourcebook' available at Tate Modern

History:

09/07: I start working with the Infusion gallery in Los Angeles to create the Raw arts Festival: Los Angeles 2008

06/06: I start working with the New York Arts Magazine + the Carrozzini von Buhler gallery to create and direct the Raw Arts Festival - New York 2007

04/06: One of my paintings is bought by the Demirel Collection in Wuppertal Germany

10/05: I start working with the New York Arts Magazine + the Color Elefante gallery to create and direct the Raw Arts Festival - Valencia 2006

9/05: I start working with Franco Meloni to co-organise an exhibition at the Villa Caruso Bellosguardo in the ‘Lastra A Signa’ region near Florence, which was owned by the celebrated Tenor Enrico Caruso

5/05: I create and direct the second Raw Arts Festival - London 2005. This show features at least 95 artists work from 12 different countries. The show is bigger and better than the first!

8/04: I create and direct the first Raw Arts Festival - London 2004. This show features 65 artists work from 9 different countries. It is referenced as being “London’s largest and best exhibition of International self-taught art mounted to date”

5/04: Ody Saban and I create combined paintings/drawings.

2/04: Jane's Addictions list me as an Outsider/Visionary artist.

11/02: My web-site and I are listed in the 'Raw Vision Outsider Sourcebook' available at Tate Modern

7/01:I create and start directing Raw Art Link. Raw Art Link is now “one of the world’s premier Raw Art websites”

9/00: I gained employment as a Teacher.

7/00: I travel to Hong Kong and China by myself. I visit Xian, Guilin and Beijing. I walk on the Wall of China.

9/99 to 6/00: I study at the University of London and gained a PGCE (post 16) to become a qualified Further Education teacher

9/93 to 9/96: I gained a B.A (Hons) degree at Middlesex University (Grade: 2.1). As part of my degree, I taught Adults with Autism, fundraised over £1000, co-organised three exhibitions of work & sold over £1000 of art. As a result, Middlesex University awarded me an 'Ede and Ravenscroft Prize' for 'excellence in the local community'.

9/89 to 6/93: I gained a Foundation in Fine Art and a Graduateship of the City and Guilds Institute (G.C.G.I) in Painting at City and Guilds of London Art School. I won a 'Philip Connard Travel Award' which I used to visit Debuffet's Art Brut Museum in Switzerland and Szentendre in Hungary. I also regularly visited Monika Kinley's Outsider Archive in London.

9/75 to 6/87: I attended two schools in Suffolk, U.K.

24/7/1968: Born in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A to British parents.

Collections/Museums:

Demirel Collection, Wuppertal, Germany

Portsmouth and Hampshire Art Society, Widley, Waterlooville, Hampshire, U.K.

Raw Vision, Watford, U.K.

And in individual collections worldwide...