A new exhibition ‘Heart of Nature’ will open from November 1-14 over two sites in Wallingford, at Ayres House Studios Gallery and Garden, and St Peters Church, to coincide with the Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP-26).
At Ayres House Studios Gallery and Garden selected works from studio artists and the public aims to raise awareness of local habitats and biodiversity.
The exhibition grew from September’s ‘Oxfordshire Great Big Green Week’ after Ayres House Studios ran workshops with the general public, creating art with nature at its heart.
The exhibition also envelops Oxford based illustrator Jack Cowley‘s hugely successful ‘Green Art Trail’; which was a collaboration between Watlington Artists and various local environmental groups.
Curated by Ayres House Studios’ Emma Souter and Karen Goonewardene, who ran free workshops during September supported by the WWF exploring the studios’ wild garden, means that some of the resulting work will also be on show during the exhibition.
“This exhibition enhances the visitor’s reconnection with both nature and themselves,” Karen confirms.
At the second site of St Peters Church will be a clay community art installation facilitated by Adumbration Arts. Talking about the ‘Please handle with care’ project, Emma Souter says. “I wanted to create a project that was truly inclusive, we’ve had some really lovely workshops with families, the public, schools, care homes and charities, from professional artists, learners with difficulties to early years groups.
“So far we’ve had participants from age 93-3 whose work has been carefully assembled together as one body.
“I am interested to see how the piece will come together in the setting of St Peters Church alongside the root sculptures and drawings of Karen Goonewardene (1-2 November) and the installation of glowing ‘Exo Earth’ photographs by John Hailstone, from the 5-14 November,” she adds.
John is based in Wallingford and Exo Earth is an exhibition of glowing photographic canvases that explore speculative worlds that orbit stars other than the sun.
The exhibitions will be enhanced with ambient music by British music composer and ambient musician Simon Wilkinson.
A percentage of the exhibition sales will go to support St.Peter’s Church and The Churches Conservation Trust.
Both sites open 11am-5pm and are only a 5 minute walk apart with parking available at both.
For further details about ‘Heart of Nature’ go to www.ayreshousestudios.co.uk and for ‘exo earth’ go to www.granizo.uk
