Babylon Gallery

Saturday 17 September - Sunday 23 October 2011 

Open: 
Tuesday – Thursday 10am– 4pm
Friday - Sunday 12 noon - 4pm

Read Jane Frost's blog

Fair Trade: Material Matters opens at the Babylon Gallery on Ely’s waterside on Saturday 17 September and continues to Sunday 23 October. Over the last four years, self-portraits drawn by other artists have been collected and stitched into woad dyed yarn onto recycled blankets by Littleport-based artist Jane Frost. These blankets form the ‘material matter’, looking at the context of sustainable actions and relationships. 


The exhibition will show completed works and the process behind them. Material Matters is a fair trade exchange within the art community, a deliberate comment on financial value placed on work, often not to benefit artists. During the exhibition there will be a chance for visitors to draw a self-portrait that will be included in the international artists’ website www.fairtradematerialmatters.org. 

Jane Frost will be using the gallery as her studio on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays throughout the exhibition, updating the website and creating stitched portraits. There will also be talks, workshops and artist networking sessions. I’ll be available to discuss the work with groups at prearranged times and taking commissions for stitched portraits from individuals and organisations. The programme of events will be available online and in print. www.fairtradematerialmatters.org

More details of the current show and future exhibitions at the gallery can be found on the gallery page.

Entry is Free (donations welcome). The Babylon Gallery also has a small retail area selling work by artists and craftspeople in the region.

Additional exhibition events
Sat 17 & Sun 18 September - Launch event, Fair Trade Tea, ideas exchange and conversation 2-4pm. FREE
Sun 25 September -  Artists' Ideas exchange. Share a walk with artists Jane Frost and Liz McGowan. Along the Waterside in Ely. 11am - 3pm, £3 per person
Weds 28 September - Woad Talk by Ian Howard, Illustrated talk by grower and processer of woad. The Gallery wil be stocking Woad-Inc products during the exhibition. 4-6pm, £4.
Mon October 25 – Sun October 30 it will still be possible to purchase Fair Trade merchandise from the gallery.
Thursday 27 October . Jane will be hosting a drop-in family workshop (£5 per family) bring your old woollen jumper and learn how to recycle it into a stylish winter hat! 

Booking form for workshops and talks