Helen Garbett
I am a visual and socially engaged art practitioner/researcher based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, England.
My work is primarily concerned with place and the in-between; natural, cultural and historical landscape, human/more-than-human relationship and interconnectivity. I am particularly interested in that which is commonplace but unnoticed, overlooked or seemingly insignificant.
My art-based research utilises a range of collaborative, interdisciplinary processes including drawing, painting, collection, assemblage, installation, video, correspondence and dialogue, exploring the intersection between visual art, archaeology, ecology and social practice.
I am currently undertaking a PhD in creative practice at The University of The Highlands and Islands (Shetland and Orkney) entitled 'The Human Limpet Project'. A digital representation of the project can be seen on my website together with social media links.
CV: Helen Garbett
Personal details
Work address: Workshop 24, Ruskin Glass Centre, Wollaston Road, Stourbridge, DY8 4HF
Phone: 07527 034662
Email: limpetwoman@gmail.com
Website: thelimpetarium.com
Education
BA Fine Art - Stourbridge College of Technology & Art - 1983
Diploma in Social Work - University of Wolverhampton - 2001
Advanced Cert. in Practice Education - University of Birmingham - 2003
BSc in Health and Social Care - Open University - 2008
Art Award Advisor - Trinity College London - 2016
MA Module Contemporary Art & Archaeology - University of Highlands & Islands - 2017
MA Art and Social Practice (Distinction) - University of Highlands & Islands - 2020
PhD (Creative Practice) - University of Highlands & Islands - 2021 (in progress)
Summer School, Navigating Research Boundaries: disciplines, methodologies, environments and identities - University of Groningen, Netherlands, 2021
EARTH Scholarship International Cohort Programme, Environmental arts and humanities - Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities - 2023
Employment
Co-founded Goodlife Community Interest Company (Known as Workshop 24) - 2016 to date
SEN Work Experience Provider, Glasshouse College, Stourbridge - 2016 to date
Volunteer Assistant, Kidderminster Arts Festival - 2017
Access Working Group Volunteer Advisor, Ort Gallery, Birmingham- 2018 - 2019
Membership
Associate Member - Artist Workhouse, Warwickshire - 2017 - 2019
Individual Member - a-n - 2015 to date
Schwarmerei Member - The Ort Gallery, Birmingham - 2016 to 2021
Professional Member - International Society of Education through Art (InSea) - 2018 to date
Professional member - Axis - 2022 to date
Member - Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford - 2022 to date
Member Porcupine Marine Natural History Society - 2023 to date
Graduate member - Royal Society of Birmingham Artists (RBSA) - 2023 to date
Most Recent Exhibitions and Events
Open exhibitions:
West Midlands Open, New Art Gallery, Walsall - 2022
Member Exhibitions:
Ort Gallery, Birmingham - 2021
RBSA, Birmingham - 2023
Project Exhibitions and Events:
'Sound Escape' - Ideas of Noise Festival, Birmingham - 2018
'Experience Colour' - Ruskin Arts Centre with The Goetheanum, Switzerland - 2018
'Face to Face' - Artist Workhouse, Warwickshire & Canwood Gallery, Warwickshire - 2019
'Shoormal' - Mareel Arts Centre, Shetland - 2019
'School of Social' - Circus Artspace, Inverness - 2020
'Brierley Bells' - Glasshouse Heritage Centre, Stourbridge - 2020
'3 Mile Radius' - Glasshouse Heritage Centre, Stourbridge - 2020
'Sun and Stour' - Sensing Nature/Unlocking Landscapes Network - 2020
'Albion: Care Don't Care' - 4th World Congress of Psychogeography - 2020
'Revolution Booth' - 4th World Congress of Psychogeography - 2021
'Weathering the Storm' - Hawbush Community Gardens - 2021
'More-than-human-High Street - Colab Dudley - 2021
'Radio Public' Colab, Dudley and Resonance FM - 2022
'Houses of Wind, Wave and Voice: Human-Limpet encounters at the coast (beach workshop and installation) - Stromness, Orkney - 2022
'The Human Limpet Project (residency and installation) - Skaill Farm archaeological excavation, Institute of Archaeology, UHI, Orkney - 2022
'Radio Public Library' - The Market Hall, Brierley Hill and Resonance FM - 2023
'Field Works' - Colab, Dudley - 2023
'How Did We Get Here?: Exploding the day-to-day to explore climate relations (series of co-created workshops and installation) - Theoretical Archaeology Group Conference, University of East Anglia, Norwich - 2023
Presentations:
The Human Limpet Project: The art of drifting, collecting and connecting - Holm Sound international broadcast from Orkney - 2021
The Human Limpet Project (visual essay) - (Un)Common Worlds III, University of Oulu, Finland - 2023
Publications:
The Perfect Museum of Me - Learning Through Art: International Pictures of Practice, ISBN 978-989-53600-2-4 (PDF), The International Society for Education through Art (InSEA) - 2022
Commissions, Grants and Bursaries
'Experience Colour' - Art Section UK/The Goetheanum, Switzerland - 2020
'The Perfect Museum of Me' - Innovation Fund, Dudley Public Health- 2018 - 2021
'The Curiosity Club' - Innovation Fund, Dudley Public Health - 2019 - 2021
'3 Mile Radius' - The Ideas of Noise Festival, Birmingham - 2020
New Engine Micro-Bursary - New Arts West Midlands - 2020
'Time Rebels' membership - CoLab Dudley - 2020 - 2023
'Weathering the Storm' - Arts Council England - 2021
'More-than-human High Street' - Creative Black Country/ Arts Council England - 2021
'Radio Public' - CoLab Dudley - 2022
'Radio Public Library' - Historic England/Brierley Hill High Street Heritage Action Zone - 2023
'Field Works' - Dudley Creates/Arts Council England