Public hanging

This morning I took my framed linocuts to the Michaelhouse Centre in Cambridge for the 'hanging'. We'd been told to hang our pictures using fishing line as we were not allowed to hammer hooks or nails into the walls; there would be hooks at the top of the wall that we could use. No probs! I thought.

Michaelhouse is a 14th century church right in the heart of the historic centre of Cambridge, it has been stunningly converted into a café, gallery and cultural and spiritual meeting place. The Summer Art Exhibition in aid of the Arthur Rank Hospice is displayed around the ground floor and the mezzanine gallery; the lower area was already hung with prints by the late Pamela Hughes, we were directed to climb the open tread spiral stairs to the upper lever were my work was to be hung alongside the meticulous detailed wood engravings of Andy English and Judy Logan's moody and mysterious etchings from her 'Crow' series.


We arrived at the top of the steel and wood spiral staircase to find Judy and her husband contemplating the task of how to hang fishing line from the very very high walls! I was so relieved that Cliff had helped me carry the pictures from the car and that he was able to stay to help me hang my pictures . . . and I'm so lucky he's very tall and not averse to climbing a ladder.



You wouldn't believe the sweat (and almost tears) that went into hanging five pictures! I think I may have heard Andy mutter something about what he's give to be able to hammer a nail into the wall . . . but I may have imagined it! I suppose the public sipping their cappuccinos and eating the quiche of the day, will think the pictures just appeared with a wave of a magic wand!



I hope some of you will be able to see the exhibition – it's well worth going in for chef Bill Sewell's food and to see the interior of the building, from the mezzanine gallery you get a panoramic view across the nave – the glass in the west window is stunning!



Tomorrow evening is the Private View, it will be good to see Andy and Judy again – by then we may have recovered from the 'hanging' and be able to enjoy looking at the pictures.

The exhibition continues until 4th September, the Michaelhouse Centre and Café is open Monday to Saturday 8am to 5pm. All commission on sales and proceeds from donated work will be donated to the Arthur Rank Hospice.