What better place to be on a sultry evening than in the riverside gardens of Lucy Abel Smith surrounded by the most amazing array of beautiful artworks.  The soirée opened with Lucy giving us a fascinating talk on how the sculpture show came about and how the artworks are selected: there is a panel of artists that contribute to ensure that the show is not limited to the taste of a single individual. Lucy’s love of and delight in art shone through her talk. Moreover some of the background stories she told about the artworks on display and the artists were fascinating and encouraged a deeper appreciation of the artworks. Following the talk we were free to wander about at our leisure. We were a relatively small group and so, as the soirée gave us exclusive access, one was able to contemplate individual pieces without disturbance. 

Max Jacquard and Jessie Lee’s glass installations, inspired by the water ripples of the River Coln, took on new meanings in the long shadows cast by the evening sun. Similarly, the cooler evening brought out blue nymphs that alighted on a wonderful mobile by Daniel Chadwick, ‘Neon Green Wind Organism No. 1’; their slight weight being sufficient to cause elements of the mobile to move – I could have watched it for hours.  Stuart Bird’s dry stone moongate ‘Wheel Within A Wheel’ rightly captured a lot of attention and Amanda Griffith’s Tipi Poles cried out for people to sit within its struts. Amanda is, of course, the artist The Arts Society Corinium has appointed to decorate the Cirencester community hare which is currently in development.

There was so much to see at this exhibition, I cannot possibly name check all of the wonderful artists that contributed. The only cloud on the horizon is that this is the very last Fresh Air Sculpture show.  I can only hope that the concept of exhibiting modern sculpture locally in a garden setting will continue with someone else at the helm. How better to end this review than by quoting from Keats as carved on Emi Gordon’s stone plaque:  “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”: this show abounded with beauty. Thank you Lucy.