TAKING SPACE in the Crypt Gallery

Taking Space at the Crypt St Ives, March 29 to April 4, 2025, 11-4 Daily

Taking Space, the well known women’s collective based in St Ives, are returning to exhibit in the wonderful space of the Crypt, below the Mariners’ Church, home of St Ives Society of Artists, Norway Square, up behind the Sloop Inn in the harbour.

This time they have a new member, Trace Wildinger, who is a self taught artist who moved to St Ives two years ago. She has a science and biodiversity background with  a deep love of the natural world as well as her painting and drawing, and is a volunteer at the Community Orchard, contributing her knowledge of growing vegetables.

In her work she seeks to bring out her feelings and thoughts about places, not being too detailed. She  is inspired by Cornwall and also must absorb some of the art that surrounds her when she works on the early shift cleaning at Tate before visitors arrive.

Taking Space welcome applications from original women artists, who can enquire at maryfletcherart@icloud.com  The group operate democratically, which is quite unusual in the art world,  and welcome diversity.

Also showing work this time are Jen Donkin Gourley, whose love of colour is expressed  through the vibrant decoration of her ceramic vessels. Each piece is unique and thrown on the wheel.

Suzanne Stobbs has been using felting techniques embellished with different threads and wools to make colourful glowing compositions employing Cornish landscape elements.

Linda Mary Jones continues to explore narratives that reference  the origins of human life whilst also observing the present and painting expressively and imaginatively. She says,  My paintings reflect my interest in human life from earliest times until today – how we struggle to survive in our environment and how we try to control it and leave our mark.”

Mary Fletcher observes contemporary life and her pictures are both personal and political. She uses a veriety of media and a long practised swift drawing.

Altogether it should be a stimulating show and artists will be there to talk to visitors.

There will be cards and unframed work as well as the main displays.

The artists like to read comments in the visitors’ book and to connect personally with their wide audience as well as enjoying sending items that are sold out into the world.