Signs of the Times EXHIBITION

SPRING EQUINOX 20th March – 21st December 2021


WINDSOR STREET GALLERY

After four seasons of living through a pandemic, it feels so good to welcome in the spring. How strange and difficult this time has been, individually and collectively. At Squash, we thrive on participation and we’ve really missed our regular gatherings, communal meals, and gardening together.

So, as outdoors is the new indoors, we decided to make an on-street gallery in and around Windsor Street. This first exhibition, Signs of the Times, is a group show that celebrates spring growth, community action and the importance of togetherness in our neighbourhood. Now more than ever, we need to reach out and support each other.

This is a collection of newly commissioned artworks, sketches and photos from last year’s street mapping project and images from the Squash archive. Please come and have a look and let us know what you think!

There are 3 gallery sites; on the front of the Squash building, at what we call the Wild Site behind Squash on the brick wall corner of Upper Warwick St and Luke St and on the fence of the Grapes Community Food Garden next door to Toxteth TV.

We’re excited to share this new gallery and hope it will become a place for more showing and sharing of creative work this year and beyond, on Windsor Street.

And if spring inspires you to draw a picture, take a photo or write a poem we’d love see them! Please share by texting 07864 087 926 or emailing to clare@squashliverpool.co.uk.

This exhibition is dedicated to our dear friend, the photographer and baker Mark Loudon, whose work features in this exhibition.

Sign of the Times is curated by Becky Vipond, Clare Owens, Jackie Swanson and Jon Barraclough.


Sites

Click to jump to a section:


THE GRAPES COMMUNITY FOOD GARDEN

THE ARTISTS

Writer Anita Welsh, artist Jon Barraclough, artist Mairead McCormack, photographer Mark Loudon and artist Nina Edge.

ABOUT THIS SPACE 

The garden has been developed over the last 10 years by local gardeners and cooks and enjoyed by many. It is a much loved place. Here, in 2010 we planted the apple trees whose lifespan has inspired our 100-year vision.

Squash staff and volunteers have run weekly open drop-ins in the garden for the last decade. Once covid restrictions allow, we look forward to welcoming you back to the garden for some growing, cooking and sitting around chatting – just being!

 This spring we remember with gratitude the great gardener Esiah Levy who visited the Squash spring festival in 2018 to teach seed-saving. We also remember Mr Mian, our neighbour and friend who brought so much to this garden.

Nina Edge Hope Springs Eternal 2021
Mairead McCormack Culinary Herbs 2020 Watercolour
Anita Welsh Apple Blossom Tree 2021
Jon Barraclough Apple Blossom 2020

SQUASH HQ

THE ARTISTS

Photographer Mark Loudon, photographer Mina Bihi, artist Tabitha Moses, drawings by many workshop participants and a message offered by 5 lovely women who visited Squash on the Winter Solstice last year.

Click here to find out more about this site.

Tabitha Moses Blossom 2021
Drawings from workshop participants 100-Year Street Imaginings 2020
Mark Loudon Quince Jelly 2019
Community message shared by five women at Squash’s Winter Solstice celebration 21/12/20
Abdelrahman Hassouna Windsor Street 2020

WILD SITE

THE ARTISTS

Angelica Vanasse, Jon Barraclough, Marlene and Tabitha Moses.

ABOUT THIS SPACE 

We call this undeveloped space behind the Squash building, on the corner of Upper Warwick and Luke Street, the Wild Site. It’s currently like a big empty field. Squash owns a part of it  and this summer we will be running  design sessions outdoors to consider what could grow here. If you are interested in taking part, please get in touch!

Jon Barraclough A Walk on The Wild Site 2020
Marlene Seeds 2020 & Tabitha Moses Magic Bean 2008
Jon Barraclough A Spring (lockdown) drawing of Windsor Street Liverpool, showing every building from Upper Warwick Street to Upper Parliament Street and back again 2021

Thankyou…

…to everyone who has taken part in the Signs of The Times exhibition, and to all who supported Squash during this last year:

Adam, Al, Alice, Amina, Angelica, Anita, Asia, Ashia, Becky, Ben, Bernie, Betty, Boris, Cam, Carol, Caspar, Catherine, Chris, Christine, Claire H, Claire J, Clare, Dan, Dave, Dee, Denise, Diane, Donna, Duncan, Edlira, Elise, Elizabeth, Elly, Esiah, Fozia, Gary, Gemma, Geoff, Gill, Gina, Greg, Hassona, Helen, Ian, Isaac, Isabel, Jackie F, Jackie S, Jake, James, Jamie, Jason, Jim, Jo, JoJo, Jon, Julie F, Julie K, Kadisha, Karen, Kate, Kath, Kev, Kim, Lactoya, Laura, Lee, Liam, Linda, Lisa, Lucy, Mairead, Marg K, Marianne, Mark L, Mark W, Marlene, Mary C, Mary G, Maxine, Meera, Melissa, Michael, Michelle, Mina, Minna, Mo H, Maureen, Naomi, Nia, Nick, Nina, Ollie, Poppy, Rob, Rose, Saba, Sarah, Sally-Anne, Sie, Sue, Tabitha, Tom, Uma, Zahra

Big thanks to all our neighbours!

Exhibition curated by Becky Vipond, Clare Owens, Jackie Swanson and Jon Barraclough