Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group stages art exhibition in Arundel

The exhibition includes work by artists Jackie Morris and Anita Klein alongside local Arundel and Sussex artists.

GDWG director Anna Pincus said: “The exhibition has something for everyone and features a huge range of styles.

“When we put out a call for artists to support the charity and donate, we never imagined the overwhelming generosity that we encountered. There are over 170 items in the auction, and we appreciate the welcome we have received from Arundel Museum.”

Anna added: “GDWG supports people who have come to the UK to seek sanctuary and who find themselves indefinitely detained – through the work of 70 volunteers including trained befrienders who offer the hand of friendship to people facing detention with no end date and with all the mental trauma that the uncertainty creates.

“GDWG is also well known for Refugee Tales, an outreach project that highlights the tales of detained people in four anthologies of refugee tales published by Comma Press. Using the model of The Canterbury Tales, Refugee Tales holds an annual large-scale walk with evening events where tales are shared with music and a host in the manner of the Canterbury Tales. Some images in oil paintings by Ian Henderson of Refugee Tales walkers can be viewed in the exhibition.”

Fundraising through an art auction for its frontline work supporting people who are or have been detained, is new for the charity.

Michael Heathcote, trustee and treasurer of The Arundel Museum, said: “At a time when refugee stories are prominent in the press and with tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, the Museum is delighted to welcome GDWG and Refugee Tales and is sure that the residents and visitors to Arundel will want to come to see and support this fund-raising activity.”

Arundel artist and resident, Oliver Hawkins, said Arundel was full of artists who were ‘quick to respond when asked to contribute to the GDWG exhibition.’ He highlighted ‘the spontaneous generosity of individuals’ at a time when local people offering their homes to Ukrainians had experienced frustrating delays and a ‘brick wall of bureaucracy.’

“At such a time, it has been a relief to donate a painting or sculpture. Little as it is, it is the best we can do.”

Anna added: “GDWG hopes that people in Hampshire and Sussex will also be moved to attend the exhibition and support the auction.

“The exhibition includes Japanese calligraphy and even an opportunity to try out Japanese calligraphy through attending a calligraphy lesson.

“Large golden prints form part of the exhibition from The Lost Words by Jackie Morris. There are ceramics including a blue pottery teapot by Nik Blackwell; there is a signed catalogue by Grayson Perry.

“Abstract art by Frances Blane sits alongside hyperreal art with images of Brighton by Kabe Wilson. Landscapes include the Arun Riverbank by Andrew Milne; Chichester is featured in Pipes and Pipers by Camilla Newbegin that draws on the flooding of the River Lavant in 2000.

“There are landscapes of local interest, flowers, portraits, pictures of animals, an etching, oil paintings, watercolours, miniatures, sculptures and much more packed into the museum.

“The exhibition includes beautiful framed photographs from Cornwall by Joe Cornish and the Lake District by Rosamund and John Macfarlane and visitors to the exhibition will be intrigued to discover a Mystery Box!”

The charity art exhibition opens to the public on May 1 at 10am and runs in Arundel Museum until May 7 at 4pm. The online art auction runs for the full month of May.

The link to the online art auction is found on the websites www.gdwg.org.uk or www.refugeetales.org from May 1.

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