Rook Lane is a versatile, multi – use venue, transforming from day to night, from art gallery to concert hall to lecture theatre. Perhaps best renowned for its historical use as a place for speaking and singing, the chapel is popular for talks, lectures, and workshops – not to mention concerts of every musical genre.
Over the past ten years however, the Trust has become a destination for visual artists, working with the striking architecture to curate exhibitions of art, craft, photography and design. In 2012 Rook Lane Arts hosted exhibitions of local art groups, such as Artists 303 and Frome Art Society, both bright, vibrant exhibitions of work in a range of media. We also hosted exhibitions from further afield, such as The Secret Staircase – a collaborative project between award winning auther Michele Roberts and artist Caroline Isgar, a commission by London’s Museum of Childhood. In November we also hosted and curated the 155th International Print Exhibition from the Royal Photographic Society – a huge body of work that brought visitors to Frome from around the country.
A particularly poignant exhibition during 2012 was The Painted Garden, a retrospective of the work of Ruth Phelps, a great supporter and contributor to Frome’s creative community, who passed away in 2011. The exhibition was curated by Ruth’s daughter and other family members and brought friends of the family together on the anniversary of her passing.
2013 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for exhibitions, kicking off with Metaphysica – a joint exhibition of print and vector drawings from Frome print-maker Steve Clarkson, and vector artist Richard Falle. These two talented practitioners explore the possibilities of contemporary print in work that is meticulous, absurd and surreal.
In April, we’ll be welcoming back the Frome Art Society, who will be exhibiting new work in their Spring 2013 exhibition, and later in the summer Rook Lane will welcome a whole host of illustrators, brought together from a unique exhibition over the Frome Festival.
Rook Lane Chapel continues to be a popular exhibition space for retrospectives and group shows, due to the vast amount of wall space, professional hanging system and beautiful natural lighting. Being promoted as part of the arts programme at Rook Lane also helps to boost the profile of exhibitions enabling new viewers to visit the work. We aim to accommodate a wide variety of work here at the chapel, and always strive to work with the specific needs of each group.
If you are interested in exhibiting at Rook Lane Chapel, there is availability this summer, autumn and winter. The Trust aims to support artists and exhibitors by offering hire of the chapel at a discounted rate.
We are open to proposals for exhibitions of all kinds – photography, print, painting, film or sculpture. If you’d like to find out more about hiring the chapel, please contact us via email or call on 01373 468 040
Royal Photographic Society – 155th International Print Exhibition – November 2012 Private View
Secret Staircase – March 2012
- Ruth Phelps: The Painted Garden – September 2012
- Frome Art Society – April 2012
Artists 303 – April 2012
