Calendar

A light installation celebrating the completion of the first phase of restoration to the world’s first iron-framed building – Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings.

As Shadows Return hints at 200 years of the factory’s history and is a celebration of its future. The ‘dragon on the hill’ awakens.

World renowned light artist, Andy McKeown, has reanimated the Main Mill building on the site .with silhouettes and shadows of the mechanical and human activity that once took place within. Light and sound are artfully entwined to reveal glimpses of the building’s incredible evolution, and the people who toiled within. The piece will constantly change and evolve, so there will always be reason to look again.

The Main Mill is one of the most important buildings of the industrial revolution and was the first iron-framed building in the world. It is known as the grandparent of the modern day skyscraper and changed city skylines forever. The pioneering design and layout of the mill was the forerunner of methods used by specialist industrial architects a century later. The locals called it the ‘dragon on the hill’ due to the serrated roof, the billowing steam and roars from the machinery within, and the eerie glow from the gas lighting, which was new to Shrewsbury at the time.

When
The shadowy forms will light up the building from sunset between 21 December and 31 January. You don’t have to be on site to see it; it is visible from outside the Flaxmill site to passers-by. No booking necessary. The visitor centre is open on Saturdays only from 10am – 4pm – please note that As Shadows Return only operates after the sun has set.

Take part in the conversation using the hashtag #ShadowsReturn

Shropshire Art Society’s Ongoing Exhibition for these four weeks showcases the work of Annette Hughes and Bakhtiar Umataliev. It is open from 10 am to 4 pm daily, excluding Sundays.

An exhibition in association with The Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute featuring recent paintings of Greenland by Andrew Lansley prior to his trip to Antarctica as Artist in Residence 2019 for The Friends of the SPRI. Plus, work by previous Artists in Residence, Nicholas Jones and Shelly Perkins.
Also exhibiting gallery artists: Mike McGowan ceramic sculptures, Ruth Brownlee paintings and Sarah Jenkins ceramics, all of whom are fascinated by weather, erosion and the natural world.