Culture Spark community art exhibitions pops up in Chichester and Petworth

Our Landscape – at 23 South Street, Chichester, and The Battery House at Petworth House – was created in response to Sussex Landscape: Chalk Wood and Water at Pallant House Gallery.

Following in their footsteps, Culture Spark invited nine local professional artists to lead creative workshops for schools and community groups across the Chichester district.

Those who participated all live and enjoy the Sussex landscape daily – together they created their own artworks inspired by those landscapes.

There was wonderful film footage of a community sand art piece created by walkers on West Wittering beach, plus land art made from wood cuttings found in Petworth Park led by Mark Antony Haden Ford.

Both were ephemeral – being swept away by the tide or dismantled at the end of the day.

There were beautiful felt landscapes and flowers created by groups at Tuppenny Barn and Think 18 with artist Vicky Brown, and chalk sheep by young asylum seekers through The Sanctuary.

Willow leaves by year-four pupils from Chichester Free School hung on a sculpted willow tree, to which drop-in workshop participants added their work over the two days.

Large collages full of memories of the Sussex landscapes filled the space, created by: Bosham Monday Club with Sue O'Keeffe; mixed media relief sculptures by Bury Primary School led by Maureen Wells; a Watery Picture by Chichester Ship Canal Trust; and 3D characters inspired by the Long Man of Wilmington by Aldingbourne Trust led by Clare Jefferson-Jones.

There were large photographs of the work by Lavant Primary School and Space to Breathe group created in the woodland nearby, and willow lanterns were lit in the 'magic forest' at the rear of the Chichester shop.

All day fun bunting and flower workshops were available and both spaces were carefully curated by Lisa Kebell and Beck Firth.

The whole weekend event was wonderfully uplifting and colourful.

The workshops had straddled the district enabling a wonderfully diverse range of groups of all ages to be sharing their creative work.

Jane, a participant at Petworth said: "Fabulous to see children and parents being creative on Mother's Day. thank you for sharing such inspiring artwork.”

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