ONE OF Bicester's oldest school buildings will be transformed in to a gallery of stone, steel, figures and fun pieces created by Bicester Sculpture Group.
Dozens of artists have brought together their best work to go on display in the former St Edburg's School building for this year's Oxfordshire Artweeks.
For the first time the group has moved the impressive creations this year from their studio in Church Lane along the road to the former school building now home to arts charity OYAP .
It is hoped the move for the sculpture group's exhibition will ensure it can be enjoyed whatever the weather and encourage more people to come along and delve into the different works.
This year's Artweeks offerings from the Bicester group include 'interesting and intricate' pieces from ten sculptors.
Among those is Michele Green who has recently been awarded the Friends of the Ridgeway 2019 prize in April for a sculpture titled My son and I. The competition is entered by hundreds of artists and is an annual event to pay tribute to The Ridgeway by using various arts forms to bring it to life.
Ms Greene said: "My Son and I was inspired by the Ralph McTell song ZigZag Line, going through my head as I created it.
"If you climb a steep hill you can do it by taking a zig zag path.
"There’s something special about climbing a hill with someone. It’s hard work but there’s a reward at the top – the amazing views but also the closeness you feel with the person you’ve climbed it alongside, a shared venture undertaken.
"White Horse Hill is the highest point in Oxfordshire and it’s very steep sided. At the top, you feel a sense of joy and wonder, standing beside the ancient chalk horse, with a stunning landscape of small villages laid out in front of you."
The sculpture shows two tall figures on top of a slate hill and will be on display at the sculpture group's exhibition for Artweeks.
Other artists taking part in Artweeks at the former St Edburg's School include Chris Rothero who creates intricate sculptures in metal, string, wire, and mesh.
Another artist taking part is Massimiliano Giorgeschi who is a photographer based in The Perch co-working space in Bicester.
The artist has teamed wood and modern metals with giant leather sofas in the office, and is a professional portrait photographer on site.
He said: "I’m interested in people and what they do and so when I see works of art in exhibitions.
"I always wonder about the person who made it and the story behind particular pieces.
"I loved visiting exhibitions during Artweeks last year and so I decided the explore the idea further, with the camera, visiting Oxfordshire artists in their studios and taking pictures of them engrossed in the creative process."
ALSO READ: Artists face off for annual display of local talentHis work for Oxfordshire Artweeks 2019 includes a picture of Bicester painter Casimira Mostyn working on large colourful paintings in her living room.
Artweeks Oxfordshire 2019 will return to Bicester for the last week of the county-wide festival from May 18 to May 27. It is part of the wider festival in which artists open up their studios to the public across Oxfordshire.
For more details on all exhibits go to artweeks.org
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