The Cornerstone, Library Building is very excited to welcome Vicki Aimers for a weeklong artist residency from Monday 11th March – Saturday 16th March. Vicki’s residency, ‘Wastelands to Wonderlands’, will comprise of a free interactive installation as well as a series of workshops.
Vicki is a PhD Researcher with Falmouth University, and a Book Artist and Authorial Illustrator based at Krowji in Redruth. Her work focuses on creative narratives intertwined with elements of female social history.
As part of her residency, Vicki, will be installing her interactive cabinet of curiosities inspired by the ‘still rooms’ of medieval times – important working spaces in castles and in large houses, where plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables would have been gathered for distilling, infusing and brewing to make many different oils, potions, lotions and preserves.
She will also be running free drop in volunteer sessions and a bookable family workshop inspired by the life of Catherine Payton Phillips (1727-1794) and her links to Cornwall, centred around creative writing, narrative stitching and botanical sketching.
“I’m excited to be working with St Ives Town Council’s Culture team for an artist residency, researching more into the life of Catherine and also the fascinating history of Still Rooms. In my mind, Catherine would have had her own version of a Still Room in her house in Redruth, where she would have distilled and fermented herbs, fruits and other produce that she would have foraged for in the country lanes around her home. During my week at the Cornerstone Library Building I will be collecting visitors hints and tips about preserving and using fresh produce or foraged delights, to eventually make into an artist book later in the year entitled ‘Notes from the Still Room. I’m looking forward to meeting the community of St Ives, everyone is welcome to come along ’. – Vicki Aimers
Vicki’s practice as an artist, is to collaborate with a number of heritage institutions to bring items in their collections to life in creative ways, by taking part in public events, organising workshops and developing online activities on a variety of art and storytelling techniques. These can include simple printing, book and zine making, stitch and inventive writing and poetry exercises. She also arranges workshops at Krowji and across the South West, enabling others to explore their stories and memories through interesting projects.
‘Wastelands to Wonderlands’ has been made possible thanks to Cornwall Council Community Chest funding.
To find out more about the workshops or to book, go to stives.ticketsolve.com
