- Venue
- Newlyn Art Gallery and the Exchange
- Location
In the Bleak Midwinter
Following new government Education policy-issued just last week- http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2224779,00.html
stressing the importance of art and design in schools, what could be more apposite than this little exhibition put on by three local primary schools in the neighbourhood? Montol is a Cornish word for the Midwinter solstice which goes back to 1700-which is also associated as with local traditions like ‘Geese dancing’ in St Ives. See http://www.montol.co.uk/traditions.html.
The theme has been explored in poetry and painting by pupils and parents who went for a winter walk studying shadows, light and sunsets. Each school had its own two-hour winter walk, its own artist and poet Bob Devereux and its own follow-up sessions.The artists altogether included Anthony Frost, Ges Wilson and Carole Page Davies under the gentle direction of Roger Butts. Roger has been working with local historian Simon Reed on the Celtic connections at this time of the year. The results are some lively and vital acrylics and vivid murals-these latter look eye-catching against the changing coloured light-units of the Exchange façade. These paintings show the inspiration that the schoolchildren- aged from five to eleven- have gained from their local environment under the direction of a friendly and inspiring group of instructors, sensitive to both the kids and their craft. The children have also recorded their own work on talking buttons –small electronic devices provided under the sponsorship of a health technology firm called “Talking Labels”-who use them to remind elderly or visually impaired persons who are otherwise liable to forget their tablets. They also together investigated a Malaysian verse form called the Pantoum – their industrious efforts are displayed next to their pictures.
It is good to see the children applying multi-media technology in this sort of context and hopefully will encourage more of them to come into and explore more galleries in the future.
