Kendal Windows on Art Watermarks project puts focus on floods (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Kendal Windows on Art Watermarks project puts focus on floods
12:10pm Friday 11th November 2011 in Art
KENDAL Windows on Art’s Watermark project puts the impact of flooding on two Cumbrian communities firmly in the frame.
In Burneside, community artist Nicki Smith worked with community members of all ages, including older adults from the Mothers’ Union, St Oswald’s Church community and all the children and staff at St Oswalds Primary School. The participants wrote about their memories of the floods, drew on their extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna by the River Kent, which flows through the village, and created a wide range of project artwork. As a result, visitors to Kendal Library were able to see a selection of the children's work on display recently.
Meanwhile, in Ambleside, people rose to the challenge set by local artist Pam Williamson to submit their own photographs taken in the floods of November 2009.
Elsewhere, at Ambleside Primary School KWoA artist Ann Marie Swallow and year one and two children visited the river and analysed the community's images to see the dramatic effects of the floods on the nearby park. Inspired by their trip the children created large scale collaborative artworks, which are on show at Ambleside Library until November 26.
The KWoA team was particularly pleased with the strength of interest in the Watermark project activities from community members in Burneside and Ambleside.
KWoA programme co-ordinator Nicki Smith said that having project information and invitations to get involved included in The Westmorland Gazette community news pages was invaluable. Added Nicki: “We are extremely grateful to the Gazette's local correspondents for their help in informing everyone about the project."
The KWoA team are currently working with participants developing a Watermark project blog and would like to share updates about its progress through the Gazette's community news pages.
The work created by the community participants will be collated into books by KWoA to be shared within their communities then archived at the County Archives in Kendal.
