St. John's Church, Highbridge is putting on two unique art exhibitions inside the church. Funding for the project has come from the Somerset Community Arts Funding. The first of the exhibitions, ‘Diagenesis’, by local artist, Elizabeth Woodger is now on display. A second exhibition, also by a local artist will go up in St John’s in the Spring.
Revd Martin Little, Vicar at St John’s, says “As Vicar, I am passionate about the arts, and want to make St John's Church into a centre for artistic expression in an area of the country within which arts engagement has historically been very low. We want to bring beautiful, thought-provoking creativity to Highbridge, which can come into conversation with the beauty and depth of the Christian faith."
Described as “a beautiful and provocative reflection on our natural environment and the impact of humans upon it”, Elizabeth Woodger’s 'Diagenesis' project fuses photography and geology to explore our relationship with the environment. It is made up of a photographic print which the artist folded, rephotographed and blew up to a huge size. Visitors are able to walk round the artwork and see how the image changes.
At the official launch on October 14 from 3 to 5 pm, there will also be an opportunity to meet the artist, enjoy tea and cake, and take part in a family-friendly landscape workshop.
The exhibition has been curated by artist Sami Green, who held her own display of paper butterflies, in the church, last year. It is all part of St John’s vision for the arts which includes the monthly Blues in the Pews music sessions, funded by Seed Sedgemoor. Last year with other creative people in the area, the St John’s community formed the Highbridge Arts Collective, working together to improve the quality of life in the town. Martin says, “Despite being an area of multiple deprivation, Highbridge has loads of creative talent - enough to inspire a generation!”
“All of this aligns with the church's mission to work for the common good, while also helping people to reflect on their humanity and environment. This builds trust between church and parish, and opens the door for faith conversations.”
Visit St. John's Church between October 9 and November 24, 2023, daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Don't miss these captivating exhibitions; become part of the local art scene and celebrate our community's creativity.