Selected Exhibitions and Publications

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Hope is the Thing with Feathers

August-September 2024

Scottish Ornithologists Club, Aberlady

 

Threads

July-September 2024

Society of Scottish Artists at Old Gala House, Galashiels

 

Sky Above, Earth Below (Solo Exhibition)

November 2022-March 2023

Borders Textile Towerhouse, Hawick

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Swoop! Installation

May 2022

Dock Park, Dumfries

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Flock (Solo Exhibition)

April 2022

The Yellow Door Gallery, Dumfries

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The Environment

April 2022

Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield

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Feather (Solo Exhibition)

March 2022

A'the Airts, Sanquhar

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The Art of Embroidery

February 2022

Bankside Gallery, London

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South West Scotland Printmakers

November 2021-January 2022

Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries
 

The Royal Academy Summer Show

September2022-January 2022

Royal Academy, London

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Scottish Drawing Prize Exhibition

June 2021

Paisly Art Institute

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Wild Things!

May 2021

Beach Gallery, Orkney

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Fly Home (Solo Exhibition)

May 2021

Community Hub, Eskdale Muir

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Whither Shall I Wander? (Solo Exhibition)

November 2020-January 2021

WWT Caerlaverock, Dumfries and Galloway

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Renewed Awareness

September 2020-

bettertogetherartists.net

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Society for Embroidered Artwork

Stitched Art is Art

November 2019

The Clerkenwell Gallery, London

 

Textravaganza!

Textile Art Fair

June 2019

Rheged, Penrith

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Nostalgia: Exhibiting with artist group Decorum

May-June 2018

Farfield Mill, Sedbergh

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Wingspan: Helen Walsh and Nick Robinson

February-May 2018

RSPB Geltsdale Visitor Centre, Brampton

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Wingspan: A Collection of Poems by Nick Robinson with Artwork by Helen Walsh

2018

Blurb

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Sky High: An exhibition by Helen Walsh and Daniel Cooper

October-November 2017

Farfield Mill, Sedburgh

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Draw the Line: Contemporary Drawing Exhibition

April 2017

Surface Gallery, Nottingham

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As the Crow Flies (Solo show)

December 2016-February 2017

RSPB Geltsdale Visitor Centre, Brampton

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Random Acts of Art

January-February 2017

Gallery Artemis, Cockermouth

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Annual CD Collection 2016

October 2016-March 2017

Inchmore Gallery, Inverness

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Upfront Open

January-March 2016

Upfront Art Gallery, Penrith

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C-Art Open Studios

September 2015 and 2016

Prism Arts Studios, Carlisle

 

The Beauty of...

September 2015

Yellow Door Artists, St. Helens

 

Transience and Dichotomy: The Use of the Garment in Contemporary Art

2015

LAP Publishing

 

Drawing Exhibition

January-February 2015

Gallery Artemis, Cockermouth

 

Home

August 2014

http://gallery202.wix.com/gallery202

 

101 Artworks featuring the Animal Kingdom

Interactive i-book

2014

Pandora Publishing

 

Open Up North

May-June 2014

The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal

 

The International Postcard Show

January 2013, January 2014, January 2015, January 2017 and January 2018

Surface Gallery, Nottingham

 

Mary Earrings Crochet Pattern Publication

October 2012

Inside Crochet, issue 34

Earring pattern I designed using crocheted and melted plastic bags. The pattern was re-published in their Christmas supplement.

 

Textile News: Freedom

August 2011-2013

Touring across Europe

 

Festival of Quilts

August 2011
N.E.C. Birmingham

 

Winter Light

November-December 2009

Altrincham College of Arts Gallery, Manchester

 

Catapult

October 2007-January 2008

Urbis, Manchester

 

Selected Work experience

 

Artist and Creative Practitioner

Freelance

2010 - present

 

I organise and run a wide range of arts and crafts projects with a variety of people across a range of settings including schools, day centres and community centres. Recently I have also developed online teaching options including online workshops and an online video course. For more information please see the portfolio page.

