At the heart of the community" is a phrase which Canon Tom Kennar, Rector of St Faith's, likes to use from time to time. He says that it's a simple way of saying that St Faith's (situated at the historic centre of Havant) is more than a space for worship, but also a place which belongs to everyone - regardless of their faith. This commitment was made very tangible in the early days of December with an exhibition by local sculptor and artist, Carol Acworth. Canon Kennar said, 'we are so delighted to have been able to put on this long-awaited exhibition of a truly extraordinary local artist! It will be the first of many such opportunities for local people to use our historic community building'.
Carol Acworth lives and works in the South of England. She has been described as a sculptor of rare talent, who looks at the humanity and feeling of her subject matter. Although she produces such varied pieces, there is a constant vein of vigour of movement and texture that demands to be touched. Her work is to be found in many homes in England, Scotland and Wales, exhibition will be able to view her Black Lives Matter sculpture in St Faith's over the coming weeks (as it will be exhibited there for the time being, on loan to the church). Samples of her smaller works will be on view in the Parish Office window in North Street, Havant.
including that of Penelope Keith, and in Kuwait, Singapore, Italy, France, New Zealand and the United States. Commissions include a Madonna and Child in Oak, for St Peters Church, Petersfield, and a bust of John Bowen, who gave his garden in Petersfield to the town for the use of the public. Other works in public places include Petersfield Hospital, and King Edward School Witley. Carol says: "If my sculpture touches the heart, then it has achieved its real goal, to bring a little tenderness, a little light, a little healing, a little truth, a little humour and a little love into a struggling world".
When we asked Carol about her life-story, she told us that 'from childhood, I was always more drawn to art in the round, so I liked plasticine better than painting. One day at secondary school the art teacher brought in some chunks of alabaster and I was away. Because it is a soft stone, I could carve it with a screwdriver for a chisel and a hammer. I went from there to wood, and my Dad gave me a set of chisels for my birthday. He then sent me to secretarial college. I don’t think he wanted to keep me while doing a three year course in Art! I became enamoured of Barbara Hepworth, whose work can be seen at St Ives in Cornwall, and who carved abstract shapes and discovered ‘the hole’ in wonderful natural shapes. My husband found work in Derby, which is where Gypsum comes from; the best of which is known as alabaster. So I carved alabaster cats for two galleries in London, which earned me some much needed funds. Somehow I fitted sculpture into a life of marriage and family, always joining a pottery evening class, wherever we were living. Now, with more time, I can pursue larger, more ambitious projects which I hope reflect the world we live in. The most recent of these is ‘Black Lives Matter’, based on the photos which appeared in the press when Black Lives Matter hit the news earlier this year.'
Anyone who missed Acworth's More examples of her work can be viewed on Carol's website at: https://carolacworth.com/
Look out for more public exhibitions and events at St Faith's in the coming months. Artists or performers who may be interested in making use of the space and facilities of the church are invited to contact Canon Kennar via email to: rector@stfaith.com