An aspiring local artist has been appointed as Chawton House Library’s first ever artist-in-residence.
George Rice-Smith from Alton will spend the next three months creating drawings and paintings inspired by the architecture and landscape of the house and grounds that once belonged to Jane Austen’s brother, Edward Austen Knight. He will also look to the charity’s collection of early English women’s writing from 1600 to 1830 for ideas, including works by Jane Austen and Mary Shelley.
The artist’s work will eventually be displayed in an exhibition at Chawton House Library, with some pieces available for sale.
The new voluntary post is an opportunity for Chawton House Library to support and encourage talent within the local community whilst highlighting the history and heritage of its collection of women’s writing, along with the house and landscaped gardens set within the South Downs National Park.
The charity aims to educate and inspire people of all ages to read the works of early English women writers and preserve the literary heritage for academics and non-scholars for generations to come.
The house itself is regularly open to visitors, alongside library readers, for tours and during public events. It also provides research facilities for Visiting Fellows from around the world, learning projects with local schools and colleges and fosters links internationally through seminars and conferences.
Keith Arscott, Development Director at Chawton House Library, said: “Finding new ways to build links with our local community and encourage interest in the literary heritage that we work hard to preserve is close to our hearts at Chawton House Library.”
“Having an artist-in-residence to capture the essence and spirit of the place and, in return, helping them to grow and develop and build a name for themselves, is a very fitting collaboration,” he added.
George Rice-Smith said: “When painting landscapes, it can be difficult to find a location with a number of inspiring motifs to paint within walking distance of each other but Chawton House Library has it all. It is also an unusually tranquil environment in which to work”.
He added: “It’s great to have interest and encouragement from such a unique organisation and the chance to develop my skills in landscape painting and build up my portfolio. I also hope my appointment will help establish the residency for other artists in the future.”
George studied art and visual culture at the University of West England in Bristol before completing a post-graduate programme at the Prince’s Drawing School in London in 2013. Visit George’s website for examples of his work.