
Re-imagining a Gallery
Blog by Helen Willmott, Programme Director, Made With Many
A couple of weeks ago I spent a morning in a photography studio in Corby, watching as a photographer and an artist created some stunning images of pottery created last winter by local people in Corby. It was part of a week-long photoshoot, which also included textiles, felting, books and paintings created by groups in community centres and residential care homes before we’d even heard of coronavirus.
We intended to share these creations in a series of events, both in community centres and at The Core at Corby Cube, during March and April. It broke our hearts when we weren’t able to do that and the pandemic forced us to put all of that work into storage. So the team set about finding a way to create a gallery without the need to ask people to leave their homes and travel to visit.
Those images will be used to create a virtual gallery online, where you will be able to wander around on your computer, tablet or smartphone much like you would do at a real life gallery. And there will also be a limited edition book printed for those who created the work. For future projects across both Corby and Wellingborough we’re looking at creating temporary galleries on lampposts, railings and in windows, as well as further online spaces to share local people’s creativity.
This is just a little part of a worldwide effort to find new ways of doing things that are both safe and accessible, whilst keeping the essence of what made them special previously. And until it’s safe for everyone to come together, we’re going to find ways to celebrate the creativity of local people and provide new opportunities for you all to try something new. These new versions of an art gallery are just the start.
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