artsbeat Magazine Derbyshire October 2018
Maggie's Cancer Charity
I donated a Red Rabbit Paul Smith print today to raise money for Maggie’s Nottingham, they support people affected by cancer. Delighted to say that print 17/150 now belongs to the chair of Nottingham Playhouse Trust. I met some amazing patients and wonderful volunteers. The ladies lunch was hosted by Saint James Hotel, Nottingham and Mark Dennison from Radio Nottingham. If anyone would like to purchase a print they are available to order with a donation to Maggie’s.
Homespun Australian Designer Edge
Thrilled to be featured in Australian Homespun monthly magazine, June 2017 issue, page 22.
Maggies Centre Nottingham City Hospital
On Saturday 3rd December I will joining Maggies at the City Hospital Campus, Gate 3, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 1PH for their Christmas Fair from 11am until 1:30pm.
Paul Smith commissioned ‘Red Rabbit’ for his private collection using 1000’s of his designer labels. We are now able to offer a Limited Edition Giclee Print for £140 with a 10% donation to Maggies Cancer Care. A few prints will be available to purchase on the day and orders taken.
An archive of the High Street.
Artist-in-Residence at Erewash Museum 11th September – 31st October 2015. This residency provided an opportunity for me to present a body of work to the specific community that generated the material to produce it. The response was overwhelming and over the seven-week period I received over 600 visitors.
For 15 years I have gathered used labels from local charity shops, unpicking labels from the neck of rag garments. The 30,000 used labels in this collection have all been gathered from the High Street; therefore local residents were once walking around in these garments. This 15-year project proved an excellent way to engage a local audience, both in terms of presenting my work and in supporting their local Museum.
The work allowed visitors to reflect on historic local garment manufacturers such as CHARNOS and DAKS, also shops that no longer occupy the High Street including Burton, Woolworths and Adams. Context lies within the detail of the work. Not only in the design of superseded labels in which we can observe the passage of time, but also in the unexpected detail which tells a story.
The award winning ‘Dairy Cow’ made up of 5,000 used garment labels, was on display in the window at Sue Ryder to accompany the exhibition. At age eight Sue Ryder was given two Jersey cows and subsequently began her own dairy herd, which grew to twenty-four. Young entrepreneur Sue sold the milk and butter from the door and scrubbing her dairy was her favourite job.
What would Sue Ryder think of this Dairy Cow assembled from 5000 used garment labels, all generated through charity donation on the High Street? ‘Dairy Cow’ has been described as ‘an extravagant rescue of fashionable waste’ and in the current global milk crisis offers the viewer a strong sense of community.
Joy Pitts.
EXHIBITION at EREWASH MUSEUM
The Exhibition of 20,000 Used Labels at Erewash Museum continues until Saturday 31st October, last entry is 3:30pm. The Lally Gallery, Erewash Museum, Ilkeston, DE7 5JA. Tel: 0115 9071141.
20,000 Used Labels at The Lally Gallery, Erewash Museum
For 15 years Joy Pitts has gathered used labels from local charity shops, unpicking labels from the neck of rag garments. The 20,000 used labels in this exhibition have all been gathered from Ilkeston; therefore local residents were once walking around in these garments. It took five years to gather sufficient red labels to produce the smaller Ayrshire Cow. Joy’s award winning ‘Dairy Cow’ work, which is made up of 5,000 used garment labels, is on display in the window at Ilkeston’s Sue Ryder shop on Bath Street for two weeks to accompany the exhibition. A highlight of the exhibition is a 1.3 metre Homing Pigeon assembled from 466 World War One names taken for the Cenotaph in Ilkeston Market Place. The image is a tribute to the men and inspired by the thousands of homer pigeons that lost their lives during the First World War when they were used to transfer important and life-saving messages.
Recent work includes a Commission for fashion designer Paul Smith and selection for The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Joy’s latest project is a portrait of Her Majesty the Queen to celebrate her 63-year reign.
The exhibition ‘20,000 Used Labels’ continues at The Lally Gallery, Erewash Museum, Ilkeston, DE7 5JA from 11th Sept – 30th Oct 2015. The Museum is FREE to enter and is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am until 4pm and is situated just off the Market Place.
BBC NEWS - READ IT HERE & ALSO HERE
PRESS RELEASE - ITV NEWS
Press release - ARTS and LABELS!
ARTS and LABELS!
Many thanks to EREWASH BOROUGH COUNCIL, and to Councillor Mike Wallis for posting this press release about my forthcoming Exhibition at EREWASH MUSUEM.
