The Friends of Droitwich Spa Railway Station have recently unveiled artwork created by the local community, with support from the Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership (CRP).
The first artist the group commissioned was Droitwich High School sixth form pupil Lottie Mountford, who’s work celebrated the diverse history of the community. To form the base of her work, Lottie investigated archived vintage maps of the surrounding area. Her final composition was created with layers of pen work in a controlled mark-making approach, the monochromatic style giving a nod to the heritage of the maps.
The Friends also worked with three other local artists to create new artwork for the station. The first piece, ‘The Lord of the Manor’ by Rosie Philpott, shows an interesting portrayal of the Chateau Impney being admired by the Lord of the Manor. The other two pastel pieces were created by Wendy Simmons in collaboration with photographer Gail Braznell, who used a drone to capture unique angles of the Hanbury Locks and St. Peter’s Church.
All of the new artwork – four line drawings inside the two shelters on the northbound platform and three pieces on the blocked-up windows of the Heritage building on the southbound platform – were installed in November 2022.
Artist Wendy Simmons said: “I’m truly honoured that two of my paintings have been installed on the Brunel building at Droitwich Spa Railway Station. The aluminium prints will be there for quite some time, and feature St Peter de Witton Church and the Hanbury Locks. Thank you to Gail Braznell of Reflected Images for taking the drone shots, allowing me to paint a different view of local landmarks.
“Thank you too to the Friends of Droitwich Spa Railway Station for giving me and other local artists an opportunity to share our work in a much loved and historical part of our town.”
Martin Jones, member of the Friends of Droitwich Spa Station, said: “The group are extremely pleased with the outcome of the project and the wonderful response from rail staff and commuters alike. We cannot wait to plan more artwork for 2023 as part of this exciting venture.”
The Friends of Droitwich Spa Railway Station are a relatively new addition to the station adoption network, having only been formed in May 2021. The organisation work alongside Worcestershire CRP and West Midlands Trains to enhance the station’s heritage and improve the station as a gateway for visitors to the town.
You can keep up to date with future projects, events and news from the Friends of Droitwich Spa Station via Facebook.
