Art in the Glasshouse
Something amazing happened this April.
The last coat of paint was dabbed on the freshly installed exhibition rails, the old tile floor was swept and scrubbed, and an empty corridor area under a stairwell was transformed into a bright and airy gallery space!
Contrast and light
When we planned the space originally, we had been more than happy with the prospect of three walls of the art hub having picture rails fitted. It seemed like plenty of hanging space for upcoming exhibitions - and it was. However, as spring filled the entrance hall area with an abundance of sunlight. it became obvious that a disused area outside the main room of the art hub could become an extension of the inside gallery.
As this part of the building is a rather fascinating glass and perspex metal framed construction, it really is filled with natural light for most of the day - and it’s glorious! The concept of The Glasshouse Gallery was fully realised when one of us joked it was “like a greenhouse”.
With no plans to grow tomatoes or cucumbers, we felt “glasshouse” was a much better fit for our new exhibition space - don’t you think?
Our bright and airy gallery space
The beauty of this space, apart from the light, is that it can also be viewed from outside through the large panes of the front windows. So, it’s an attractive backdrop to the paved area, which we have begun to develop into an urban oasis, complete with pots of perennials and herbs to attract pollinators. It’s definitely become a cool hang out to savour that first coffee of the morning.
Keen to support community groups and local artists who are looking for affordable exhibition space, we were thrilled when Helen Goodman approached us about providing an opportunity for her printmaking students to display their work. A totally new experience for them, their response to seeing their pieces hung up in a gallery was wonderful.
And they looked FABULOUS!
Student’s work framed and ready for sale
A vibrant collection of a variety of printed images in a spectrum of bold colours, they certainly caught the attention of visitors to The Place. Helen created washing lines of recently dried prints, an effective way of showing many pieces in one space. It also gave everyone in the group chance to participate, whatever stage they were at in their creative journey.
The framed artworks were hung in the main room, with smaller pieces placed along the mantelpiece and in the fireplace. The whole exhibition brought movement and colour to our expansive white walls - it truly was a stunning display!
I also welcomed the oportunity to collaborate with Helen, with her past experience of curating exhibitions. She worked closely with us and shared some useful and constructive feedback which will help us to tailor the support we can offer to artists in this ever-evolving creative space.
At the moment, the art hub is only regularly open on Mondays and Fridays, but we anticipate this will extend in the summer. Also, we are happy for people to contact us if they would like to arrange a time to view the artwork on show.
May’s exhibition is a collection of community mosaic pieces.
Freedom to create on Fridays
If you would like to be part of the Thortify Art Hub community, get in touch,
thortify@gmail.com
or just pop in for a cuppa and some creative time at The Place Community and Activity Centre on Fridays afternoons in our ‘Freedom to Create Sessions’.
Peace and paintbrushes
Debra Thortify
