Guernsey’s Pollinator Project is pleased to announce a major art initiative to celebrate Guernsey’s pollinators, made possible by local financial services firm, RAW Capital Partners.
The aim of the initiative is to use art to highlight the role bees, butterflies, hoverflies, wasps and moths have in our food and in nature, and to inspire more people to act to protect them.
Bridget Spinney, an established local nature artist and a Pollinator Project committee member is organising the art initiative. She says: “I am so excited to have the opportunity – thanks to our sponsor RAW Capital Partners – to work with other artists to create a body of pollinator-themed artworks. This project combines my passion for art inspired by the natural world with my desire to protecting our most vital wildlife.
“Together as local artists, we’re trying to raise awareness of the decline of our pollinators, in the hope that we can encourage change in lifestyle choices to benefit to our environment.”
The Pollinator Project has joined up with Les Bourgs Hospice who are celebrating their 30th year with this joint pollinator art campaign. Working with Les Bourgs’ 30/30 concept, the invitation to create pollinator art is for 30 artists who have a connection to Guernsey.
Respected artists, all with Guernsey credentials, have accepted the invitation to create to create an artwork that celebrates the beauty and importance of our pollinators. Notable names includes Harriet Bane, Francis Lemon and Peter Le Vassuer.
Tim Parkes, MD of RAW Capital Partners explained why RAW wanted to support this initiative: “We are keen to be involved in something local that helps the environment at grass roots level. The work the Pollinator Project are doing to educate people about the importance of our immediate environment and what every one of us can do to make a positive impact really hit a note with our team. We are delighted to be involved.”
There will be a 30:30 Exhibition preview at Les Bourgs Hospice Birthday Dinner on 9th October at Beau Sejour and on view in St James from 24 October to 26 November at the Community Arts Festival. Russ Fossey of Guernsey Arts commented: “This is a wonderful initiative and we are delighted the exhibition is being launched during the Community Arts Festival”.
Commenting on why they are involved in the exhibition, artist Christine Shaw said: “Since I began researching and selecting species across the Bailiwick of Guernsey to include in the finished art, I’ve become more aware of the location and frequency of some of the rarer plants and how the relationship between insects and even the most common of plants are inextricably linked and reliant upon each other. Awareness is perhaps the first step toward the preservation of all and the small part we can play, to achieve those goals”.
