This summer, online gallery Axle Arts and arts organisation Somerset Art Works (SAW) are collaborating in an exhibition of outdoor sculpture at the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa in Bath.
The sculptures are all suitable for siting in gardens or on terraces, and will respond to the elegant, historic city of Bath with its beautiful architecture and gardens. The artists will be working in a range of mediums including bronze, mild steel and ceramic.
Exhibiting artists include Dorothy Brook, David Cutler, Barry Davies RCA, Rachel Demuth, Mick Morgan, Sarah May Rogers, Tamsyn Trevorrow and Sally Wetherall.
Axle Arts director and curator Bridget Sterling believes collaborations are important in adapting and moving forward in an ever changing and increasingly difficult art market. They encourage knowledge sharing and the development of mutual respect and diversity and can lead to more effective outcomes and stronger relations.
She approached SAW’s Creative Director Carol Carey and suggested they collaborate, offering a SAW member artist the opportunity to exhibit alongside the gallery’s professional artists. They invited proposals to exhibit and the standard of submissions was so high they selected three artists, David Cutler, Sarah May Rogers and Sally Wetherall.
Additionally, recent Bath Spa University MFA graduate, Rachel Demuth, has also been invited to exhibit.
The exhibition will also mark the official announcement by SAW Director Carol Carey of the organisation’s intention to extend their network into the Bath area and Bath and North East Somerset (Banes). They are inviting all artists and makers working across all media and at all stages of their careers to join their membership network and take advantage of the support and opportunities the organisation offers.
SAW was established in 1994 by a group of Somerset-based artists wanting to set-up open studios. They planned to network with other artists in the county whilst promoting their work to the public. The event grew in popularity until in 2000 a permanent organisational structure was established and they registered themselves as a limited company. Six years later in 2016 they officially registered as a charity.
Today SAW continues to support a vast communication network of creatives in Somerset, supporting them with their professional, creative and business practices. They run a festival and open studio event every September and aim to advance education for the public benefit in Somerset in the fields of visual arts.
Everyone is invited to wander around the exhibition, which will be in the walled and spa gardens at the Royal Crescent Hotel. The exhibition opens on Friday 23 May and runs through the summer until September.
www.axlearts.com/news-views/article/outdoor-sculpture-exhibition/
