After being scuppered in 2020 by a certain pandemic, its great to have the Creative Peninsula Art and Craft Festival make a return for its 20th anniversary. I’ll be taking part in a number of events – read on for details of these. For a complete listing of all the events taking place across the borough of Ards and North Down, check out the Creative Peninsula website.
The Creative Peninsula is also part of August Craft Month, a month long celebration of all things craft across Northern Ireland. August Craft Month did take place last year in virtual form, but this year, its 15th, it will be wonderful for artists and audiences alike to have face to face events once again. Listings for all the events can be found on the Craft NI website. Here are Katherine McDonald, Craft NI Director, and Suzanne Lyle from the Arts Council NI talking about this years August Craft Month:
New Makers Directory Listing
Craft NI also has its new Makers Directory up and running. Makers from across Northern Ireland are gradually populating their profiles so the directory will continue to grow. I have just completed my profile which you can view here
https://craftni.org/makers/adele-pound/
Exhibitions
For the month of August two Creative Peninsula exhibitions will run which showcase the work of makers and artists from across the borough of Ards and North Down. I have submitted one piece to each show. This year I have chosen to showcase my insect field drawings. These were made in the garden at home and were my response to being unable to make my usual field trips due to the travel restrictions imposed during the first wave of Covid.
The principle and larger of the two shows is at Ards Arts Centre. The second exhibition takes place at North Down Museum
Creative Peninsula in the Square
As always events will kick of with the an Art and Craft village appearing in Conway Square, Newtownards! this year, for everyone’s safety, a one way system, hand sanitizer stations and careful control of numbers will be in operation. I will also have hand sanitizers at my stall for anyone who requires them.
The event will take place this coming Friday, 30th July, from 11am to 5pm. I will be there with cards, prints, paper birds and original art for you to peruse!
https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/creative-peninsula-square
Alfresco Art
it is always a pleasure to take part in this event which has a relaxed Sunday afternoon vibe enjoyed by makers and visitors alike. Enjoy a coffee from the Coffee Cure at North Down Museum and watch free demos from a range of artists and craft makers. There will be a chance to have a go yourself in some cases. I will be making my paper birds and will also have some free versions to colour in and make. the full list of artists and times can be found on the Creative Peninsula website:
https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/whats-on/alfresco-art-and-craft-demonstrations
Workshop
This year I am also delivering my “Drawing a Moving Object” workshop, featuring the famous revolving sheep skull! Although, if the weather is nice we might venture out to the square in search of pigeons!
The workshop is on Wednesday 4th August from 10 am to 1pm. You can find out more and book a place on the Creative Peninsula website
https://creativepeninsula.andculture.org.uk/classes/sketching-moving-object-adele-pound
The Great Kit Challenge exhibition
This has been a great project to take part in and we are all nearing the point where we can offer our kits for sale. Generous friends and family are currently beavering away trying to make the kits we have given them. We await their verdicts and feed back with trepidation!
To celebrate our efforts and the successful completion of the project there will be an exhibition at Top Floor Art in Saintfield where you will be able to see and hopefully buy all the kits that have been created.
Details for the Exhibition and meet the maker events at Top Floor Art can be found in the August Craft Month listings.