This month we took the difficult decision to temporarily close the studio to carry out some essential repair and improvement work to the fabric of the building around the screen/dark room and outside/exterior wall.
Although it would have been quicker to repair what was there, we felt that rather than a short-term fix, it was important to implement an effective long-term solution.
The work was dirty and challenging and very time-consuming – and all carried out by volunteers – but the back wall now has 2 layers of insulation, including the difficult to reach area on top of the darkroom, and the floor now has three layers of insulation. Together they will have considerable impact during the winter months.
We took advantage of the closure to sort through the accumulated contents of the shelves and to relieve ourselves of any unnecessary clutter. This required many, many trips to the tip to re-cycle whatever we could.
Thanks to all those who turned up to fight the dust cloud and carry off all the debris to the re-cycling centres. Although clearing work took place throughout the two weeks, Friday 12 August proved to be a highpoint as cars were queuing up outside the front door and a steady stream of debris channelled up the corridor!
We also took the opportunity to assemble more box sets of our Special Edition Dylan Thomas prints editioned in 2003. Some of the original artists gathered to put together the box sets, collating artwork and the colophon signed by Dylan Thomas’ daughter, Aeronwy.
We have much less than archive conditions to keep items in the studio, so it is always a worry as to how they are going to survive. We were pleased to see that the steps taken had kept the majority of the work safe for the past twenty years.
The box sets and some individual prints are available to purchase in our online Shop. You can read more about the project in our Project Archives: Dylan Thomas: Especially when the October wind.
We would like to thank all the volunteers who contributed their skills, a lot of time and, as always, enthusiasm to carry out this challenging work. From repair work to rubbish removal; from paintwork to cleaning, it was a real team effort. Thank you.
SPW is entirely volunteer-led and we could not do without our fantastic team of volunteers which includes the Directors, Open Access leaders and more. For more information about SPW and our history, visit our What We Do; About Us and Opportunities pages.