I am an interdisciplinary artist and project manager, working solo and in collaboration with other practitioners and community groups.
I use walking and mapping to explore how people interact with places, informed by experience of over 30 years in engineering and environmental consulting.
My practice includes painting, collage, photography, printmaking, books, and digital media. My work has been shown in both solo and group exhibitions, and I have created commissioned work and curated exhibitions. I have a BA(Hons) degree in Creative Arts.
I am a member of Meadow Arts’ network of creative practitioners, experienced in delivering arts engagement projects with schools, community groups and in public workshops.
Commissions and social documentary
I am a founding member of community organisation Cinderloo1821, delivering a long term project to reveal hidden narratives and raise awareness of the Cinderloo Uprising, an industrial protest that took place in Dawley, now part of Telford. Having secured grants from National Lottery Heritage and other funders, we are working with Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust, various community partners, and artists on a series of participatory public events, walks, publications/zines and artworks culminating in 200th anniversary events in 2021. I developed an education programme and delivered work in six primary schools in Telford with two other creative practitioners. Working with artist, Jill Impey, we made a film Bear Witness: The Lie of the Land.
In 2014, I completed a 15 month commission, Land in Hand, with photographer Mairi Turner, to document the development of new community allotments within a fascinating landscape near Shrewsbury. We published a book of the project which was funded by Shropshire Council and facilitated by Transition Town Shropshire and Visual Art Network.
Workshops, walks and public events
I am experienced in leading public workshops and events, often using walking and collage as inspiration for creating art works. I have also delivered artist talks and organised public events alongside curated exhibitions.
Recent work as a Meadow Arts’ creative practitioner includes:
- Walk/workshop at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum in support of the Living Ruins exhibition
- Walk/workshop at Great Witley Court in support of the In Ruins exhibition
- Journey-themed project for Mary Webb School and Science College
- public workshops for children and families in support of Worcester Museum’s Ice Age Exhibition and work by digital artists SDNA at the Hive in Worcester
In 2019, I took part in the Fourth World Congress of Psychogeography (4WCOP) by running a walking event “Acts of Resistance” from Empire House in Dewsbury, staged in association with Creative Scene.
In 2019, I participated remotely in a festival at Skeidarahlaup in Iceland, co-ordinated with Arts Territory Exchange, by livestreaming a walk from Charles Darwin’s birthplace to his childhood garden next to the River Severn in Shrewsbury.
In 2019, I led two walks and workshops for the Scour II art project for artists Elizabeth Turner and Keith Ashford in the River Arrow Valley in Redditch. As part of this project I published a collaborative zine.
For the Heritage Open Day in September 2017, I led a workshop “Your Perfect High Street” encouraging people to consider what activities are important in their town, to create a large photo-collage and a scale model of a high street.
I worked with a group of five other artists on environmental art projects for around three years promoting the development of a visual art gallery (The Cloud Gallery) using eco-design and sustainable construction. The Cloud Gallery artist collective gained local authority support, which led to a number of events and activities. These included a successful eco-architecture weekend event (September 2007) with construction of simple sculptural spiral using straw bale techniques and Cloud Space featured in the Greenhouse Shropshire exhibition in February 2008.
Gallery and curating
As long term trustee of the Visual Art Network (VAN), I helped facilitate and implement a number of arts projects. I was a key member of the VAN Gallery project to develop a contemporary art gallery and retail venue, from which VAN commissioned new work and workshops by artists.
In 2017, I co-curated an exhibition “Collage Now“, featuring 11 contemporary collagists at the VAN Street Gallery in Shrewsbury.
In 2015, I curated the “A Voyage of Enterprise” exhibition to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Market Hall, Shrewsbury on behalf of Shropshire Council. The exhibition featured art (including commissioned work), architecture, history and narratives of people associated with the market past and present.
From my career as a chartered engineer in environmental consultancy, I have significant experience in managing and directing multi-disciplinary teams in challenging projects.
