25, 25, 25 Exhibition
“Something to celebrate”
Leamington Spa’s Royal Pump Rooms has opened a new exhibition highlighting through objects and artworks, twenty five years of local history up to the modern day. Alan’s artwork was requested to be on display and for sale, which he was very touched and excited by. This also meant an invitation to the exhibition launch on Thursday 3rd October, the night before it officially opened.
In true Alan and Flora style, we were almost late because we thought it started at 19:00. Good job Alan checked as it really was planned for an hour earlier. After rushing around with the ironing board and finding various lost keys, we walked through the chill evening air, through Victoria Park with the bandstand glowing in the dusk. At the entrance, we met other artists, the Mayor of Witnash, and the Mayor of Royal Leamington Spa, who were all incredibly friendly. I dipped out to go to the toilets and decide I looked horrendous, then told myself to stop being vain and felt much better. Classic! We were welcomed into the permanent gallery area to peruse the artworks with (for Alan and me) a champagne flute of fizzy elderflower cordial.
My favourite piece was Winter’s White Silence by Lucy Kemp-Welch, a powerful depiction of horses pulling a cart down a snowy road. I loved the focus on the horses; each having their own personality, it seemed. How she had created warm lamp light cast across the cold track was oddly comforting to me as well. The information plaque mentioned that Kemp-Welch sketched scenes quickly to capture the unique moment, which reminded me of watching Alan transfer his surroundings onto the paper in front of him. I could imagine him standing with her, watching those horses, drawing together in the cold of the past.
Some great speeches were made to introduce the exhibition and thank everyone who made it happen. They described the history and continuity of the Royal Pump Rooms as, “something to celebrate”, and I was struck by how lucky we are to be part of a community that values individuality of lives and people’s stories. Before the doors opened, we were told that the exhibition, though based in this building, “belongs to you all”, which I thought was quite special. I won’t describe the display because I can’t give it the effect and credit it deserves, all I shall say is there were heads bent over glass cases, and eyes all over the walls during every moment.
The twenty-five artists section was painted a bright fuchsia pink- you can’t miss it. Seeing Alan’s artwork mounted and sealed on display was really exciting as I know first hand how much time, passion, and hard work goes into every piece. Promoting and connecting with other creatives is important to Alan, and this was seen as he chatted to the guests and artists, as well as in his artworks themselves. Each piece is linked to a song or an environment that Alan connects with, all of which are credited with a QR code and small description on a label tucked into the seal.
There was a diverse array in the gallery shop of forms and styles: photography, feltwork, cards, nature prints, and much, much more. It was a joy to see and, to top the evening off, we were given a special twenty-five exhibition cupcake on the way out which had us both amazed. I know Alan will be at the Royal Pump Rooms, when he can, drawing and painting colour into his new works as he loves the space and the people who work there. The exhibition is on until January 12th, I am sure it will touch many people until then.