 

Prism Arts Lead Visual Artist

Prism Arts, Carlisle

2012 - 2020

 

I planned and delivered a range of visual arts projects for Prism Arts, including their Studio Arts programme for adults and young people with disabilities.

 

Life Drawing Organiser

Carlisle

September 2011-2019

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Organising and delivering regular life drawing sessions in the local community.

 

Section Manager

The Heathlands Project, Carlisle

2010 - 2021

 

I worked with adults with learning disabilities to enable them to develop their own art work, supporting them in their artistic and personal development.

 

Crafty Hen Tutor

January 2015-Present

 

Planned and organised by The Crafty Hen I run a variety of creative workshops for groups.

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The Yellow Door Group (Chair)

The Yellow Door Gallery, Dumfries

2023-Present

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Programme Secretary (Voluntary Position)

The Cumberland Branch of The Embroiderer's Guild

October 2015-2017

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I was responsible for planning and organising the branch's programme of workshops and events.

 

Impecunious, Co-Chair person

Carlisle

2010-2013

 

Impecunious Carlisle was a not for profit creative arts collective based in North Cumbria. Established in 2010, the group existed to promote and facilitate the creation of community arts events. Comprised of practitioners from a range of artistic disciplines we initiated and delivered engaging and inclusive projects.

Selected Projects and Workshops

 

For a full list of workshops please see the portfolio page

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The Phoenix Project: A Flock of Phoenixes

September 2020

Green Close Studies/Lancashire Recovery College (online)

I was one of a group of artists commissioned as part of this pilot project to explore online arts delivery and engagement as a way of challenging issues such as isolation, mental health issues and addiction. I designed and delivered a project that involved making a 3D textile phoenix, supported with a materials kit and online sessions. 

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Elsewhere

September-November 2020

The Stove Network Dumfries

Developed from the Homegrown micro commission and part of the Stove Networks Atlas Pandemica Project I created an installation of hanging transparent envelopes in an empty shop window.

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Feathers of Hope

May 2020

The Stove Network, Dumfries

I was selected for one of The Stove's Homegrown Projects micro commissions, in response to the Covid 19 pandemic. I created a series of feather drawings and accompanying 'hopes' for the post-pandemic world. 

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Processions 

March-June 2018

Prism Arts/Artichoke

To celebrate the centenary of The Representation of the People's Act, which gave the first women the vote, I am one of 100 artists working with 100 arts organisations across the UK to create 100 banners. These banners will be processed in four events in London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff on Sunday 10th June. 

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Lead Artist: Somme 100: Commemorative Quilt

July-November 2016

Prism Arts and Cumbria's Museum of Military Life, Carlisle

A partnership project between Prism Arts and Cumbria's Museum of Military Life. We worked with schools and community groups to make patches to create patches to make a commemorative quilt for the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.  The work was unfurled on Armistice Day at Carlisle Castle.

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Artists Talk

May 2015

Tullie House Museum and Gallery, Carlisle

Along with four other artists I was invited to talk about my work and how I had been influenced by the work of Anselm Kiefer.

 

Engage: Artists Rooms Project Talk and Workshop

May 2015

Tullie House Museum and Gallery, Carlisle

As part of the Artists Room project I was asked to talk to members of Engage (an organisation promoting education in galleries and museums) about the Skyground project and I also delivered a sketchbook making workshop.

 

Quintinshill Memorial Quilt Project

May 2015

Train Station, Carlisle

I planned this participatory project to help commemorate the centenary of the Quintinshill Rail Disaster. People at the station were invited to draw or stitch a forget me not (symbol of eternal memory) onto a train ticket. I then sewed all the tickets together to make a quilt.

 

Kiefer Inspired Landscape: Museums at Night

May 2015

Art Gallery Take-over for Museums at Night Event at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery. This year I ran a project encouraging visitors to help create a giant canvas based on the Cumbrian landscape and inspired by Kiefer's work.

 

Mixed Media Book Making workshop

March 2015

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle

A mixed media book making workshop for sixth form students inspired by the work of artist Anselm Kiefer.

