Putting together an open art exhibition was a new experience for us at the Kino Foundation but certainly one we would do again. Working in partnership with Portsmouth author Matt Wingett and blacksmith Lucille Scott, owner of Little Duck Forge. We worked up an Arts Council funding application and were successful in raising enough money to stage the exhibition in October/November 2019.
The exhibition asked local artists to respond to themes, characters and story world in The Snow Witch novel by Matt Wingett. Set in the city the novel had already generated a lot of interest and we wanted to build on this to get the story wider exposure. The opportunity to stage the exhibition in Portsmouth’s largest shopping mall came about after we contacted centre manager Andrew Phillips who made it all possible.
You can watch a short video of the opening night, shot and edited by students from Solent University, below. Plus you can read more about the exhibition on The Snow Witch website. You can even buy a copy of the book which we thoroughly recommend. If you like a little magic realism in a contemporary setting you will enjoy this book.
The exhibition ran from October 21st until November 10th, 2019 in: Unit 22, Cascades Shopping Centre, Commercial Road, Portsmouth, PO1 4RL.