Meet the organisers behind Kirkstall Art Trail.
Mandy Long has been the committee Chair since 2023. We find out more about her and her role within Kirkstall Art Trail.
How long have you been practising your style of art?
I have been making sculptures for around 25 years now, around the same time I moved to Kirkstall. Although I have always played around with clay, before I sold my stuff, this was mostly in night school classes. I also did a BTEC in Harrogate in the early noughties!
I’ve also been painting a lot more recently.
How do you find your inspiration?
My enthusiasm for sculpting came from watching my own kids play football when they were younger, and from them getting a love for the game. I don’t know much about it technically but I do love watching it.
The movement in my sculpture comes from watching contemporary dance performances or from sports such as rugby.
How did you become involved with Kirkstall Art Trail?
There was a group of us chatting in St Stephen’s community garden, and Amy Thompson had the brilliant idea of the Art Trail. Which Amy then spearheaded and lead on for the first few years. I have always had an open studio from the very beginning, and have always loved the Art Trail.
Kirkstall Art Trail had stopped during the COVID pandemic. After the break, Jim Corah came to me and suggested we revive it, and I was more than happy to help.
I always laughingly said that I can’t do the finance, so Jim does that. I’m called ‘The Chair’ but it is mainly just me reaching out to the community. I have a lot of contacts and I’m not afraid of going round to people’s houses to recruit venues and artists. I think being an artist also helps me understand the need for the Art Trail. And I have bit more free time than some of the others to help out, organise events, and do the stuff no one else has time for.
What do you enjoy about Kirkstall Art Trail?
I think it sounds so corny, but the people! Having fun and bringing about something that’s really worthwhile.
There’s no downside; we all have fun and it brings other people pleasure – what’s not to like? As committees go, ours is so friendly. There’s no bad feeling or competition and we all bring our own strengths, which are respected by everyone else.
COMING SOON!
Meet the rest of the Kirkstall Art Trail team.