Free open day at Florence: paint made from Egremont's own iron ore Free open day at Florence Arts Centre celebrates paint made from Egremont iron ore
Marra Mode is how we'd tell you this in the Co-op. Switch it off for the straight version.
On Thursday 29 October, Florence Arts Centre's throwing its doors open for free: mine tours, paint demos, printing and mud painting for the kids.
This is for families after a free day out, and anyone who's into art or the area's mining history.
Florence Arts Centre, on the old Florence iron ore mine in Egremont, is having a free open day on Thursday 29 October for its new exhibition, Ground 5. It's all about Florence Paintmakers, a little business inside the centre that makes artists' paints out of Cumbrian rock: iron ore from the site itself, which they call Egremont Red, plus St Bees sandstone and Honister and Kirkby slate.
They've had four artists make new work with the paints: painter Alison Critchlow, photographer Alistair Debling, sculptor Elizabeth Clough and filmmaker Juliet Klottrup.
Things kick off at 1.30pm with a tour of the mining history, a lino printing workshop for families with Jack from Market Place Print Studio, a drop-in where Alistair Debling shows you how to hand-colour old black and white photos, and drop-in puddle painting, which means the kids get to paint with mud. There are paint-making demos at 3pm and 5pm, a printing workshop for 16 and over at 3.30pm and another mine tour at 4pm. Refreshments are on from 5pm to 7pm, then there's a chat with the artists at 6pm. It's all free, but you need to book the tours, demos and printing.
It's wheelchair friendly, with parking on site, a ramp to the studio door, level floors and an accessible loo. There'll be more going on round the exhibition in November and December too.
What you can do: book what you fancy on the event page at florenceartscentre.com. The mud painting and photo colouring are just turn up.
Fun Fact: Florence Arts Centre says this was the last working deep iron ore mine in Western Europe, and local folk worked there until 2007.
Florence Arts Centre in Egremont is holding a free open day on Thursday 29 October for its Ground 5 exhibition, which celebrates the paints its Florence Paintmakers business makes from Cumbrian minerals.
This is for families looking for a free day out, and for anyone interested in art or West Cumbria's mining heritage.
Florence Arts Centre, on the site of the former Florence iron ore mine in Egremont, is holding a free open day on Thursday 29 October for its new exhibition, Ground 5. The exhibition celebrates Florence Paintmakers, a small business within the centre that makes artists' materials from Cumbrian minerals: iron ore known as Egremont Red from the site itself, St Bees sandstone, and Honister and Kirkby slates.
The centre commissioned four artists to make new work using the paints: painter Alison Critchlow, photographer Alistair Debling, sculptor Elizabeth Clough and filmmaker Juliet Klottrup.
From 1.30pm there is a mining heritage tour, a linocut printing workshop for families with Jack from Market Place Print Studio, a drop-in session hand-tinting black and white photographs with Alistair Debling, and drop-in puddle painting, where children paint with mud. Paintmaker demonstrations follow at 3pm and 5pm, with a printing workshop for those aged 16 and over at 3.30pm and a second heritage tour at 4pm. Refreshments are served from 5pm to 7pm, and an artist discussion panel starts at 6pm. Everything is free, but the tours, demonstrations and printing workshops need booking.
The centre is wheelchair accessible, with parking on site, ramped access to the studio door, level floors throughout and an accessible toilet. More activities linked to the exhibition will run through November and December.
What you can do: book the sessions you want through the event page on florenceartscentre.com. The puddle painting and photo tinting are drop-in.
Fun Fact: Florence Arts Centre says the site was the last working deep iron ore mine in Western Europe, and local people were employed there until 2007.