Helen Angell, Harriet Mena Hill & Mandy Payne: Travels Through The Valley of Stone

Contemporary Art Exhibitions

Helen Angell, Harriet Mena Hill & Mandy Payne: Travels Through The Valley of Stone

Connected by their love of urban spaces, artists Mandy Payne and Harriet Mena Hill with poet Helen Angell have created brand new work in paint, textiles and words to capture the spirit and beauty of Rossendale. The exhibition follows their journey of discovery through the valley with an emphasis on the present as well as a recognition of the area’s rich past. Journeying mostly on foot, they explore the notion of place as one created through personal experience.

Using local materials such as felt, slate, quarry stone and experimental concrete from a nearby works, the trio reflect on the ever-changing nature of where we live. Current concerns about balancing progress with the environment as well as preserving our heritage underpin this exhibition. Their conversations and walks with enthusiasts as well as research in the archives brought the unfamiliar to life – not least of which was the discovery that Mandy Payne’s great-grandma used to live next door to The Whitaker!