The Into the Outwoods Sculpture Trail 2022 will open on 2nd June to mark the Platinum Jubilee and help celebrate 70 years of the Queen’s guardianship of the people and lands of the UK.
So ArtSpace invite you to come down to the Outwoods between 2nd june and 24th July to discover the 70 tree people lining the 11⁄4 mile woodland trail, encounter willow bees and dragonflies, the Queen’s horse, ceramic birds and giant woodlice … and much more. The trail will celebrate biodiversity and explore concerns about habitat loss and the climate emergency.
Success with Platinum Jubilee funding from the ‘Let’s Create’ Arts Council scheme means a more substantial trail with more artwork and free willow workshops on the afternoons of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th of June, to coincide with other jubilee celebrations. So come along and make your own willow dragonfly at these free workshops (booking via the ArtSpace website essential).
Installation work has begun !
The National Forest have also stepped up to help make this happen by awarding an ‘Arts Grant’ to fund some of the artist’s commissions. They are also funding a public workshop in the woods, free to participants, making ‘flags of hope’ to add to the ‘message in a bottle’ sculpture. This will be a drop-in workshop, so just turn up and get creative. Dates will be posted on the ArtSpace website.
In addition, the public have generously contributed to a ‘just giving’ page to fund more Sculpture commissions. This means the trail will have more than 25 works and co-created sculpture.
A fundraising exhibition to support refugee families from Ukraine.
1st May – 30 June 2022.
All proceeds from this online exhibition of artwork by members of ArtSpace will be donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC ) to help support refugee families from Ukraine. All artwork is priced at £100 or less. This is a rare opportunity to purchase quality artwork at very reasonable prices. If you wish to make a purchase and help refugees email contact@artspace-lboro.co.uk.
We are very pleased to announce that ArtSpace have been successful with funding bids to Leicestershire County Council’s Shire Grants and The National Forest’s Arts Grants for the 2022 Outwoods Sculture Trail.
Into The Outwoods Sculpture Trail 2022 is based on the theme ‘Harmony and Healing for Planet and People’. Much of the sculpture will directly reference issues of climate change, sustainability and ecology. Through these trail works, and the outreach workshop programme, we aim to raise awareness of the climate emergency and encourage people to think about our place in the natural world.
Felting workshop at the 2019 trail.
The Shire Grant funding will enable us to work with local schools and vulnerable groups to co-create work for the woodland trail. Mapelwell Hall School, Cobden School, Glebe House, the Wellbeing Café, and Albert Street Artists are all taking part. We aim to provide a vehicle for creative practice to help improve mental health and well being for the participants.
Funding from The National Forest Arts Grants will enable us to commission inspiring work for the trail, work with an additional school and run drop-in workshops for the public.
Clay workshop at the 2019 trail.
The sculpture trail will encourage people from different backgrounds to come together, be and walk in nature, engage in the creative arts and learn new skills participating in workshops. These are all well proven ways to improve and develop relationships between participants as well as supporting improved mental health and emotional well-being.
We want to encourage people to visit the natural woodland environment and create a meaningful experience for them there so that they look on the woodland as a sanctuary in difficult times, enhancing a sense of place and where, through art, we can all make connections with our social and environmental context, with other people and with the natural world.
Willow workshop at the 2019 trail.Willow workshop at the 2019 trail.
Into The Outwoods 2022 Sculpture Trail will be open from June 2nd to July 24th. It is free and open to all, dawn to dusk, at The Outwoods near Loughborough.
Two members of ArtSpace are currently in an exhibition at Charnwood Museum, Loughborough. Judith Eason and Mary Byrne are also members of The Association of Leicestershire Artists. The Association – a small group formed after the artists graduated from Loughborough and De Montfort Universities – is exhibiting ‘A Sense of Place’ from 12th March to 5th June.
The ‘place’ referred to in the title is Charnwood. Artists were inspired by the Charnwood landscape and by items in the Leicestershire Museum Collections, some of which are on display with the artworks. There are paintings, drawings, collage, digital works and sketchbooks.
Storm Warning by Vivien Blackburn.
Glen Heath and Vivien Blackburn focus on nature in Charnwood. Vivien uses many different media, including digital art, to explore light and pattern in the landscape. Glen’s interest is chiefly in the damage that man has done to nature and the repercussions. She’s also interested in myths associated with the countryside.
Owl or Hare by Glen Heath.
Judith has landscape drawings too but also paintings based on medieval tiles in the Museum Collections. She was fascinated by the symbolism and surface texture. Sue Graham is interested in the fossils in the Collection but also rocks in the present landscape and how time erodes and changes them.
Medieval Floor Tile by Judith Eason.
Christine Johnson-Hume has paintings and sketches of Bradgate House which evoked thoughts of the young Lady Jane Grey before her future fate.
With a focus more on people, Ros Kite is fascinated by the colours and patterns in the Leicestershire Museum dress collection. (There is also an original 1850s dress on display!) Mary has paintings and drawings inspired by a 1920s photo archive of women workers at a Loughborough perfume factory. The women are surprisingly individual and ‘modern’ looking.
Blue Dress by Ros Kite.
There is something for everyone to see. And a café too!
The Museum (Granby Street) is open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-3pm. After 15th April, it’s open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 1-4pm.
There is a ‘Meet the Artists’ session on Saturday 2nd April 1-3 pm.
