RAG artist Tracey Thompson's 'New Amusements' painting made a bold statement at London interior design event Urban Interiors. Tracey was joined by Dan Thompson (showing paintings and furniture) and Christiane Kersten Ceramics under the RAG's Seaside Rocks banner, and their stand was a firm favourite with stylists, designers, journalists and buyers.

Being at Urban Interiors, which took place at the Commonwealth Institute, Kensington, London from Friday 7th - Sunday 9th November 2003, also gave the RAG team a chance to check out some other artists and designers. Read on for what's cool and what's not...

The exhibition, which included work by Ella Guru, Sexton Ming, Frances Castle, Daniel Pincham-Phipps, Philip Absolon, Charles Thomson, Tony Juliano, Catherine Chow and Dan Thompson, was curated by Dan Belton.

The Stuckists first came together in 1999, when a group of painters led by Charles Thomson and Billy Childish reacted against Brit Art and high-profile conceptual artists like Damian Hirst and Tracey Emin. The group�s first manifesto declared that �Artists who don�t paint aren�t artists� and that �Art that has to be in a gallery to be art isn�t art�. Find out more at www.stuckism.com

Here at RAG HQ, we aim to raise the profile of contemporary arts and crafts - and our great relationship with the media helps us to achieve this. Already this year, we've generated nearly 100 arts stories in papers and magazines, as well as gaining radio and internet coverage for our artists, writers and musicians. And it's only August.

Read on for more about painter Bob Brighton (pictured) and other RAG artists who've been making news in 2003...

We, the undersigned, are committed to promoting the practice and understanding of the contemporary arts.

This includes the visual arts: painting, printing and photography:
performing arts: theatre, dance and performance:
and other practices.

Exhibitions Across The South-East In 2002

Neck of the Woods celebrated the Start Contemporary Gallery's second birthday- and RAG's first Brighton exhibition. For the Brighton Festival Fringe, RAG and Start worked together to showcase 16 artists and makers from Sussex. Neck of the Woods ran from 14th May-15th June at Start Contemporary Gallery, 8 Church Street, Brighton BN1 1US, with RAG artists Dan Thompson, Nathan Bean, Olga Kohutek, Alison Milner-Gulland, Sally Harris and Tracey Thompson.

RAG BONE took the same six RAG artists to the Chromos Gallery in Canterbury. This busy space, in the Chromos Arts Shop, 77 Stour Street, played host to RAG from 1st-13th June.

"Thanks for a very interesting show, full of quality exhibits and showing much talent. Hope you can come again next year!" From all at Chromos.

Ragtag & Bobtail ran from January to April 2002 in The Studio at Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, gain showcasing artists and makers from RAG. This exhibition entertained, enlightened and enraged in equal measures, with the Worthing Herald dedicating a front page to the show with the headline "Is This Art?". The public obviously thought so...

"Very stunning and varied collection of work"
Antoinette Kelly
"Contemporary arts in Worthing - whatever next?"
Hamish McKenzie
"As Oscar Wilde said 'All art is quite useless' - and this is more useless than most - well done!"
Dirk Beaumont
"I am impressed by the very beautiful use of colours and also the rich textures"
Dario Stefanou