Case Study
The Art of Saving Sand Dunes Exhibition in Lincolnshire
Case Study Type:
Public Engagement Case Study
Sand dune system:
Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire
Case Study Subject:
The Art of Saving Sand Dunes exhibition - a community art project designed to engage people with the dunes
About The Dune System Engagement Intervention
Background information
Throughout the project a large amount of art work was produced by community support groups, residential and car home groups, schools and student societies and holiday makers at events. It was decided that it would be great to show case the art work and any up coming art in an art exhibition near the end of the project.
What was the issue/change you hoped to make?
We hoped that the art exhibition would engage people from different ages and background, including those who find it hard to access nature – based activities. It would also provide an opportunity for people already embedded in the Dynamic Dunescapes e.g. volunteers, staff, project partners and previous event participants to reflect on their experience of the project.
What was the suggested intervention?
Six events will be held at three locations across Lincolnshire for people to learn about the importance of Sand Dunes, to celebrate the amazing heritage and wildlife of our coastline and inspire people to help protect the natural world.
What did you do and how?
A year before the event, the venues were decided on and pre booked. Throughout the year events were planned that would add to the art collection. A few months before the exhibition, a curator role was advertised and filled and the art was beginning to be collected. When the curator was in role, I worked closely with them, meeting once a week and going through the art collection and the venue spaces. Plans were drawn up for the different venues to best showcase the art that we had, due to the difference in size of the locations each venue had its own plan. The day before the exhibition, I worked with the curator to install the artwork, this took both of us the full day to complete.
How was the intervention monitored?
Each exhibition was manned, either by myself or the curator, so that we could interact with the audience and give more information about the art work and project. This worked well at two of the venues however, at the smaller venue not so much. It felt like we were more of a hinderance to the art exhibition. A visitor’s book was left at each site.
What modifications, if any, did you make to your initial plan and why?
Two out of the three venues we could plan everything from what art was used, the design it would be hung in and where it would be hung, however with one of the venues, they used a different hanging system. This meant that a rough plan was made of the design the art work would be hung however on the day discussions were had and locations of art work was decided.
How much did the intervention cost?
£3000 was set aside for the art exhibition with £750 of that set aside for materials and the rest for the curator.
Did the intervention work?
I believe the art exhibition worked well and over the 6 days we engaged with 458 people.
Feedback from the event
Comments from attendees:
“Very enjoyable and varied display”
“What a lovely project. Photos so inspiring and wonderful”
“Amazing display, love the variety, shame its not here for longer”
“Very Impressed!”
“A very interesting display, camera work also amazing.”
What could be done differently next time?
If I was doing an art exhibition again I would definitely do it for longer, it felt so disheartening when it took us a day to put up, knowing that we would be taking it down again in a couple of days.
Media
Advertised on DD and LWT Facebook page and website.
Press release to the local paper in Lincolnshire.
Images of the exhibition