ArtSpace have spent many hours developing plans and submitting funding applications to Arts Council England and Charnwood Borough Council for an Outwoods Sculpture Trail in 2022. Unfortunately we have not been successful with these core funding applications. We have, however, secured a Leicestershire County Council ‘Shire Grant’ of £5000 to run a series of creative workshops with Mapelwell Hall School, Glebe House and Cobden Primary School to co-create three or four woodland installations for the trail.
We are now launching a ‘justgiving’ crowdfunding page in the hope of raising some funds to offer modest commissions to a number of local artists to produce and install work for the trail and create a more substantial experience for the people of Charnwood and Leicestershire.
Open Cycle – Nita Rao
The proposed theme, ‘Harmony and Healing for Planet and People’, aims to promote personal and community well-being and increase awareness of environmental sustainability and draw links between the two.
Please help us make these plans become a reality . Any donation, however small, will be very helpful and appreciated. All funds raised will be used to build a bigger and better Outwoods trail.
Sorry, this exhibition has now ended. An archive exhibition tour video will be uploaded soon.
ArtSpace present ‘New Work’, our next interactive on-line exhibition. The exhibits range from paintings and mixed media to photography, collage, video and print. Much of the work is for sale. Please note work is not shown actual size in this virtual gallery. Price and actual size are given in the ‘list of works’ (via drop down menu top right when in gallery view) or, along with an artist statement in some cases, via the info tab (top right when viewing a specific artwork) for a given work. Enquiries are welcomed via individual artist’s emails, if given, via the group email : contact@artspace-lboro.co.uk.
Over six weeks in spring 2019 an estimated 20,000 – 30,000 visitors experienced the ArtSpace ‘Into The Outwoods Sculpture Trail’. Well over 1,000 visitors directly participated in creative workshops.
Nita Rao completed 20 days working as ‘artist in residence’ in the Loughborough Outwoods. In addition 13 commissions were given to local charnwood artists, mostly ArtSpace members, to add to Nitas’ residency work to make a mile and a quarter long trail. Following are some images from the project and some visitor comments.
“Wonderful seeing a very familiar site a fresh. Great for dealing with anxiety. Loved the variety and sensitivity to natural surroundings”
Keeper of the Woods – Nita Rao
“I loved the stunning willow sculptures. They all looked magnificent against the wooded surroundings. I also loved spotting the tree men. It made me look up at the trees and their structures above me. I also loved the Earth sculpture with the ribbon messages to help protect our Earth. It was inspiring. I look forward to next year’s event. This event has brought so many people into the woods and together. It encourages creativity and togetherness. Thank you“
People of the Trees – 42 ceramic figures hidden in the trees along the trail – Nita Rao
“I enjoyed all the sculptures but particularly liked looking for the 42 tree people, have been twice & only found 34, will need to go again!”
Jack Russel – Lisa Denham
“Wonderful diversity of sculptures, very thought provoking”
“Quality, variety, interest, creativity. An outstanding event”
“Wonderful to experience sculpture in such a beautiful setting. Inspiring and thought provoking and my two year old grandchild loved looking for the tiny people”
Spirit Of The Woods – Nita Rao
“This was wonderful. Attempted on Sunday but far too busy. Had the woods to myself Monday evening. Gorgeous thanks”
Peacock – Lisa Denham
“We came 2 weeks running even though it was raining didn’t stop us it was brilliant loved it please thank everyone for their hard work”
Ashes to Glazes – Erica Middleton
“We thoroughly enjoyed the sculpture trail and highly recommended friends and family to visit. Looking forward to next year’s art installations. We thought it was absolutely amazing!! Well done to everyone involved!!”
“Great that so many families were engaging with it”
“Lots of activities, friendly people, open community vibe, creative. I adored ‘back to nature’ and loved ‘Persephone returns’. I really enjoyed it.”
Owl – Lisa Denham
“Clear labels, wonderfully organic, blended in with woodland colours, eclectic designs, love the spider webs”
Taking Root – Nita Rao
“We saw the woods in a new way. Workshops great. Wonderful and engaging as a family”
“All superb. Excellent that it was so good for adults and not just geared for children”
Framing The Woods -MakeSpace Step-Up project
“Wonderful the way the artworks complimented the beautiful woods and the pieces that really made you think about our impact on the natural world”
“Every little thing was an absolute delight”
Open Cycle – Nita Rao
“Inspiring and thought provoking”
Leaping Horse – Jo Sheppard
“We thought it was absolutely amazing!! Well done to everyone involved!!”
Back to Nature – Sue Barry and Susan West
“Wonderful to experience sculpture in such a beautiful setting. Inspiring and thought provoking and my two year old grandchild loved looking for the tiny people”
Unity Of Time – Nita Rao
“Great that the trail was able to engage the children, the discovery. The sculptures fitted so well with the setting”
One of the most valued members of ArtSpace Loughborough, Chris English, sadly passed away in April 2021.
The courage and determination that Chris showed in life, particularly in the face of his continuing health problems, was an inspiration to us all. His passion for painting and poetry was a gift to us all.
We are pleased to post a small tribute to Chris here on our website where Chris will be our featured artist for the next few months.
This exhibition is now closed. Please watch our archive virtual tour video.
Originally on-line 31 May to 3 November 2021.
ArtSpace present ‘Blue’, an interactive on-line exhibition. Members offer individual interpretations of the theme. The exhibits range from paintings and mixed media to photography, collage and prints. Much of the work is for sale. Enquiries are welcomed via individual artist’s emails, if given, or via the group email contact@artspace-lboro.co.uk.
