Lisa Le Feuvre, Head of Sculpture Studies at the Henry Moore Institute and curator of Avalanche 1970 -1976, stopped by CHELSEA space to see Shelagh Cluett’s work on Monday 6th December. Lisa was good friends with Shelagh and found her inspirational, which led to Lisa generously writing the introduction to our publication for the show. Lisa and CHELSEA space’s Donald Smith were on their way to the Turner Prize announcement at Tate Britain where they were quite rightly met at the door by art school tutors, including the late Shelagh Cluett’s colleagues and friends, staging a ‘Turner Prize Teach-In’ in support of free education for all and against cuts in public sector jobs. Lisa and Donald were not boycotted or turned away but they were handed notices of the reasons for the protest, a cause from which CHELSEA space is not immune and wholeheartedly supports.

A 'Turner Prize Teach - In' leaflet

Once inside the crowded Duveen galleries there was loud cheering and chanting from the Millbank end and it was clear that students were protesting inside the live televised event. For his part, Sir Nicholas Serota took up the cause of the ‘Teach -In’ during his speech saying that he strongly supported the right to education for all and that he was also concerned for small and regional museums, galleries, and arts organisations who would be affected by the forthcoming cuts in Government spending.

Crowds await the announcement of the Turner Prize winner

Finally the winner of the 2010 Turner Prize was announced and Susan Phillipsz received the award from Miuccia Prada. Out of the four nominees - Dexter Dalwood, Angela de La Cruz, Otolith Group, and Susan Phillpsz, the CHELSEA space team had found it hard to predict the winner, but we did have a connection to Angela De la Cruz’s exhibition because Lisson Gallery curator Greg Hilty had come over from Tate Britain during the installation of the show and enlisted the help of CHELSEA space’s Barbara Elting to help with the completion of De La Cruz’s Mixed Media Chair and Stool

Angela De la Cruz 'Mixed Media Chair and Stool'