New Year at The Beetroot Tree

January 5th 2013, 12:00pm

Happy New Year from everyone at The Beetroot Tree.

So we all survived the End of the World, Christmas and New Year.  We have been open on and off over the last few weeks and I have spent quite a bit of time with Hannah and I'm sure she's sick of seeing me and was looking forward to someone else being in who wasn't me!

I'm really looking forward to 2013, we are planning some really exciting exhibitions and you will be able to see some fabulous artwork from artists old and new over the course of the year.  We are also spending time looking at the Workshops and Try Its we offer to make sure that there is something for everyone and that you go away having learned something new.

As I'm writing this Emma is cooking a Vegetable Red Thai Curry and the whole gallery has an amazing smell of spices mixed with fresh vegetables and a hint of coconut.  It looks appetising too.  `i will post a picture when it's ready.

Emma (right) discussing the new menu with Molly

One of the reasons I love this gallery is that most of the staff are working artists themselves.  One that I'm sure you all know and love is Stevie Davies.  Stevie has been away from the gallery for a few weeks as she has been working with an exhibition at Rufford and creating work for a joint exhibition (with Bethany Walker) at the National Centre for Craft and Design in Sleaford.  I asked Stevie for a few details and she sent me the Press Release for the exhibition and here's what it says....


Exciting new work from two emerging East Midlands’ artists will feature in “The National Centre Presents ….The Gallery Garden” an exhibition opening at The National Centre for Craft & Design in January 2013.

Unique kiln fused glass work by Stevie Davies will sit alongside Bethany Walker’s now ‘signature’ and dynamic contrast of textiles and concrete to create an installation show entitled “The Gallery Garden”.

Curator Laura Mabbutt says: “We call out for artists to exhibit their work each year in our Roof Gallery under the banner of ‘The National Centre Presents’ in order to offer them an opportunity to gain further exposure of their practice as well as a tool for exhibiting in a professional gallery. This year we were so impressed by these two separate applications that we encouraged the artists to work together on one exhibition.”

Both artists are inspired by the outdoors, both use textile techniques in their own unique way fusing them into harder materials and both wanted to push themselves into creating larger installation pieces that used a gallery for its own space.

Stevie Davies is based in Derby and construction and manipulation techniques are key to Stevie's fused glass practice. A signature of her work is her each piece if designed and handmade by layering sheets of glass with wire details. Each “inclusion” is individually tailored to the work and are made by made using various manipulation techniques including wrapping, bashing, crochet and lace. Adding layers of texture within the glass with these metal inclusions, as well as working after firing to add colour with further wire work. Recent creations have seen this wiring process being incorporated in contemporary designs as both a decorative feature and a physical construction and method of display.

Bethany Walker works in Arnold, Nottingham and uses, what appears at first sight, an odd combination of concrete and textiles to create beautiful and captivating pieces which possess immense tactile qualities. Her work explores connections and contrasts in the urban environment – things we all observe daily but often overlook. Endeavouring to break new ground, Bethany is pushing the boundaries of contemporary textiles - blurring design disciplines, breaking preconceptions and traditionalist viewpoints to create pleasantly stunning pieces.

“The Gallery Garden” has been supported by the Arts Council and runs from 12 January 2013 until 10 February 2013.  

We all wish Stevie well for her exhibition and I am certainly looking forward to going to view it.  

Paul