Urban Bees: Working Together

Bees are under threat like never before. With agricultural pesticides and varoa causing colonies to struggle, six members of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen have come together to respond in their own creative way to the plight of the bees and the inspirational example of the rooftop beehives on Princesshay shopping centre in Exeter. The resulting artwork, ranging from printmaking, photography, ceramics, textiles and jewellery will be on display at the Yard Gallery, Exeter College from 5th to 27th September. There will also be a Bee Focus in the Devon Guild of Craftsmen’s shop at the Riverside Mill, Bovey Tracey, throughout September.

Princesshay’s City Bee project now has 45,000 honey bees living in the rooftop garden above the shops, enjoying fruit trees and bee-friendly flowering plants. Most shoppers are unaware that they are there busily pollinating and carrying pollen in from the surrounding gardens. Bees do well in the city due to the variety of plants and trees in the city’s parks, railway sidings, trees and urban gardens. Often giving them a healthier and more varied diet of pollen sources than their country cousins.

Each of the artists exhibiting brings their own personal response to the city bees. Printmaker Debby Mason has her own beehives. This experience brings an almost portrait style to her sketches of individual bees. Printmaker Lynn Bailey has spent much time on the rooftop with the bees and is struck by the contrast of the architecturally interesting roofscape, cottage garden style raised beds and traditional bee hives. Ceramicist Philippa de Burlet, a one-time keeper in the insect house at London Zoo, has a long standing fascination for all things small and winged and has relished meeting the roof top bees. Helen Edwards textile artist is highlighting which wild flowers the bees enjoy, and benefit from, the most. Yume Martin’s jewellery designs are largely inspired by nature with her most recent collection focusing on the ‘magical’ bee. It is important to Yume that we consider the environment and everything within it so all of her jewellery is made from recycled silver from within the UK. Photographer, Mei Lim’s interest has stemmed from her ongoing work with a wild flower farm. A natural step is to then photograph the bees and pollinators that the flowers depend upon, after all she loves a challenge and these bees don't stay still for you!

Together the exhibition seeks to engage people’s interest in how we could all do a little bit to raise awareness of the importance of bees. And how by small acts such as choosing to grow bee-friendly plants in our garden we can contribute to the health of our own local bees. “I'm really pleased to be part of this inspirational project, I like how it's making the most of the space and bringing awareness of this issue to new people through the arts” – Yume Martin.

The exhibition will be launched on the evening of Friday 5th of September with a short talk by Jason Wallis from WeeTree Nurseries who is responsible for training the new team of Princesshay beekeepers. Jason says “The environment created by Princesshay on their sheltered roof top is fantastic. The decline of the honey bee is a well documented problem and projects like this all help to keep this important species part of the UK habitat”. Concurrent with the exhibition at the Yard Gallery, Exeter College, the artists work will also be available in a Bee Focus area in the Devon Guild of Craftsmen’s shop at Riverside Mill, Bovey Tracey throughout September.

This is a really exciting opportunity to see a diverse group of top Devon designers responding to a theme close to their hearts. The exhibition is open from Friday 5th September – 27th September. Free entry opening hours 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturdays, closed on Sundays.

Event page - https://www.facebook.com/events/252467598287650/?ref_dashboard_filter=up...
Devon Guild - http://www.crafts.org.uk/