‘Feeling Better’ – New photographic exhibition to launch at Hat Works
Arc and local photographer Gwen Riley Jones are launching ‘Feeling Better’ an exhibition of photographic works exploring how to feel better through creativity, community and connection.
It will open on Saturday June 25th 2022 from 11am until 3pm at Arc at Hat Works in central Stockport and will include a collection of photographs in Arc’s Gallery Cafe alongside their monthly family-friendly drop-in Art Club.
Gwen Riley Jones is a photographer and arts for health advocate based in Stockport. She first connected with Arc when she exhibited as part of ‘Stockport Together Again’ in Autumn 2021 at Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery. Gwen draws inspiration from personal accounts of those around her and her own experiences and explores themes of community, identity and her experiences of becoming a mother, as well as how to feel better through creativity, something very much aligned with Arc’s values to create, connect and feel better.
Gwen said, “I hope in sharing this work it helps someone else find their way to feel better.”
In 2015 she published her own book titled ‘The Piccadilly Records Book’ which was a celebration of music, people and Manchester. In 2021 she won ‘Portrait of Britain’ with a photograph of her husband Michael titled ‘11 days post-surgery’. This work is being exhibited for the first time printed onto textiles alongside her ‘Window Portraits’ series which were taken in 2020 during lockdown.
Arc have announced several art club activities inspired by Gwen’s work; Poly Print Portraits, Cardboard Collage Portraits, Family Portraits and Photo Stitching at their two summer clubs on Saturdays June 25th and July 30th. Art in relation to postnatal depression and its impact on all family members will be a key theme of July’s Saturday Art Club alongside the launch of new artwork from Arc’s Creative Mums programme.
After the launch the exhibition will be open to the public on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00-16:00 until 16:00 on Friday September 9th.
For more about Arc visit their website at www.arc-centre.org.
