Residents of David Garrick Gardens in Lichfield spent time with a collaborative group of artists last week, recalling their memories and their thoughts of the city over the past 60 years. Their stories are to be part of a new work, one of two created by the collaboration in the city, which will be touring local schools later in the year.

Mary recalls memories of her life in Lichfield

In May a one day art installation will feature at Speakers Corner in Lichfield. The artwork will include a combination of original historic speeches from history - combined with the thoughts and feelings of people from the city. So have your say - we are looking for short 2 minute thoughts and ideas on any subject. These will then be added to the 8 hour sound piece which will be part of the installation. Either send in your own recording or watch out for our recording days which will be advertise very soon.
For more information email info@52weeksofart.com

Priya Chohan has been selected for the first 52 Weeks of Art Residency which will begin in early February, and culminate in an exhibition in March.

Priya Chohan’s work is non-image and process based. She is interested in philosophies about mapping and time, in the ephemeral and in the traces of actions, exploring this through her use of material.

Having recently made drawings and objects using graphite and pigment, she enjoys experimenting with wax, clay and lead to make organic forms, juxtaposing this experimentation with traditional techniques.

From thinking about mark-making and the expanded idea of sculpture and drawing, she has developed an innovative egg tempera paint to create simple sculptural objects which reference the traditional shape of a canvas as well as implying natural brick like structures that could have come out of the earth.

Chohan’s practice involves concurrently working on several ideas in the studio and, as a result, the works inform each other and relationships develop between them. These relationships are visual and conceptual, through organic marks and the works’ physicality, as well as through the way they relate to her ideas about drawing and painting. She makes works, which, as individual objects are small and intimate – together they create a rich, dense experience, playing on these relationships.

She recently co-founded an artist group, 4 Walls. Within this group, she started peer critique sessions, which are now being piloted by Chisenhale Gallery, London. She will be an artist in residence at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales, in Summer 2010, and has a forthcoming solo exhibition at Yorkshire Art Space, Sheffield, in September 2010. Recent group shows include Play, Pause, Stop at Portman Village Galleries, London, and One or Several Wolves? at Kingsgate Gallery, London.

As part of her residency with ‘52 Weeks of Art’ at Wedge Gallery and Project Space, she will make an experimental ‘landscape’ within the space.

Would you like to have you poetry exhibited alongside the work of one of Lichfield’s greatest poets?

On the 27th February Artists Andy McKeown and Peter Walker will be creating a stunning spectacle by projecting the full version of Erasmus Darwin’s masterpiece – The Botanical Garden, onto the side of his former home within the City. The text of the poem, will be shown as a unique textStream animation projection artwork.

Alongside this, Lichfield poets of today are to be given the opportunity to have their work projected onto the side of Darwin House, alongside the poet work of the House’s former resident.

Anyone wishing to have their work included in the project should contact the artists directly. “This is a great opportunity to have your own poetry seen by a new audience, and an opportunity to continue the great legacy of Lichfield’s famous poets”, Peter Walker. “It doesn’t matter at what level you write, or what age you are, we will include your work in the project”.

There are two ways to get involved, either forward a short poetic work (no more than ten lines) on the subject of Lichfield, botany, nature, science, or Erasmus himself and your work will be included in the project. Alternatively contact the artists if you would like to input your own poem on the evening of the event. It is suggested that you contact the artist team in advance to assure your involvement. The text of your poem will not be shown as a conventional poem is seen on a page but as a part of a unique textStream animation artwork, and will appear as a part of a collection of live poetic works.

Erasmus Darwin House will feature the large-scale artwork for one evening only between 6-9pm on the 27th February. Residents may have seen the work of Andy and Peter during last year Son et Lumiere, as both artists were the lead artists in the Johnson at 300 production. The is a smaller and more intimate look at another of the cities most significant former residents, and represents another aspect of the continued 52 Weeks of Art Project currently being run in the city.

If you would like to be apart of this unique project or for more information contact info@52weeksofart.com

Origins – textStream animation from the full text of Darwin’s Origin of Species – Andy McKeown November 24 2009 – light installation onto Quantum Leap – Mardol Quay Shrewsbury

Shortlisting will begin this week to decide on the artist to undertake the residency opportunity in 2010. This will be the first commissioned residency in the project and offers an excellent opportunity for an artist to embrace the space provided and opportunity to integrate with the student base at South Stafforshire College. The residency will take place in February 2010 with an exhibition thereafter. Details about the chosen artist will be published soon.