Loveday Celebrates Kensington & Chelsea Art Week
Loveday Kensington was thrilled to participate in Kensington & Chelsea Art Week, showcasing the exceptional work from our talented Members in a colourful exhibition.
The Loveday Arts programme, delivered by Artist in Residence Grace Holliday, offers a constantly evolving platform, creative safe space and social experience for Loveday Members, who have benefitted from the artist outlet since 2016. By fostering individual interests as well as collective experiences, the programme aims to enhance the lives of everyone who participates - inviting memorable moments with ongoing impact, putting wellbeing and enrichment at the very core.
'The Loveday Residency Archive: Celebrating Art in Lockdown and Beyond' showcased at Loveday Kensington from 22nd June – 2nd July 2023. This body of work tells the story of this time with examples of work created remotely, whilst also celebrating a diverse collection of mixed-media works produced at the point of reuniting.
Projects featured in this incredible showcase included:
‘Pet Portraits’
A brief designed by Grace in 2020 that brought together staff, Members, family and friends to honour a shared love and adoration of pets. This was part of a submission process, sending Grace photographs of pets to edit into line templates, before these were transformed into dynamic and characterful portraits, bringing together elements of fashion and alter-egos to add to the fun! These were then made into an archive series of Giclee fine art prints and exhibited at Loveday Residences. It is always the intention of the programme to ensure Member’s art is showcased within the Loveday homes - adding a sense of ownership and pride in the space that individuals are living in, as well as sharing the work with visitors - using pieces as conversation points, as well as navigational focal points when moving within the building. The identity of the work showcased also assists in zoning spaces - giving a unique feeling and complimenting the beautiful interior design.
‘My Place’
A collaborative project with the Royal Hospital Chelsea, invited all artists to celebrate their favourite places in London and beyond. The inspiration for this project came when thinking of the amazing locations of the Loveday homes and the Royal Hospital, as well as the heritage and cultural connections of Members and pensioners. Using art as a way to present associations with places also adds to the storytelling element of the programme. It is a place where people recall memories and also delight in the discovery of new ideas and information. The original mixed-media works showcased as part of this project are also part of the event programme for the new Hobby Centre at the Royal Hospital.
‘The Mindful Meadow’
A series of works produced in paint and curated together to form a collection dedicated to the joy of spring that we visit on the programme, as well as reinvent each year.
An ambition never more important than during the pandemic, a time when the arts were called upon globally as a means to escape, nurture and connect, Loveday was resilient and continued to collaborate in innovative ways. From the start of the Lockdown, the programme adopted digital delivery which maintained as much engagement and fulfilment as possible. The archive of live and recorded demonstrations curated by Grace was utilised not only by Members, but also staff who became essential co-facilitators to ensure it remained an artistic space for regular positivity and imaginative outlet. This included ‘mobile museums’ arts lectures, introducing virtual gallery tours through the screen, and delivering live photoshop sessions and art competitions for Members and staff. It was a new direction for the programme that provided a joyful opportunity beyond the negativity of the pandemic.
Since the beginning, the programme was gifted to the Royal Hospital Chelsea by Loveday, so Chelsea Pensioners living with dementia could also benefit from the workshops. The collaboration has culminated in a collection of successful exhibitions - including a project with Peter Jones entitled ‘Stories of Spring’ in conjunction with a John Lewis touring exhibition, spreading awareness of living with dementia. The programme has also connected with students from the University of West London and a series of local schools as part of intergenerational initiatives. From painting, drawing and printmaking to textile works and installation - every workshop has an ever-ambitious objective - to keep pushing the boundaries of creative possibility and collect new transferable skills that empower and inspire.
Published: 6th of July 2023 by Loveday & Co
Tagged: Loveday Kensington, Loveday Chelsea Court Place, Extraordinary Days
