Art and craft fair on the horizon at Rosebery...
FORTY years ago a group of enthusiastic artists in the Rosebery area of Loughborough initiated a community arts group based at what was then St Peter’s church and the St Peter’s Social Centre.
It was called Rosebery Arts and was the forerunner of Charnwood Arts.
Rosebery Arts put on exhibitions of art work from many of the local residents both young and old.
They were held firstly in St Peter’s church and then in the newly renovated Queen’s Hall, now the town museum.
In addition to the exhibitions, Rosebery Arts also ran workshops in the church, produced a local arts magazine called Insight and organised lots of community workshops.
A series of workshops was also undertaken in the grounds of the old Hastings House and in the Rosebery school playground to create a spectacular dragon festival which culminated in a parade through the streets within the Rosebery area and finished with a large shadow puppet show on the Cumberland road playing fields. Rosebery Arts was a very active group throughout the 1980s.
And now, over the last few weeks and months, two trustees of the now Rosebery Community Centre, Jo Sheppard and Chris Riddles have been planning and working on bringing art shows back to the area after all these years and the first show is an Art and Craft Fair on the weekend of October 27 and 28.
More than 25 Leicestershire artists and makers will be taking part. Among many of the creative disciplines represented will be painting, printmaking, textiles, sculpture, ceramics, photography, digital art, wood crafts, jewellery making, assemblage and wire sculpture. No two artists are alike, with styles varying from complete abstraction to more literal representation.
To create this vision they have acquired about seventy exhibition boards. In addition to the boards,
they have made lots of plinths to display 3D work. Having these exhibition boards, plinths and a large hall, all in one place, is a unique facility.
Apart from welcoming many new people to the Rosebery Community Centre during this weekend, they hope that other art groups and organisations will take advantage of this facility in the future, making Art once again a central focus for this community centre and it’s community.
They are looking for very active volunteers who are interested in art and would like to get practically involved in this exciting new Rosebery Community Centre venture.
The venue is situated on Storer Road, Loughborough, LE11 5EQ. Doors will be open to the public from 11am to 5pm on both days. There will be plenty of free parking and admission is free. Refreshments will also be available.