Last Tuesday, on the 100th year anniversary of International Women’s Day, I began work as the arts coordinator at Rook Lane Arts. This felt rather poignant as I was taking over from another woman: Jo Plimmer, who’d been with the Trust for over three years, and the current exhibition Four and Twenty Artists – was curated by two female artists; Sam West and Caroline Walsh-Waring.
As I entered the wonderfully grand chapel on that first morning, I gasped at the visual feast before my eyes. Twenty-four Frome artists, using an array of mediums, have come together to exhibit their work. There are hand-woven scarves, incredibly intricate pen and ink drawings, ceramic, bronze, wood and stone sculptures and large oil paintings – to name but a few.
Setting up office in the contemporary NVB-designed annex has allowed me to observe a constant stream of spectators popping into Rook Lane to indulge their love of the aesthetic. Children have delighted in the miniature bronze sculptures, whilst their parents have ogled the heavy wood-carved pieces sitting alongside them. Teenagers have gathered around the quirky prints and linocuts before heading out into the garden for a closer inspection of the wood carved sculptures which are splayed across the lawn – soaking up the early spring sunshine.
There’s an exciting programme of exhibitions and events planned for the coming year and I look forward to continuing the promotion of Rook Lane Chapel as an innovative and creative space for the wider community.
