The Isle of Man Arts Council is delighted to announce the winner of UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man award, from Ellyn: A Tale of Manx Contemporary Art.
“Ellyn” is a collaborative art book and is a project led by Arts Graduate Intern, Olivia Savage. The aim of the project was to harness Manx Contemporary Art in a publication that could be kept as record of Manx and local art for years to come. The book, and accompanying exhibition, contains work from 66 local and Manx artists, from those in their first year of practice to those that have been working for years and are internationally acclaimed. Ellyn will live in local libraries, schools and Manx Heritage sites across the Island and therefore will become embedded in Manx learning.
Isle of Man Arts Council is in partnership with UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man and worked together on this project. The brief given to all artists was “Isle of Man”. Artists questioned what the Isle of Man meant to them and reflected their responses in their artwork, thus creating an emotive and dramatically diverse range of works that, together, celebrate our Island through the eyes of its own community.
Artwork was required to adhere to the brief and be in line with UNESCO Biosphere’s aims. As a collaborator, Biosphere offered an award in the form of a £200 voucher, to go towards artist materials, to an artwork of their choice that they felt best reflected their aims. It is now confirmed that Biosphere awarded the £200 to Janet Corran, an artist who submitted to the open call for Ellyn, for her artwork, titled, “The Teacher’s Cabinet”.
An extract from Janet’s accompanying statement to her artwork, explains, “This artwork is an assemblage of ideas that represents the balance or imbalance between the academic paper-led learning that happens inside the classroom and the diverse outdoor opportunities for real learning and sense of belonging, which the Isle of Man has to offer”.
The full statement can be read in the Ellyn book. Details of how to get your copy can be found below.
Jo Overty, UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Project Officer has said: “This unique and fascinating installation explores the connection between people and the rest of nature from a perspective of how we think, learn and explore. Making those connections is part of the role of a UNESCO Biosphere.”
Janet Corran has said: “It means a lot and is very motivating that I have been presented with the UNESCO Biosphere award for my artwork, as this recognition means that I have been understood.
‘The Teacher’s Cabinet’ is an art installation that is about how we learn and includes many references taken from education. The Ellyn brief was a gift to me, as it allowed me to immerse myself in my own history and summarise what my teaching has been about over the last 30 years.”
Janet has decided to use her voucher with Art Reach Studios, based at Isle Contemporary in Peel and the £200 will go towards art materials.
Ellyn: A Tale of Manx Contemporary Art is a collaborative art book, featuring new artwork from 66 local and Manx artists. The book can be purchased online at Quirky.im, or at a bookshop near you. More information can be found here: https://iomarts.com/what-we-do/projects-partnerships.
