1,000 clay cows! OrganicArts in Ide calls for hands on help to fashion cows out of clay

OrganicARTS at West Town Farm, Ide near Exeter, is aiming to make 1,000 model clay cows by September, and they want you to help. Why? They are creating art work for their exhibition in September which will be part of Devon Open Studios.

Christine Duff, co-ordinator of organicARTS told Arts+Culture: “All the work at the exhibition will be related to clay as we have a natural source of clay at the farm. A number of works are being made by local artists and as we are a community project we wanted to create something which is made by the community.”

The work entitled A Field for You is inspired by the work of internationally renowned artist Anthony Gormley, who made work with model clay people, organicARTS has chosen cows instead because their centre is based on West Town Farm.

So how can you get involved? The farm in Ide will be open between 11am and 4pm on Sunday, June 27 for people to drop in and make a cow from the West Town clay for the collection.

They already have about 250 cows made by visiting artists, school children, farm workers, local people at their village fete and visitors to their open day last week, “but we need more and Sunday will be a perfect opportunity to add to the collection. People coming along will be able to go and see cows in the fields as inspiration before they make their model,” said Christine.

“We are asking for a small donation from people making cows as we need to provide electricity and water to the farm building we have converted into a workshop for clay work.”

Lucy Rockliffe, a successful clay worker, said: “The building is a wonderful space and is already being used by many groups who visit the farm, and we have planned some taster workshops for the public making tiles and jewellery, so they can have some experience of what it’s like to work with clay.

“There is potential for it to be used by many more of the community, for people to learn more about clay and to make more advanced work and for people who are already working with clay to have access to space and facilities they would not have at home.”

If you are interested in making a cow or want to know more about the community pottery or about organicARTS and the work they do can be found on the OrganicARTS site or on the Facebook page.