AFTER a hugely successful launch in the run-up to Christmas, organisers of the Portland Arts Centre are now looking forward to their next project.

Fire and Ice will be a month-long open exhibition and will hopefully raise funds towards a heating system for the old laundry building in Fortuneswell on Portland.

Katherine Bryan-Merrett and Samantha Polley, who run the arts centre, are inviting artists of all media to submit three items for the exhibition, which will run from Sunday to Sunday, February 28 to March 28.

Katherine said: “We are looking for three pieces on the theme of fire and ice.

“We are planning to keep the exhibition as open as possible and hopefully we will get a wide range of artists taking part – fashion designers, musicians, sculptors and visual artists.”

Katherine added that she and Samantha hoped that fashion and music students from Weymouth College would seize this opportunity to have their work on display, as well as artists from Weymouth and Portland and further afield.

Any money raised will go towards heating for the centre.

“It is really cold here at the moment,” said Katherine.

“We have some small electric heaters that you plug in but you really only feel the heat if you actually sit on them.”

The opening exhibition at Portland Arts Centre, which took place last month, has already raised £5,000 for the venue.

More than 200 people attended the opening night and Katherine said that on average, 30 or 40 people popped in to view the exhibition every day during its run.

She and Samantha now hope that Fire and Ice will be even more successful. Katherine said: “We will be dividing the space in the arts centre between the fire-themed space and the ice-themed space.

“We want to create an even more spectacular opening night than the last and would like to include dance, music, fashion, textiles, sculptures and much more.

“We want the viewer to be transformed into another world of Fire or Ice, a magical winter wonderland, or a burning inferno.

“We welcome the crazy and the creative and if you have any ideas or would like to volunteer to help with this exhibition we would love to hear from you.”

Work to be exhibited in Fire and Ice should be brought to the arts centre in Brymers Avenue from Saturday to Saturday, February 6 to 13, between 10am and 4pm.

There will be a £10 entry fee plus 25 per cent commission on all sales.

For further details about Portland Arts Centre and upcoming exhibits, call 07518 346310 or visit the website www.portland artscentre.co.uk