Saturday 11th February sees the opening of a new exhibition at Quay Arts.
Just the Place is an exhibition exploring the role of placemaking in Boojum&Snark’s cultural projects.
High Street regeneration project
Boojum and Snark began life in 2019 as a regeneration project located in a long-standing empty High Street shop in Sandown.
We wear many hats: a microbrewery, gallery, museum and events hub but right from the start we were determined to put creativity and culture at the heart of our project.
To achieve this we applied to the Arts Council for project grants that have enabled us to nurture local creative practitioners and provide cultural opportunities for our community.
Placemaking
All these projects incorporate the concept of placemaking as a way of unlocking a sense of pride, passion and wonder.
This involves bringing activities, projects and experiences to Sandown to arouse curiosity and inspire interest and love for the town, delving into its hidden past and shining a light on everyday beauty.
Celebrating Sandown
As a result, over the years we have discovered new perspectives and stories that have fused together to form a collective narrative celebrating Sandown.
The community, creative practitioners, supporters, and participants have all helped to conjure a unique cultural content that weaves threads of Sandown’s past into the present.
Place is at the heart of all these projects
Whether it’s stimulating discussions about abandoned hotels or marvelling at the natural beauty of the Bay, it is Place that is at the heart of all these projects.
Although small, these activities have loftier intentions — to build together a place where people are happy to work, live, visit and play
Just the Place
Just the Place has given us an opportunity to celebrate three years of creative projects and shine a spotlight on Sandown. Beginning with Boojum’s first 3D mixed media installation, Simply Galumphing Around by Teresa Grimaldi and Sarah Vardy.
This installation features the side of a Sea View One Design boat (donated by Warren Boats). It has over the years been a talking point.
The Hunting of the Snark
The clever way that strands of Lewis Carroll’s poem, The Hunting of the Snark which he began whilst on holiday in Sandown, have been woven into elements of the town’s past and heritage, tend to spark conversation about the meaning of the poem, life and everything – a perfect example of placemaking in art.
Where and when
You can see Just the Place in The West Gallery, Quay Arts, Little London, Newport from Saturday 11th February to Saturday 8th April 2023.
Entry is free and the gallery is open 9am to 5pm daily, seven days a week.
There is no preview event, but there will be a happening on Saturday 25th March, with more detail to follow nearer the time. Keep the date in your diaries.
