Here you can find out about exhibitions that Art for Life have curated in the past, please click on the title for more information

2023

Debbie K Morris- Into the Wild, prints of incredibly detailed soft pastel paintings depicting wildlife.

Julie Manning – The Decline of Eels tells the story of Somerset’s silver eels in their quest to reach the Sargasso Sea, near Bermuda, where they breed and die.

Blackdown Hills – A View from the Hills, 5 artists from BHAAM create their perspectives on the Blackdown landscapes in which they live and work.

Hidden Talents 2023 – Holding Hope, celebrating the creativity of our colleagues.

Behind the Scenes – Clinical Research.  What they do, the impact of their work and the importance of research on treatments of the future.

Sam Rose – Rewilding Unwrapped.  A photographic exhibition raising awareness and dispelling myths about rewilding.

Land and Sea, a collection of work from Leo Davey and Caroline McMillan Davey

2022

Knowing Otherwise – The Filo Project, an exhibition highlighting another perspective, another side to dementia.

Print South West, printmaking is alive and well in the South West, a selection of print processes by artists from Bristol to Plymouth.

Zennor Box’s refreshing take on the world capturing those odd moments that go unnoticed

Trace, Jon England’s work representing the first phase of research and development in a longer-term commission, mirroring the redevelopment of the site

Source, is a series of artworks for the new Musgrove Park Hospital Surgical Centre by multimedia artist Esther Rolinson. Over the past two years, Esther has developed concepts for patterns and forms that will create two and three-dimensional artworks. Source Exhibition shows selected drawings from this body of work and outlines how they will be incorporated into the architecture of the Surgical Centre environment.

2021

Hidden Talents 2021: Unity, celebrating the creativity of the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust community.

Tranquillity in the Wild, an exhibition by Tess Armitage celebrating dramatic vistas of the West Country.

Somerset Reacquainted – Solace, Works created by artists who were invited to create locally-specific artworks which reflect, elicit and share notions of solace, cheer and calm.Participating artists: Gill Bliss, Jill Davies, Philip Dudman, Jess Egan, Pennie Elfick, Linda Green, Naomi Kendall, Pauline Lerry, Jenny Mellings, Jan Ollis, Sarah Rogers, Cameron Scott, Miriam Sheppard, Michael Tarr, Emma Tuck.

Levels Spirit, an exhibition inspired by the Somerset levels by those who live and work on them.

2020

West Somerset Artists, three artists (Jane Hood, John Kemp and Sue Onley) who live, work and are inspired by the wonderful environment of West Somerset

South West Printmakers, showcasing a range of print making techniques by Chris Laver, Louise Scammell and Niamh Geraghty-Morris

Our Hands in the Time of Corona, an exhibition of hands containing ‘tiny treasures’ that staff submitted during lockdown

Behind the Mask, 8 panels created by artist Lucy Hobbs using material and photographs gathered and taken by staff working in Critical Care during the pandemic

Belinda Reynell, contemporary oil paintings sharing her emotive response to the environment of Devon and Cornwall

2019

Ursula Franklin, an exhibition of photographs reflecting Ursula’s journey across the globe

Rooted in the Landscape, exploring the relationship between art, wellbeing and the natural environment

Coast, exploring the long made connections we have as human beings to the sea

Flight II, work produced by NHS staff in response to the exhibition Flight through a workshop led by artist Sara Dudman

2018

Beasts II, an exhibition featuring the bold works of Jackie Spurrier and Alison Jacobs, accompanied by the delicate work of Jon Tremaine

Flight, an exhibition exploring flight patterns of birds as well as expressions of flight as an abstract concept

NHS 70 Exhibition, black and white photographs of staff and colleagues alongside their stories of working in the NHS.

2017

Four Seasons, from direct representation to more abstract explorations of both the look and feel of the seasons, this exhibition offers a rich and varied journey through the seasons of the year. Featuring the work of 7 artists – Leo Davey, Jessamy Keily, Lucy Large, Gail Mason, Myrtle Pizzey, Rachel Sargent and Liz Somerville

A Sense of Place, a group exhibition exploring the work of 5 Somerset artists: Caroline McMillan-Davey, Tess Armitage, Angie Rooke, Barry Watkin and Jenny Graham, all working in landscape in distinct and different ways

How are you Healing, an exhibition about aspects of healing

Shoreline, explores the Shoreline in a range of colourful, vibrant and thoughtful works spanning contemporary printmaking to photography

2016

Fiona Robinson: Drawing to Music, explores the trajectory of Fiona Robinson’s influences from landscape and horizon lines through architectural spaces to the echoes of music and voices through empty rooms

Monochrome, exploring the term ‘monochrome’ which refers to an image using only one, or the values of, one colour

New Dimensions, rarely seen objects bought to life as inspiration for new contemporary works

Studio Upstairs, artwork by members of Studio Upstairs Bristol, a Charity and arts community that provides therapeutic support and artistic resources to people in recovery from enduring mental health issues and in drug and alcohol recovery.

Image: Gloria by Jackie Spurrier