MIDSUMMER
24TH JUNE - 6TH JULY 2025
STAMFORD ARTS CENTRE, PE9 2DL
“This exhibition invites people to slow down, reconnect, and engage with art in a way that’s intimate and elemental,” say co-curators Hannah Bigley and Time With Anna. “We’ve brought together artists who inspire us .”
“It was a wonderful event.
The space was well designed to accommodate a range of people and it was very busy with a great atmosphere. I enjoyed being able to drop in on different activities around the room. At one point me and my friend were both decorating paper fans alongside two little girls and it was a lovely way to share an activity together. The art was well curated and cohesive.”
“I thought it was beautiful and joyous.
The interactive nature of the exhibition and launch activities meant it felt like being there was intentional. Often going to openings where you just stand around feels like you are incidental to the work. Once you've seen all the work it is hard to know what to do with yourself or how to relate to the work and the environment it's in. Making the audience part of the experience with craft and other interactions meant you could relate to the work and the space from within it, rather than through a separation.”
“Imagine taking a wild woman out of the forest and asking her to make a home in a gallery.”
— Anonymous survey reply.
Summer 2025, Stamford Arts Centre became the setting for a unique artistic takeover.
Midsummer was a new, multi-artist exhibition delving into themes of solstice, folklore, and the natural world -
co-curated by practicing artists Hannah Bigley and Time With Anna.
Spanning printmaking, ceramics, textile, sculpture and mixed media, Midsummer offers a playful and timely exploration of transformation and wisdom, showcasing contemporary artists whose practices are rooted in storytelling, sensory experience, and (witch) craft.
Many works were on public view for the first time.
“It was interactive, thoughtfully curated and as engaging for me as for our five year old, I loved seeing him engage with art and the interactive elements which made him think about the exhibition in a really insightful way”
“ You could distinctly tell the individuality of each artist. I also loved the mini pop-up shop throughout the exhibition because it gave me a chance to get my hands on some of the artist's work. I found that it suited this time of year, with it being a heatwave during the exhibition, it felt like diving into a whimsical garden filled with joy, serenity and hope.”
“It was different to the usual local exhibitions, loved the vibe and curation, and all the work (and how it was displayed) was so obviously created with such care and thought.”
“I thought it was stunning, very well curated and laid out it felt a little like a mini RA summer exhibit due to the mixing and matching of artwork from different artists throughout it made the space very visually engaging and the addition of the text, woven and floral elements worked really well to add to the theme and create a magical atmosphere.”
THE ARTISTS
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✺ EMMA BRITTEN ✺
Emma is an Illustrator whose work captures the magic of the natural world and the joy of everyday moments. Emma blends her love for the outdoors with her passion for creativity, crafting illustrations that evoke nostalgia, wonder and a deep connection to nature.
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✺ HANNAH BIGLEY ✺
Hannah Bigley is a Freelance illustrator based in the East Midlands, UK, with an interest in portraiture, music, symbolism, printmaking and typography.
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✺ ROSIE AND RAMONA ✺
Rosie has been an artist her whole life but only had the confidence to do anything with it when she had her first child Ramona. She's since had another daughter and together they create, illustrate, print and doodle on any medium they can get their hands on.
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✺ RUTH HUDSON ✺
After studying Fine Art, English Literature and History of Art at Newcastle University, Ruth went on to follow several different career paths before finally deciding to focus on her artistic practice. Ruth is an experimental printmaker and painter, offering subtle forms of social commentary within her work, which is often inspired by tales found within Greek mythology.
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✺ TIFFANY ARNTSON ✺
Tiffany is an artist and communications consultant obsessed with connection: how we relate to one another, the signals we send, the interactions we engineer.
Over the last year she has been making and sharing art in ways that can be sustained. With the Lincolnshire landscape as her muse, Tiffany invites you to take notice of overlooked elements within the rural.
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✺ TIME WITH ANNA ✺
Birthed from grief in 2018, Time With Anna is the creative and spiritual exploration of Anna Roberts-Finn.Inspired by vintage aesthetics and the natural world, their work evokes their sense of curiosity and connection to the universe, rituals and folk magic.
Stamford
Arts
Centre
Hours
Monday to Saturday from 9am
The venue closes at different times each day depending on events taking place, but not before 5pm!
Phone
01780 763203