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> Members of the Eagle Works Visual Arts Group have exhibited their work in many countries. Finding places to display their more challenging work closer to home can prove to be more of a problem, though. Rosemary Terry: 鈥淲e鈥檙e known in the art world, but not really recognised by Wolverhampton Council as much as we would like to be. I think I could say.听 The only way they support us is by giving us a 75% rent rebate, which is actually worth quite a lot of money, but by setting up their artist鈥檚 quarter the other side of town they鈥檝e kind of ignored us, which is a bit of a shame, because this is where the artist鈥檚 are.
 | | Sculptor Rosemary Terry, in her studio |
鈥淲e鈥檙e the largest collection of artists in this area. You鈥檇 have to go to Birmingham to find bigger collection.听 The Birmingham Art Trust have got at least one large group studio 鈥 but we鈥檝e been here for longer. 鈥淲e have quite close links with Wolverhampton Art gallery, they鈥檝e certainly been very supportive in the past. We have close links with the university, although it鈥檚 not a formal one, because some of us teach there and some of us are ex-students, and some current. Simon Harris, for example, has just started doing an MA there. Derek Jones: 鈥淭he Arts Council grant does not cover the rent. We鈥檝e never had any funding to pay for these studios and the rent, or anything like that. It鈥檚 always been done by the artists themselves. The only grants we鈥檝e had from the Arts Council have funded exhibitions and paid artist鈥檚 fees for exhibiting, which is not the same really as paying for the space you work in.
 | | Detail from a Derek Jones painting |
鈥淚 think Wolverhampton has got quite a strong arts base, in the form of the Wolverhampton Art Gallery, but the thing is, we are on the outside of that. It鈥檚 a municipal gallery that鈥檚 funded by the local authority and by the Arts Council, where as we are the people who actually make the art, that perhaps goes in those art galleries 鈥 we don鈥檛 actually get any funding to do it, where as they get the funding to support that. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a historical thing, really. The Art Gallery was founded by private subscription and was then adopted by the local authority.鈥 The Eagle Works group are are aware of the importance of sharing their work with others. Rosemary Terry: 鈥淲e had an open studios and group show this summer, in June. We had an open studios weekend in June, and a group show, where we encouraged the general public to come in and have a look round and see what we do.鈥
 | | Derek Jones, in his studio |
But the group cannot leave the door open. They鈥檙e keen for their work to be viewed, but entry to Eagle Works is by invitation only. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in a catch 22 situation.鈥 says Rosemary. 鈥淭he health and safety regulations mean that we can鈥檛 employ anybody here. If we could employ somebody to be here, all day, everyday and be a sort of gallery attendant then we could open the doors to the general public. We鈥檙e not allowed just leave the door open and let people in because we don鈥檛 have adequate health and safety facilities, really. 鈥淪o if we had people ringing the doorbell constantly, asking to be let in, it would be awkward for the people who are here. Everybody is here on a voluntary basis, that鈥檚 how we comply with the health and safety regulations. 鈥 Entry to the Eagle Works building is by invitation only.
Telephone 01902 425958 or email eagle@eagleworks.org.uk for more information. | 
