THE GARDEN PROJECT / PROSIECT YR ARDD MIXED SHOW

Mima was inspired to start the Garden Project following the initial lockdown in March 2020 and decided to start up a ‘micro stall’ in front of the gallery with an honesty box. The plants were a mix of organic vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. They proved to be really popular and I really enjoyed sharing my passion for growing with others. I thought it would be interesting to track down some of the plants and visit the gardens where they ended up and to meet the people behind the plants with the aim of creating a photographic collection of gardener’s portraits. The idea was to encourage growing, engage with the local community and lift the spirits during such a terrible year.  All the gardeners that I met shared a pure joy and love for growing. The resulting portraits offer a tiny glimpse into the gardener’s worlds and show a community united through their love of growing. The photos were displayed as a montage to create one piece representing the connections made in the community through the plant stall. At the end of the exhibition the montage was divided and gifted to the plant owners in the same way the seeds were sown and then divided to provide homegrown food in the area. 

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All artists created new works exclusively for the exhibition and were inspired by their gardening environments in 2020. The guest artists featured in the exhibition were:

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Annabel Cooper - Botanical Paper Sculptures; Dorothy Taylor - Paintings; Ffion Gwyn - Paintings; Harri Carmichael - Jewellery and Lithographic Prints; Iona Pickard - Crafts; Jane Williams - Ceramics; Kim Dewsbury – Paintings; Kim Sweet  - Ink on Paper; Mima - Photography; Sue Terrey - Felted Wall Hangings; Susie Liddle - Mixed Media; Terrence Bunce - Ceramics

This exhibition was part funded by the Arts Council of Wales and National Lottery for part funding this project through the Individual Stabilisation Fund. Thank you!