5. Wesley meets Art: residency, exhibition and auction, Manchester, UK (2008-9)

This is a collaborative project between CJ O’Neill, Lee Garland and Wesley Community Furniture Project, Manchester.

Background information can be found here;
Wesley: www.thewesley.org.uk
Lee Garland: www.leegarlandphotography.co.uk
CJ O'Neill: www.cjoneill.co.uk

The main idea is to document the activities, objects and people working with the charity through photography and interviews - interpreting and developing this in a number of ways. Cj re uses existing ceramics and would use imagery to develop silhouettes and patterns that would then be applied to ceramic pieces bought from the charity. Lee is interested in the photography of architectural spaces and would document the building and location as well as the people working there. Both artists will use pieces from the Special Collections at MMU as inspiration and starting points for the work, referencing the context of the new work within the collection.

A secondary project will be work produced by staff themselves in conjunction with the artists involved.

Through producing work based in and around the charity we hope to develop interesting perspectives that will then be exhibited at MMU Special Collections Gallery from 8 December 2008 to 20 February 2009. An auction will be held to sell the work made through the project (date tbc).

Communication material will be developed alongside the ceramics and photography about the charity and the project to distribute at the exhibitions and each piece will have it’s own individual story focussing on the individual featured in the piece.

100% of profits made from sale of work from the exhibition and auction will be donated to Wesley Community Furniture Project.

The main aims for the project are;

• To raise awareness of the charity
• To increase the visibility of staff within the charity and their role within the community
• To create a viable process of artists working with charitable organisations
• To promote this process to other creative practitioners and student groups
• To sell work produced through the project

Wesley staff exhibition at Urbis

Wesley profile 1

Wesley auction 1

Wesley profile 5

Wesley profile 4

Wesley profile 6

CJ de Morgan