This generous and inspired exhibition features newly commissioned works by Nicky Thompson, Amy Shelton and Angharad Barlow, three artists who have been working with the community of Moretonhampstead throughout 2018 and 2019 as part of Green Hills Arts Dartmoor Vision and Growing Dartmoor Project.

Nicky Thompson will show her new series of atmospheric Ambrotype images of local growers’ glass-houses. Using the Victorian Wet Collodion technique, where the images appear on glass plates, Nicky has documented the diverse and very personal glass buildings situated in gardens and allotments across the town.  Amy Shelton has created a bespoke light-box artwork Anthology: Moretonhampstead Herbarium, made from a unique collection of pressed flowers which were gathered across the seasons by the community of Moretonhampstead to be permanently installed in the local health centre. The artwork celebrates  the biodiverse flora growing in the towns hedgerows, gardens and allotments.  

Angharad Barlow will exhibit her visionary giant covered willow skep ‘The Bee Temple’ part of her work committed to educate and involve human communities in bee life, and to bring about better understanding of how in the greater scheme of things ‘they’ are more like ‘us’ than we care to imagine. The exhibition will also include a unique beeswax composite artwork created by pupils at Moretonhampstead Primary School, and a series of individual botanical artworks made by residents at Coppelia House in workshops led by Amy Shelton.

All the artworks in this exhibition reflect the rich culture that surrounds the growing of agricultural, wild and cultivated plants across the allotments, parks gardens and hedgerows our wonderful ancient town. Interdependencies between young and old, human and non-human is what our exhibition tHrIVE is all about.