EXHIBITION| Re-Connecting - opening 5th October, Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick

Re Connecting: A solo exhibition exploring the visual elements of recovery and resilience

Join me next Thursday 5th October at 7pm evening to launch my solo show ‘Re-Connecting’ exploring my visual interpretation of recovery and resilience through sculpture, collaboration and installation.

Re-Connecting will spans the gallery spaces at Down Arts Centre exploring visual elements of my rediscovery and reconnection with creativity after acquired brain injury.   Pieces explore reconnection with colour through making after a period with an absence of confidence in colour.  Place and storytelling are integral to the exhibition with pieces taking inspiration from stories of resilience, strength and survival depicted in native folk songs.   

The central piece ‘Re-framing II’ was made in collaboration with Brain Injury Matters in Belfast and is an iteration of ‘Re-framing’ installation which formed part of Rachel’s solo show in the Island Arts Centre last spring.

This exhibition has been kindly supported through funding by the Arts Council NI through the National Lottery via the Support the Individual Artist, General Arts Award.

EXHIBITION | Linen Lab Gallery Installation

I was quite nervous about the installation of this piece - it was so big, would it fall down, would it break… what did it look like?? Luckily I was dealing with absolute professionals who gently installed the grids and unwrapped each strand of pinwheels, all from a height of 6 metres!

A huge thank you to all the staff and team at Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

The Exhibition runs until 9th November 2019.

STUDIO | Linen Lab Preparation

With all the calculations completed now came the more exciting task of constructing the piece.

This began outside in the garden preparing the grids with white spray paint. The grids were then brought inside to begin the process to threading the 1000 pinwheels on about 2km of linen thread. Each strand was then bagged up ready to be transported to the gallery.

EXHIBITION | Linen Lab Exhibition Opening

Over the next few weeks I will be posting lots of information about my involvement in the Linen Lab project and it’s exhibition, which opens 11th October at 11am at FE McWilliam Gallery & Studio.

There will be an additional Meet the Maker opening from 2-4 on Saturday 12th October.

The Linen Lab exhibition will feature the work of Heather Richardson, Jill Phillips, Robert Peterson, Studio Plastique, Lynsey McDougal, Deborah Malchomson and myself.

We are the creative professionals who have been challenged to work collaboratively with young people aged 10-19 in schools and college across Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon. Over the nine-month programme of classroom and gallery-based creative sessions, we have developed new work for the exhibition held in the FE McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge from Oct 11th to Nov 9th 2019.

WORKSHOP | Linen Lab Schools’ Gallery Visit to F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio

As part of the Linen Lab Programme each school had the opportunity to visit the F.E. McWiliam Gallery & Studio. During their visit the had a guided tour of the current exhibition and the outdoor sculptural garden. After this the children created more pinwheel flowers and we discuss their piece, where it would be and what it might look like. we also discussed potential names for the piece and the children decided on ‘FLAXATION’

The exhibition will run from October 11th to 9th November 2019

For further information on the Linen Lab project see the website here

WORKSHOP | Lab Nights: Sculptural Linen Workshop

This workshop formed part of a new series of evening workshops in 2019 for young people at the F.E.McWilliam Gallery and Studio. These workshops were offered as part of the Linen Lab project - encouraging young people to explore Linen in new ways and experiment with a range of creative processes.

Sculptural Linen workshop encouraged young people to get involved in a laboratory of form, texture and the written word. it was led by myself and writer Heather Richardson. We used various mark making and constructed Textile Techniques and the workshop was perfect for budding artists, designers and creative writers or those hoping to develop portfolio skills for college and university.

The Linen Lab Exhibition will run from 11th October to 9th November 2019

For more information about the Linen Lab Project click here