Our Town Exhibition
Our Town is an artistic celebration of Haverfordwest and its culture, history and architecture through hands-on engagement by local young people.
The project began life when Owen Hart responded to a public callout from local artist and South West Wales Connects Project Officer Philip Merchant, looking for artwork inspired by vintage railway posters to be displayed in Haverfordwest train station. As a local resident of the town, he was inspired to take on the brief and began photographing and sketching the local landmarks that piqued his interest, assembling disparate views of the town into a single idealised landscape.
Eventually, Owen’s painting found a title: Current Transition — each word a pun. Current refers to both the river's current and the current affairs of the town's development, most notable in our new bridge; Transition refers to both the planned transformation of the town's riverside — its post-industrial grey stone buildings — as well as the literal transitions of the grey concrete waves in our long-established skatepark.
Then came the idea of developing a workshop out of this artistic encounter with the town, giving the local community a chance to creatively interpret the town for themselves.
Led by local artist and amateur historian Richard Blacklaw-Jones, we toured the town, deliberately taking in what it has to offer the eye anew, with a fresh perspective informed by expert commentary on the place's unique history, architecture, topography and texture. Two groups took part, aged 6 to 11 and 11 to 16, each taking plenty of photographs, sketches and rubbings to collage together later in the studio.
Back in the studio, the young people set to work, piecing together their gathered fragments into something entirely their own: cutting, layering and arranging photographs, drawings and rubbings until each composition began to take shape. There was a real sense of discovery in the room, of a familiar town being seen and remade through young eyes.
The results are colourful, energetic and varied in style: from carefully sustained observation, through playfully patchworked collage, to naïve and gestural simplicity, each work is a unique take on the town.
From 21 September, the original collage designs will be on display for the autumn in the windows of the old Bakery on Swan Square, giving passers-by the chance to see Haverfordwest reimagined by its youngest artists. From the same date, postcards of each design will be available to view or purchase at Haverfordwest Town Museum.
Click here to find out more about Haverfordwest Town Museum: www.haverfordwest-town-museum.org.uk/
Thank you to all of the wonderful artists:
Agnes Evelyn Morris Perry, Beth Brand, Betty Watkins, Cassie Edwards, Evelyn Summers, Finley Brand, Georgia Acton, Harry Tarrant, Maisie Edwards, Olive Jarvis, Pippa Tarrant, Sasha Acton, Sophie Gladstone, Vira Naperkovska, Cielle Mckeown, Lucina Mckeown, Morgan Coomer, Wren Carlile Rees, Ayla Hayes
