A celebration of all things Ashton Court is happening on Saturday 28th September!!!
To celebrate Bristol City Council purchasing the mansion, there will be a wonderful event, running from 12 - 5pm, where I will have a solo show, exhibiting all-new artwork in the paneled lounge. The Music Room will display the incredible work by six, Bristol primary schools and activities, such as games on the lawn will be happening through out the day. In the evening is an event, taking you back to the days of gin and jazz, when parties were frequently held
During my artist’s residency at Ashton Court in January, I was privileged to be given clearance to draw upstairs in the mansion. I was able to collect first-hand information, documenting the space, textures and patterns using my trusty sketchbook and camera. From these sources, I've created a body of prints to convey the condition, heritage, pattern and detailing still evident in the upstairs – and throughout – the property.
These works will be on display for the first time on Saturday 28th September at a solo exhibition in the paneled lounge, Ashton Court mansion.
In addition to this will be work created in July, when six primary schools from across Bristol visited Ashton Court for a day of archaeological digging and drawing! I was facilitating the workshops indoors, where the students were tasked with drawing historical features, such as items made from stone, wood, glass and metal. Once they had observed the mansion, we asked them to re-imagine it's future. There were amazing ideas, ranging from a space station to turning it into an orphanage, art gallery, heritage build experience project, housing for the homeless and more.
This event - organized by Artspace Lifespace - is a celebration of one of the oldest houses in the city, owned by the people of Bristol for the last sixty years and is designed to be enjoyed by all.
Entry on the day is free - find further information here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-peoples-mansion-celebrating-60-years-of-ashton-court-tickets-71422455487.
During the second world war, Ashton Court Mansion was used as an army transit base and the last balls held by the Smyths of Ashton Court saw the house transformed with jazz and GIs. Dress up encouraged, we have a fabulous line-up of performances. Doors Open at 8pm with our live band kicking off at 9pm. Tickets for the evening, which runs from 8-1am, can he purchased here: hdfst.uk/E56380