Gather-ing

Gathering is a craft commissioning project initiated by Somerset Art Works in partnership with The National Trust and curated by Craftspace.

Four artists were commissioned to respond to Stoke-sub-Hamdon Priory site. Stewart Easton was lead artist in collaboration with the Quirky Quilters, musician Michael Tanner and sonic artist Gawain Hewitt. Jacky Oliver, Helen Snell, Gillian Widden and poetry technologist Christopher Jelley were associate artists. Their creative responses make particular reference to the agricultural and religious use and history of the site.

The artworks are being re-displayed in an exhibition in the Abbey Barn at Somerset Rural Life Museum.

Stewart Easton’s quilt is interactive and conductive threads can be touched to listen to a soundtrack. Visitors can create their own harvest of words from Christopher Jelley’s word cloud posts by taking rubbings using a word hoard activity sheet.