Citing the organisation’s “ingenuity and hard work,” SME News has named Fermynwoods Contemporary Art as Northamptonshire’s Best Contemporary Art Gallery as part of the 2020 Midlands Enterprise Awards.
As an organisation, we have grown from a small gallery in our founder Ros Stoddart’s home to a multi-platform arts and education charity operating in unexpected locations across Northamptonshire and online. We provide new opportunities for artists by placing them in unexpected locations with the aim of inspiring new work and experiences, often incorporating new technology. Fermynwoods’ in depth artist-led exhibition and education programmes bring national and international artists to schools and public places to help see the familiar in new ways, imagine new possibilities and to create unique experiences for everyday people.
Fundamentally, Fermynwoods finds innovative ways in which the arts can reach non-traditional arts audiences, in particular rural or disadvantaged communities. We regularly work with members of the public, schools and young people not currently in mainstream education to ignite an enthusiasm for learning through the arts. This experience served us well in 2020 allowing us to respond positively to new challenges, navigating the trickiest periods thanks to the adaptability and innovation of artists who continue to be devoted to supporting life through art.
SME News Award Coordinator Natalie Farrell said of the 2020 winners, “Though it has been a difficult year for many, there have still been stories of success to tell. Achievements have been made. Milestones met.”
Read the full article on Fermynwoods Contemporary Art in the Midlands Enterprise Awards magazine.
Following our 2020 exhibition at The Arches, Fineshade Wood, our current In Steps of Sundew programme continues into 2021, preparing to bring creativity to communities both online and in-person at some exciting new locations.
Image: Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Director James Steventon at The Arches, Anna Elizabeth, 2020