Solo Exhibitions:
June 2017 Shrewsbury Open Studios
Apr-May
2017 In Parallel and Entwined, The Hive, Shrewsbury, including Space Explorers! walking event
Jan 2017 In Good Hands Café, Shrewsbury
Mar 2016 In Parallel, Participate Contemporary Artspace, Shrewsbury
Feb 2014 Land in Hand, joint commission with Mairi Turner to document the development of Coton Hill allotments, published book and exhibition at Visual Art Network Market Hall Gallery, Shrewsbury
July 2011 Shrewsbury Open Studios
July 2010 Shrewsbury Open Studios
Jan 2010 Imperfectly Natural, Gallery3, Gateway Arts Centre, Shrewsbury
Feb 2007 C45P3R.com, No.35 Penson Chambers, Oswestry
Nov 2006 Phantom Cities, Bear Steps Gallery, Shrewsbury; joint exhibition with Colin Blundell
July 2006 This is Art Festival, Shrewsbury
Nov 2005 C45P3R.com, Frank café bar, Shrewsbury
July 2005 This is Art Festival, Shrewsbury
June 2005 Stone Works, Shrewsbury Music Hall Photographic Gallery
Group Exhibitions:
Dec 19-Mar 20 A Stitch in Time, Fourth Today’s Documents (my collaborative work with artist Gareth Jones featured with other Arts Territory Exchange artists), Today Art Museum, Beijing
Oct-Nov 19 Scaffolds of Nature, Participate Contemporary Artspace, Shrewsbury
Oct-Nov 19 VAN at 20, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury
Oct 2019 Encounters, VAN Gallery, Shrewsbury
Sept 2019 Put this in your window and think of me (my collaborative work with artist Kim Goldsmith featured with other Arts Territory Exchange artists, curated by Art Language Location), Cambridge Artworks Artspace
Oct 18-pres Selected VAN members exhibition, University Centre Shrewsbury
Aug 2018 Lawn and Meadow, Participate Contemporary Artspace, Shrewsbury
June 2018 Brownfield Research Centre, AirSpace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent
Mar 2018 Encounters, VAN Street Gallery, Shrewsbury
Nov 2017 Shropshire Open 2017, Gateway Gallery3, Shrewsbury
Aug 2017 Eden, Participate Contemporary Artspace, Shrewsbury
June 2017 Collage Now, VAN Street Gallery, Shrewsbury (co-curated with Peter Williams)
Oct 2016 Qube Open, Oswestry
Sep 2016 Loitering with Intent, People’s History Museum, Manchester, featured a special edition of Stepz magazine “Between the Rollerama and the Junk Yard” including my article “A View on the Street”.
Sep 2015 Voyage of Enterprise, curator, Market Hall, Shrewsbury
Sep 2015 “Quotidian” part of A Voyage of Enterprise exhibition celebrating 50 years of the Market Hall, Shrewsbury
Sep 2012 Much Wenlock Open, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock
Jun 2011 Visual Art Network Market Hall Gallery, Shrewsbury
Nov 2010 Much Wenlock Open, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock
Apr 2010 Worcester Open, Pitt Gallery
Dec 2008 Postcards – an exhibition of affordable art, Gallery 3, Gateway Arts Centre, Shrewsbury
Aug 2008 The Shropshire Open Exhibition, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery
May 2008 The Telford & Wrekin Open, Oakengates Theatre
Feb 2008 Cloud Space and Art Walk, with Cloud Gallery Artists Collective, Shrewsbury Music Hall, part of Greenhouse Shropshire exhibition
Jan 2007 Abandoned Chairs, Group Exhibition, Norwich Arts Centre
Aug 2004 Dedicated to Art, Eighth Art Exhibition, Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire
Qualifications
BA (Hons) Creative Art, Open College of Art accredited by University for the Creative Arts
MA Engineering Science, University of Oxford
Diploma in Water & Environmental Management, De Montfort University
Chartered Engineer
Member, Institution of Civil Engineers
Member, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management