Llanelli’s Oriel Ffwrnes Gallery has unveiled plans to launch a virtual art exhibition this autumn where local people are the stars of the show. Entitled ‘Step Forward’ the online exhibition will showcase a collection of photographs from the gallery’s resident artist and curator, the award-winning Welsh painter and photographer Michele Laugharne Perrott BA(Hons), MA.
This online art exhibition will showcase the photography of this Welsh visual artist, as she captures the post lockdown moments of newly embraced freedom in the day to day activities of local people and places in beautiful West Wales. Many of the photographs were taken in and around the Llanelli and West Wales area and feature places and faces that will be familiar to those living locally or anyone who loves visiting this corner of Wales.
Talking about the exhibition, Michele said: “The pandemic has allowed me to capture the shared experiences of normality in a redefined world, moments that are embraced and appreciated after months of lockdown. I have for many years been interested in capturing the very essence of what makes us who we are, within the broadness of social diversity. Stepping out of my isolated world into this newly charged environment, I watched with interest as people experienced their little piece of hesitant freedom and interacted warmly with those around them. In capturing those precious moments of joy in the most simple of things, being outdoors, available time to spend with loved ones, appreciation of the natural world around us; I realised that we now live with a new sense of belonging, of shared concerns and better understanding of the needs of others.”
While the doors to the Oriel Ffwrnes Gallery, which is based in the Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli, remain closed due to the ongoing pandemic, the exhibition will be hosted on Facebook. The celebrate the opening of the exhibition there will be a live launch on Facebook on Wednesday 7th October at 7pm, with introduction from the artist, Michele Laugharne Perrott. The exhibition will then be open to view on Facebook for free until November 18th.
The virtual exhibition is just one of the activities planned by Theatrau Sir Gâr this autumn as the group utilises online outlets for its creative output while its stages and exhibition spaces remain closed to the public.
The Theatre’s Manager, Sharon Casey, sees the virtual exhibition as a positive move and one that will help make art more accessible, as she explains; “While many people are familiar with the Ffwrnes theatre and the dramatic productions that we stage, not many people know that the theatre also houses an art gallery which is free to access, and which showcases the best local, UK and international artists. By putting this exhibition online whilst the building remains closed, we hope that more people will be able to enjoy it, and hopefully be inspired by the talented artists that we exhibit.”
To be notified when this exhibition goes live, please visit the Oriel Ffwrnes Gallery on Facebook.
