Abercorn welcomes new sculpture

By Gordon Lambie

Abercorn’s little red schoolhouse will be a little quieter than planned this summer, but doesn’t mean that the seasonal arts centre will leave visitors with nothing to see. While Davis Joachim, board member of the local cultural and heritage organization ACPA, said that the lineup of exhibitions planned for the interior space has been postponed, he celebrated the fact that a sculpture garden featuring works by local artists David James and Olivier Burnham will be set up on the grounds until October
“The sculpture garden will be going ahead,” Joachim said, sharing that setting up such a project in the small border community has been a dream of his since moving to the area several years ago.
At the moment there are two works on display, one by each of the artists, but the board member said that there are three more creations by Burnham on the way.
Joachim explained that at the moment the six artists who would have been displaying in the summer are looking at dates after September while the ACPA explores what is possible in their space under current hygiene restrictions. Current limitations on tourism and a closed border didn’t worry Joachim much, however, as he shared a hope that the sculpture garden could become a real drawing point for visitors.
“Better times are coming,” he said, arguing that while the small community is never going to attract big business, it has the potential to become a cultural hotspot if the right artistic undertakings are fostered and encouraged.

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