Ilkeston project exhibiting artwork at Wirksworth Festival

Ilkeston project exhibiting artwork at Wirksworth Festival

Monoprints created by people at Ilkeston-based project Growing Lives will be exhibited as part of the Art and Architecture Trail at Wirksworth Festival on 7th and 8th September 2019.

Run by Derventio Housing Trust, Growing Lives gives people opportunities to develop their self-confidence, gain new skills, reduce social isolation and improve their health and wellbeing.

Participants have created their own monoprints as part of a special project funded by Arts Council England. Led by contemporary visual artist Olivia Punnett, they explored the collection at Derby Museum and Art Gallery, including a private viewing of the famous paintings by Joseph Wright. They chose works that personally resonated with them, and created artworks using monoprint and projection.

Olivia guided and mentored people through the process, and is curating the resulting exhibition at Wirksworth Festival. She said: “I have worked with participants over the course of this Arts Council supported project, Shine a Light, and have been amazed at the work produced, as well as seeing the Joseph Wright collection in a completely new light.”

The whole process was documented by photographer Jon Legge, and a booklet of his images documenting the project will be available at the exhibition.

The Art and Architecture Trail is Wirksworth Festival’s famous opening weekend event. The whole town becomes a gallery with more than 100 artists and designer-makers showing their work in over 70 venues. Tickets for the Art and Architecture Trail costs £7 and the Shine a Light exhibition will be Haarlem Artspace throughout the weekend.

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