We announced ourselves to the venerable Walking Artists Network (WAN) email list this weekend, asking for any people doing walk-work in the West Mids to say hello. And a few did! So this is the first WAITWMWRCA, roundups of people new to use that you might want to check out.
Lucy Parris is a printmaker and walker who lives in Kiddiminster but is finishing a fine art MA at Birmingham. She's a member of Walking The Land, a Gloucestershire-based group of artists who we will definitely be investigating further, and is exploring the concept of socially distanced walking to conclude her MA.
Petra Johnson is an artist currently in China but returning to Stourbridge once air travel is a thing again. Her Walk With Me project took place in Beijing, Cologne, Shanghai, Xiamen, Taidong (Taiwan) and Berlin where she and a participant walk from a convenience store or kiosk to building or a landscape that defines the city. In 2017 she produced this short film from her work.
Daniella Turbin returned to Wolverhampton after completing her fine art masters in Glasgow but on the way stopped in Cumbria for 6 months where she got the walking bug. Her current (lockdown permitting) project is DRAWER where she's "walking the UK, simply, to explore, meet and document the landscape and its inhabitants. These walks could be instigated for any number of reasons – from historical and political through to environmental or personal." Lots of pics on her Instagram.
Andrew Howe is an interdisciplinary artist based in Shrewsbury who uses walking and mapping to explore how people interact with places. He sent a very long email detailing lots of exciting projects and works, far too many to mention here, so we recommend ploughing through his website. A good starting point would be his blog post on the Acts of Resistance project involving small boxes left in public spaces.
If you're a West Midlands based artist, writer or some other variety of maker-of-things (we prefer the broad definition of "artist" here at Walkspace) for whom walking is an important part of your practice, please get in touch. We'd love to hear what you're up to, and if you include a link to your work we'll include you on the next WAITWMWRCA!