During 2021, Ryedale Folk Museum and painter Kane Cunningham are on a journey, to understand the impact of the public health crisis on artists’ creative practice. In a desire to do something positive and support artists as the restrictions are lifted, the Museum and Kane have come together to explore how artists were affected by the pandemic and how it changed their work.

This project has been made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England, the national development agency for creativity and culture.

We publicly announced this project on Monday 3 May 2021. Read the full press release here.

 

In the beginning…

We wanted to find out how the pandemic and the lockdowns had affected artists, particularly those for whom the landscape is critical to their creative practice. So, we’ve been asking some of them!

In a series of interviews, Kane talked to photographer Tessa Bunney, sculptor Peter Coates, photographer Joe Cornish, sculptor and land artist Andy Goldsworthy, painter Peter Hicks and painter Francesca Simon.

These interviews have been brought together in a series of films and a podcast, which we plan to release in stages over the coming weeks. We hope that these insights from artists will help others to reflect on this challenging year, and to act as inspiration for people to participate in other elements of the project, including an open art exhibition in the autumn.

In our first film, Kane chats to photographer Joe Cornish, painter Peter Hicks and photographer Tessa Bunney about life in lockdown and their reflections on the last year.

In part 2, artist Andy Goldsworthy talks about life and art in the lockdown, and his new installation of work created during the pandemic.

 

 

We are grateful to the artists above, who have supported this project by sharing their thoughts and experiences to help others across the artistic community.

If you would like to join in and share your own experiences of creating art – or not really feeling like it (!) – during the pandemic, then send us your own selfie-film (less than one minute please), answering the question ‘How has your creative practice changed in the last 12 months?’. Share your mini-film on social media and tag in the Museum, so that we can share it too.

 

In the middle…

In July, Kane Cunningham exhibited a solo show of new paintings in the Museum’s art gallery, in his own personal reflection of the last twelve months. It featured new works, painted and created during the lockdown.

   

 

In the end…(or is it a new beginning?)

We invited artists (professionals, amateurs and hobbying artists) to get involved in an open art exhibition that will take place in the Museum’s art gallery and online (link to follow).

In the Open includes over 80 works of art by different artists. A printed catalogue will be available for sale, capturing this exhibition and the thoughts of those exhibiting, on how their creative practice has been changed in light of the public health crisis.

The works in the open exhibition were selected by Kane Cunningham, Joe Cornish and ceramic artist Layla Khoo.

In the Open begins on Saturday 18 September. Please find all the details including opening times here.