 

Artist Rooms: Skyground Audio Visual Installation

March-June 2015

James Rennie SEN School/Beaumont College, Carlisle

As part of Tullie House's Artist Rooms: Anselm Kiefer exhibition myself and sound artist Mark Newport worked with a group of children and young people to produce an audio-visual installation in the grounds of Tullie House in response to the Kiefer exhibition. The work incorporated new technologies, including the use of Raspberry Pi micro processors. The work hung in the Tullie House gardens between June and September. This project was delivered through Prism Arts.

 

Tullie Textiles Group

2015-Present

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle

I run this informal social crafting group once a month, the group is open to anyone. Each month I demonstrate a different textile technique.

 

In the Moment: Creative Collage sessions for Older Adults

January-February 2015

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery and various Care Homes, Carlisle

Relaxed sessions to help older adults, particularly those with a dementia, access Tullie Houses's collection and to engage in creative activities.

 

Felt Making Workshop

November 2014

Stoneraise School, Carlisle

Working with Key Stage 1 to learn about felt and make felt pictures.

 

Melted Plastic Decorations Workshop

July 2014

The Hut, Brampton Community Centre, Brampton

A child friendly workshop making window decorations from melted plastic bags.

 

Embroidery and Appliqué Workshop

July 2014

The Hut, Brampton Community Centre, Brampton

Organising and delivering a hand embroidery and appliqué workshop for adult learners.

 

Fancy Dress Life Drawing: The Steam Punk Circus

May 2014

Art Gallery Take-over for Museums at Night Event at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery

 

Puppet Making Workshop

March 2014

Creative Futures, Cumbria

A fun, drop in workshop as part of Creative Futures Animate Carlisle Project.

 

Arts Award Transition Project
March 2014
William Howard School, Brampton
I worked with three primary schools and William Howard Secondary School on part of an Arts Award Project which was also part of a transition project. Inspired by the work of Gillian Ayres I explored colour theory and painting in unusual ways with the students.

Mixed Media Vessels Workshop
March 2014
Cumbria Adult Education and Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle

A CPD workshop for Art and Design Adult Education tutors looking at using mixed media to develop surfaces and make vessels.
 

Mechanical Circus Workshops
November 2013
Outreach work for Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Primary schools in Cumbria and Dumfries
Organising and delivering automata workshops for Key Stage 2 pupils in Primary schools.

 

Keswick Lantern Parade

October 2013

New Arts North, Keswick

I worked with two other artists to help make four giant mythical horse lanterns based on designs from local school children. Made of willow and tissue paper the giant horses were paraded for Keswick's Christmas light switch on and again for Carlisle's 2014 puppet pageant.

International Art Project
October 2013
Pennine Way Primary School, Carlisle
As part of the schools International week I worked with Key Stage 1 pupils looking at patterns and animals from around the world, we then made fabric patches inspired by these which I then made into giant hangings.

 

Crafting Social

October-December 2013

Women and Families Accommodation Services, Carlisle

Funded by the Laurie Brewis Trust I organised and ran a weekly craft and social drop in for services users at the facility.

 

The Wetlands Project
September-October 2013
Prism Arts/The Solway Wetlands Trust/ The Heathlands Project

Researching, designing and making a felt and willow sculpture of a dragonfly with a group of adults with disabilities. The sculpture was on display at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery.

Melted Plastic Decorations Workshops
August 2013
Kirkgate Centre, Cockermouth
2 drop-in workshops in making window decorations from melted plastic bags.

 

George Howard Envelope Workshops
June 2013
William Howard High School, Brampton. Organised by Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery
Workshops looking at making personalised envelopes inspired by the work of George Howard to coincide with an exhibition at Tullie House.

 

Textile Project: The Sea
January-April 2013
James Rennie School, Carlisle

Working with Key Stage 4 using textile techniques such as dyeing and rag-rug making to create a piece of artwork for the school based on the sea.

 

CreateIt! Art Group
September 2009-June 2012
Eden Mencap Society, Penrith
I helped organise and run this group for adults with learning disabilities. It was service user led and we undertook a range of different techniques and used many different materials, including felt making, painting and drawing. Activities included making props and costumes for the May Day Parade.