I’m really excited to be planning a sculpture show collaboratively with Tasburgh House Hotel for May next year. We’re focusing on ceramics for outdoor spaces but not exclusively, we will also include bronze and steel. The show will take place on the patio to the rear of the hotel, with views overlooking Bath and the canal. We intend to run the show for 3 days, most likely a Friday, Saturday and Sunday (dates are yet to be decided but I’ll post them as soon as I can) with a private view on the Friday evening to invited guests.

Just a bit of background on Tasburgh House Hotel. It is a beautiful red brick building built by John Berryman in 1890 with bricks brought down from his home town of Tasburgh in Norfolk. It was converted into a hotel in 1980 and is currently owned and run as a 15 bedroom, 5* boutique hotel by Sue Keeling. Meeting Sue was a pleasure, she’s warm, friendly and down to earth. Her hotel is stunning, every detail has been carefully considered and comfort is a top priority. The hotel won ‘Best Luxury Guest House’ in 2015 in the World Hotel Awards – impressive to say the least.

A short word on collaborating, which I definitely subscribe to. I realise collaborating is not an easy road to walk, but I think that when we pool our resources we can only become stronger. Some of you will remember the show I put on at Bath Contemporary last year, titled Walking the Hills. It was a body of collaborative work from Malcolm Ashman and Inger Karthum that took about 4 years to create. They influenced each other in such a considered and supportive way, it left a message that was both positive and humbling. We had many complimentary comments made from visitors, which was quite uplifting.

Communication is King. I’ve always bleated on about this to both the work experience students we took at Bath Contemporary and my members of staff. I keep coming back to it over and over again, such a simple phrase with such huge, global importance. Can’t help mentioning the Brexit talks taking place in Brussels at the moment… Without the ability to communicate with each other we are reduced to a state of isolation and often loneliness. It also leads to misinterpretation and confusion. Learning how to communicate has to be a priority, surely? 

In collaborating with Tasburgh now, we are striving to achieve an exhibition that would otherwise not be possible for either of us. I find that exciting and I think it strengthens us both. I’d love to see more collaboration in business in Bath, surely it is a progressive step forward not only for business but for the wider community as a whole.

Artists showing in May; Ceramics by Rhian Jones, Mick Morgan and Tamsyn Trevorrow. Sculpture by Marc Bodie, Dorothy Brook, Ian Edwards and Rick Kirby. If you’re interested in attending please contact us at info@axlearts.com.

You can also read more here: Outdoor Sculpture Show May 2018