For national Volunteers’ Week (1 – 7 June) we are celebrating the artistic talents of 15 of our Venture Arts volunteers with a new, virtual exhibition. It showcases a selection of their work in painting, print making, textiles, mixed media, ceramics and photography.
After a great response to our call-out for submissions of artwork, our participants’ steering group made its final selection of 15 pieces of work by 15 volunteers. Then, group members Liam Ashworth (pictured below) and Amber Okpa-Stother, working with our Artistic Manager Katherine Long, had the exciting job of curating the exhibition, set in a virtual ‘gallery’ space – a first for Venture Arts!
Here’s Liam’s introduction to ‘Kindness of their Hearts’:
This exhibition is an opportunity for artists who are part of the Venture Arts volunteering team to show their artwork to the world.
The steering group have chosen the pieces from the artwork submitted, given our feedback on the artwork and come up with ideas for the exhibition title. It has felt great to have a chance to talk about how I feel about the art.
The work by the volunteers is very creative and interesting. I’m really impressed by how hard people have worked and the effort people have put in. The colour choices have been very good too! Thank you to the volunteers for inspiring people with your work, it’s great for people to see.
To everyone who volunteers at Venture arts I would like to say: you have chosen a good place to develop and learn and get inspired by other artists too. Volunteers bring happiness and imagination to Venture Arts. Thank you for your help!
Take a tour of ‘Kindness of their Hearts’ virtual exhibition here.
Some of our featured artists give their thoughts on volunteering for Venture Arts (you can see more in the exhibition):
Alexandra Leverne: “I work at an SEN primary school where the arts are really valued. It is important to me to bring exciting and challenging art projects to the kids I work with and Venture Arts really supports me doing this. The artists that both attend and run the workshops are a true inspiration and it is a real eye opener to me to see what can be achieved. I feel lucky to be part of such a great community and I hope I can remain part of it for a long time.”
Fiona Gilliland (pictured above, bottom row): “It’s the highlight of my week, I feel part of one big family! Venture Arts is amazing, I feel so privileged to be part of your team.”
Joseph Hulme: “Venture Arts is an incredibly inspirational and welcoming place to volunteer. Both the staff and artists’ intense passion and creativity fills me with motivation in everyday life.”
Kerry Fennell: “I have only been at Venture Arts since the beginning of this year, but have already missed it during lockdown, I immediately felt welcomed, from day one and part of the place. It has given me confidence that I have useful skills to help people…”
Samantha Taylor: “Working alongside so many amazing artists and staff at Venture Arts made me realise my passion and has helped me start my career in a similar environment, assisting learning disabled adults. I will always have gratitude for Venture Arts.”
Selina Pearce (pictured above, top left): “The first time I visited Venture Arts, I remember music was playing and everyone was dancing. I knew then I would love to be involved in the work they do. It’s a place where the best in creativity is brought out. Even during the time of lockdown, Venture Arts have still found so many ways to keep everybody connected and this is extremely fulfilling!”
We hope you enjoy the exhibition. To find out more about the amazing contribution that our volunteers are making, click here.
