Pop to Wicksteed Park to see pop-up community art celebrating its 100 years

A Kettering artist has invited art lovers to a pop-up exhibition that will pay homage to Charles Wicksteed as part of the Wicksteed Centenary Festival of Play.

The project, supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, will see Susan Williams exhibit her artwork from her summer-long residency alongside creations made by the community.

Royal Academy-trained Susan's work with members of the public has been captured in 100 photographs that will form part of the exhibition in the learning space at the park, which is celebrating its centenary.

Susan said: "I was delighted to receive the go ahead from Arts Council England earlier this year for the Pop in the Park residency at Wicksteed Park and even more thrilled to now exhibit the wonderful artworks made by the community alongside my own installations, in the learning space.

"I have had so many uplifting conversations about my own art installations and the pleasure of seeing others blossom as their own artworks surprise if not exceed expectations during the residency.

"It will be a pleasure to meet some of those people again as they come to enjoy their part in the exhibition."

The installations exhibited will be part of the Wicksteed Centenary Festival of Play and have hidden references to the number 100 in their quantities and dimensions as a connection to the centenary.

Paying homage to Charles Wicksteed’s ‘Wicksteed by the Sea’ event, held 100 years ago to mark the opening of the park, is an installation of waves of polythene.

Susan said: "There are also several playful art installations such as the swimming noodle colourful snakes that look like giant beads or crayons or colourful balancing bars.

"The exhibition will include 100 joyful moments as 100 images showing the community engaged in making art.

"The project’s aim was to work with Wicksteed Park and local people to create a stream of engaging art experiences that celebrated the park and its communities. The art works developed respond to Wicksteed’s beautiful landscape, reflecting the park’s important role providing recreation, a meeting place, nature and wellbeing to the people of Kettering and beyond."

As well as the 100 photographs, the exhibition includes images of large scale installations, a video of wind installations, animations and community projects such as the bubble project, the Swimming Noodle sculpture workshops and the art within nature drawing and animation online project.

Pop in the Park exhibition takes place in the learning space at Wicksteed Park from Wednesday, October 6, to Saturday, October 9, from 1pm to 4pm each day. The photographic exhibition on the wall space continues from Sunday, October 10, for a week and is open from 1pm to 4pm.

For more information visit www.susanwilliamsart.com.