The People's Art Exhibition: Loving Nature in Kirklees

'The People's Art Exhibition' was conceived to celebrate what we love about the natural environment in Kirklees, and to acknowledge the importance of caring, preserving and even improving local nature for future generations. Over 15 local artists submitted their work in the form of paintings, photographs, poetry, and sculpture. The exhibition comprised of 46 artefacts plus artist biographies, with an open evening talk delivered by Jo Kennedy, a local artist and co-director at Yorkshire Sound Women who works across projects that connect people with nature and their local environment. We also invited a local not-for-profit company called EPIKS (Environmental Projects in Kirklees) to host a stand to promote their work on the 3 Valleys Nature Park and to lead a guided walk from the exhibition to the University and along the canal path. The Exhibition was held in a public space managed by Kirklees Council under the auspices of Huddersfield Temporary Contemporary – a collaboration between Kirklees Council and the University of Huddersfield, which seeks to enliven vacant spaces in Huddersfield town centre for “original and inspirational exhibitions, performances and research”. The Exhibition ran for five consecutive days from 10th - 14th May 2022. It was open to the public free of charge, and we welcomed over 150 visitors.