A new artwork has come to Dumfries High Street which asks passers-by: ‘What are your hopes and dreams after the COVID pandemic?’ and ‘What kind of community would we like to be when all of this is over?’
‘Messages’ is an installation which has been created by Powfoot based artist, Helen Walsh. Helen has created a series of transparent envelopes filled with drawings of feathers; her hopeful message for the future. The artwork is installed in the shop windows of 113-115 High Street, a property which has recently been purchased by the Midsteeple Quarter who have kindly given their support to the project in allowing use of the space. Midsteeple Quarter are working in partnership with The Stove Network to facilitate this new artwork.
Helen Walsh commented: “We use envelopes to send messages, to communicate, to share our ideas, our secrets, our hopes and dreams. Envelope also means to wrap and protect and in my installation, I want to look at both these ideas. These envelopes represent some of my hopes, dreams and fears for us post COVID-19.”
High Street visitors will be able to view the installation from the street between 9am – 9pm daily until Monday 19th October. Helen is also inviting contributions to the work which people can post or drop off as writing, drawing or images to be added to the installation as it continues to grow over the course of it’s exhibition.
‘Messages’ is the first in a series of artworks curated by The Stove Network as part of Elsewhere – a research project that looks to locate creative practice in the High Street of Dumfries as means of exploring public space during a time when we as a community are responding to and recovering from the effects of COVID on our sense of place.
Elsewhere Curator, Katie Anderson, commented: “The seed of the idea for Elsewhere began during lockdown when we invited people to make creative responses to their time confined at home. We received so many amazing, heartfelt responses from a wide range of people and wanted to bring some of this work back into the town centre. We hope to inspire audiences to take a little time to reflect when out and about – creating space to share, reflect and create new ideas for public space going forward.”
Contributions towards the Messages installation can be dropped off or posted in a C5 envelope to ELSEWHERE, The Stove, 100 High Street, Dumfries. Full information about the project, and details on how to take part are available online https://thestove.org/messages-elsewhere-installation/ or to collect from outside the exhibition.
