Spotlight

15-30 September 2012
Over 350 artists at around 221 studios, houses, barns, streets and other venues across Somerset, plus an exhibition programme.
www.somersetartworks.org.uk

Keep on until it’s perfect, and waste nothing

Amongst the highlights at this year’s Somerset Art Weeks 2012 are beautiful garden ceramics, wood sculpture and bowls from sustainable local sources, a silent auction for a Goldsmith’s graduate’s paintings, site-specific weaving and light installations, colourful limited edition etchings, and dreamy watercolours inspired by the Somerset landscape.

These, and over 300 other inspirational, diverse artworks will be on display in houses, barns, halls, studios and streets during Somerset Art Weeks 2012, September 15 – 30. Purchase or commission unique artworks, craft, jewellery and ceramics, or just enjoy Somerset’s art and culture. Many artists have international reputations, all have a story to tell, and positively encourage conversation about their work. Most studios are family friendly and some also cater for people with disabilities.

To complement the Somerset spirit of artistic adventure, Somerset Art Works are also staging several events and exhibitions. SAW has commissioned Chantelle Henocq from Fire & Ice to work with graduate photographer Sebastian King and Somerset based writer David Davis to produce images and words around the theme  ‘Artists and their creative space’. The commission will be exhibited at the Cafe Gallery at the Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton during the Art Weeks. The Brewhouse Theatre will also be transformed into temporary artists’ studios to host resident exchange artists from Stroud and an emerging artist from Somerset.

Showcasing SAW’s curatorial programme, Maximum Exposure, will be a 13 metre inflatable sculpture to celebrate Yeovil’s glove making history (bouncing welcome!) and a film documenting the moving art happening from Illuminos where projections and illuminations highlighted pill boxes of the old Taunton Stop Line- 300 military bunkers built during WWII to stop a potential German advance from the West. Visitors can see the unique film at Illminster Warehouse Theatre.

Artistic interpretations of the Great Crane Project - the re-introduction of the majestic crane back to the Somerset Levels - will be on show at the Somerset Craft Centre, including hundreds of origami cranes created by community groups, as well as sculpture, jewellery and painting.

Printed maps and guides available from July.

Online map: www.somersetartworks.org.uk/venue/map

List of participants: http://www.somersetartworks.org.uk/SAW12_participant

www.somersetartworks.org.uk

First published: a-n.co.uk July 2012