Meet the artists behind Salisbury Cathedral's new art exhibition

Ahead of World Earth Day, the cathedral will feature works inside and outside focusing on the air we breathe, the changing landscapes and how the environment can impact out mental health.

Salisbury Cathedral has been a long -time advocate for environmental care, becoming an exemplar of good practice being presented with a nationally recognised award for environmental work in churches. 

This exhibition highlights how the Cathedral is caring for the environment whilst facing the challenges of reducing carbon consumption. A message they want to send to the people of Salisbury and further. 

Salisbury Cathedral’s Art Curator, Beth Hughes, 38 said: “We are exploring the fact that they climate crisis is a very serious issue, but there is a lot of hope and for some people in Salisbury, its such a beautiful place to live, with the lush green spaces around the Cathedral to the peregrine falcons nesting in the tower, there is a great deal of ongoing care for our natural world happening already.

"We still have work to do but there is much we can celebrate in Salisbury and the Cathedral really is the perfect place to discuss these issues in a spirit of hope for the future.”

“The climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing us today, cutting through other key issues such as economics, health and equality. Artists have long been engaged with the environment and through creativity they draw our eye to the overlooked stories, raising our collective appreciation and awareness.”

Outside the Cathedral, on the North Lawn visitors will see a large wooden sculpture called Seaview by Hilary Jack. It depicts a house perched on top of a steep slope of a cliff edge, reminding how costal erosion and harsh weather can impacts homes. 

Hilary Jack (Image: Newsquest)

Hilary Jack, Artist from Manchester said: ”My work is all about socio- economic and political aspects of our everyday life including climate crisis and I’m an activist as well so I’m trying to highlight the issue of climate crisis and the impact it will have on our future and trying to put pressure on the government and those in power to act.”

She added: “My work is for everybody to connect with and talk about climate crisis and talk about the issue that everyday people are facing because we know climate change will effect everyone.

"It’s already forcing people to migrate those areas as they can no longer farm their land or fish in the sea. Its becoming very drastic so that why I want to create conversations and hopefully we get some action started.” 

Hanging from the main visitor entrance, are three large banners from the artist Dryden Goodwin’s, work Breathe.

Created alongside London air quality scientists, this work underlines the urgency for conversations around air pollution.

One of the drawings is of Rosamund Adoo-Kiss-Debrah, the mother of nine-year old Ella, who was the first person in the world to have air pollution recorded as her cause of death.

Inside the cathedral are collection of visual and auditory art pieces by Rebecca Chesney, all about birds from around the world and how some are near to extinction. 

Rebecca Chesney’s companion piece, Red, Amber, Green (2020) presents the entire 120 pages from The Popular Handbook of British Birds by P.A.D. Hollom (Image: Newsquest)

Artist, Rebecca Chesney from Preston said: “It so fantastic what Salisbury Cathedral are doing and I’m really pleased to be invited and all the art looks spectacular. Its a great opportunity for people to come down and start to see the bigger picture.

"We can’t just look at nature in our back garden, it has to be a global effort of everyone coming together and reminding each other about how important nature is.”

‘Our Earth’ opens at Salisbury Cathedral on Saturday, April 20 and runs until Sunday, October 6. Admission is included in general Cathedral entry.

For more information go to visit salisburycathedral.org.uk.