Newport Business Association are the latest sponsor to the printing of 5,000 local artists postcards.
The postcard project, part of Age UK IW’s Operation Geranium, was recognised as making a difference to Islanders’ health and well being during the Covid Lockdowns.
Unlocking potential in the gift of giving local art as a communication tool, was the brainchild of Steve Double, winner of The Papa Owl Award 2021, and NHS worker.
Double: A resilient hub to support the Town
He told News OnTheWight,
“Newport Business Association has grown to a compliment of over 40 members, who have been driving forward positive schemes when times for small independent traders had become challenging.
“Small local independent shops had really proved to be a resilient hub to support the Town.”
Supporting art and creativity during restrictions on travel
He went on to explain,
“The project began after a decision to remove artwork, created by 11 local artists, that had been on public display in a rest area of St Mary’s Hospital. It had been recognised as providing a tonic for front line workers.
“I contacted local artists to ask permission to publish the work on postcards as a Local Artists Series that could be used to support art and creativity during the Covid Restrictions on travel.”
Sending a message home
The project allowed overseas workers employed at the hospital to send a message home to family and friends via the postcards.
Steve explained that some of the soldiers from the Scottish Regiment deployed to set up emergency wards, were able to access free postcards.
40,000 local artist postcards published
A whopping 40,000 local artist postcards have been published, with work contributed by 11 Island artists.
They have been distributed free of charge by libraries, post offices, shops and businesses across the Island.
Background
The Stay Safe and Send a Local Artist Postcard project originally featured images that artists created from photographs of Age UKIW clients.
The photographs were taken by volunteers who doorstep delivered free pots of Geraniums grown at Care In The Garden C.I.C based at Park Road Wootton.
This is a social enterprise set up to employ local people with support needs or long term health disadvantages.
An Arts Trail around the world
The postcard project helped to tackle loneliness and isolation during some of the darkest days of the pandemic, and after three years and many sponsors, a target of sending 50,000 postcards from the Island to create an Arts Trail around the world “is just over the horizon”.
