Arts Together Autumn News and Events

Autumn News and Events

Our members were excited to return to their groups in September and meet up with their friends after the summer break. In the first term back, several of our groups were treated to projects with talented new artists who recently joined the Arts Together team, enriching our community with their unique perspectives. We are thrilled to have expanded our workshop offers for our members to include working with textiles, silk painting, and 3D sculptural projects. We have lots of exciting news to share with you; it’s shaping up to be an exciting season…

We Welcomed New Artists

Over in Trowbridge, we welcomed visual artist Sam Perry for her debut workshop. Sam taught our Trowbridge members how to create clay portrait busts. This was a new experience for our members, who enjoyed adding character features to their sculptures. As you can see, Mary is thrilled with her finished piece, painted gold to highlight the exquisite features.

Our Melksham group worked with artist Nicola Davis. Wiltshire artist Nicola specialises in the bright and bold art of silk painting. Melksham members were taught a variety of silk painting techniques and all painted their own silk scarves to take home and wear. They were so absorbed in the process and got really stuck in.

At our Pewsey group, we welcomed sculptor Miles Bodimeade. Members dived into the therapeutic process of working with clay and making relief plaster casts. Using natural objects, they pressed patterns into the clay to create abstract negative impressions. The magic moment for all was when the plaster relief casts were removed, revealing a positive mirror image of their clay pieces.

Over in Devizes, textile artist Jess Way introduced various stitch techniques to our eager members. What began as inspiration from simple still-life drawings transformed into a magnificent collection of embroidered wall hangings. The original sketches were brought to life through intricate stitching and colourful textured fabrics.

Christmas Tree Festivals

Lacock Abbey Community
Christmas Tree Festival

It is an honour to be invited by the National Trust to decorate a Christmas Tree at Lacock Abbey this year. The overall theme is ‘The Beauty in Nature at Christmas’. The Arts Together tree is called ‘Constellation of Hope, ’ and it celebrates the care, creativity, and community of belonging shared by our groups, volunteers, artists, and team. We have handmade our decorations out of natural and recycled materials, with words inscribed from our group members about what Arts Together means to them.

The Lacock Abbey Christmas Tree Festival is open to visitors from Saturday 23rd November to Sunday 5th January. Go along and vote for ours as your favourite tree!

You will be spoilt for choice this year with beautiful Arts Together Christmas trees to visit.

Our Trowbridge volunteers will be decorating a tree at the Trowbridge Christmas Tree Festival at St James’ Church. Visit the tree from the 3rd - 7th of December.

We have been invited once again to have an Arts Together tree at the Christmas Tree Festival at Holy Trinity Church in Bradford on Avon from 10th - 15th of December.

Will you see all three of our trees? We certainly hope so!