The Hide Installation and Sculpture Showcase (THISS25) presents artworks by five artists from London, five artists from the south west and young people from the region in gardens on the edge of Minchinhampton Common, Amberley, Stroud. The exhibition is part of Stroud’s annual Site Festival, with open studios and exhibitions happening across the area over two weekends in June: 14-15 June and 21-22 June, 11am-5pm.
For the first time THISS is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, enabling a partnership with two youth charities in neighbouring Gloucester, The Venture Community Hub and Young Gloucestershire, whose young people will exhibit their collaborative sculptures as part of the show.
THISS is now in its fourth year. It was born out of a desire to bring artists together following the pandemic. Determined to resist rural isolation and make exciting things happen in her area, artist-curator Alice Sheppard Fidler has invited a line-up of established contemporary artists making experimental sculpture into her home and garden.
Exhibiting artists: Jessica Akerman, Barbara Beyer, Flora Bradwell, Luke Chin-Joseph, Will Cruickshank, Liz Elton, Chantal Powell, Alice Sheppard Fidler, Valentino Vannini and Andrea V. Wright.
Asked to respond to the theme adaptable matter, selected artists transform diverse materials, including fabric, glass, clay, concrete and cardboard, connecting geographies and ideas, the city and countryside, and exploring the environmental implications of making permanent sculpture today.
The Hide Artist Retreat has become a place of connection for artists from around the UK and beyond: an ‘art house’ that hosts residencies, events and shows; its own creative ecosystem.
