Blogging a building (21)

Building news – all about the Artists

The artists have been busy throughout the year researching, meeting with volunteers, visitors and staff, preparing and finally making. The mosaic panels and the textile panels are now complete and are here for visitors to come and see. If you are visiting the new Heritage Hub, have a look at the artwork and see how heritage can be presented in very different and beautiful ways.

Textile artist Julia O’Connell completed her beautiful textile panels in time for the community open day and they are now hanging in the Frith room.

The Dowty Panel

Panels situated in the Frith room

Inspiration for the panels came from documents in the archives, the many conversations Julia had with volunteers from the Gloucestershire Family History Society, Gloucestershire Police Archive, the Dowty project, Chipping Campden and Blockley Local History Associations, residents living in Mill House care home in Chipping Campden and Gloucestershire Archives staff.

Julia will be at Gloucestershire Archives on Saturday 6 October, 11.30am to talk about her work for the Heritage Hub, her research, how she arrived at the final designs and the processes involved. The talk will last 45 minutes with time at the end for questions.

TomatoJack’s gorgeous colourful mosaic panels are being sited in the community garden as I write.

The lovely Dave and Billy from Greenfields Garden Services are busy making sure the panels are perfectly placed.

Sculptor Natasha Houseago has also been on site and has begun carving the oak trunk. The oak trunk weighs about 2 tonnes and stands about 3 metres above ground. Natasha will be here at least two days a week for the next couple months (weather permitting) and is very happy for visitors to come and chat to her, look at her sketchbooks and ask her about the inspiration for the sculpture. Just check with us first if you do plan to come in and see Natasha, to make sure she is on site.