A blind artist is defying her disability to play a leading role in an art group.
Not only is Ann Morris, 57, a working artist and an art teacher, she’s one of the driving forces at Rhyl Create.
Ex-nurse Anne has been instrumental in helping to secure premises to open their new gallery at the White Rose Shopping Centre, in Rhyl.
The group will be officially opening the gallery with a private viewing at 5.30pm on March 6 and among the guests of honour will be Anne’s faithful guide dog, Honey. The gallery will be open to the public at 9am the following day.
According to Anne, Rhyl Create are looking to move up to another level thanks to advice and support from WINSENT (Wales Ireland Network for Social Entrepreneurship).
WINSENT is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and through the Ireland Wales Programme (INTERREG 4A), which offers professional help to social enterprises like Rhyl Create.
Anne is a director and a founder member of Rhyl Create, which has provided a home for a group of more than 40 like-minded artists, most of whom are from the Rhyl area.
Among their members, there are painters, jewellery makers, textile artists, woodworkers and card makers.
They’ve had a gallery for several years in Kinmel Street but it never really took off because there wasn’t much passing trade.
The group are optimistic things will improve after the opening of the new gallery at the White Rose Centre which has a much higher footfall.
Being a member of the group is a source of great joy and satisfaction to Anne whose health problems began 20 years ago when she suffered a series of strokes .
She also has type 2 diabetes which has caused her eye condition, Diabetic Retinopathy.
As a result, Anne is totally blind in the left eye and has vastly reduced vision in the other – but she hasn’t let that stop her.
Anne runs art classes for her church where she shares her knowledge using different mediums such as Parchment to create cards and pictures.
She also specialises in Encaustic Art which involves a special wax and an iron, along with other mediums like decoupage, collages and pencil work.
Anne explained: “I can just about see across the road but I can’t see the floor, hence why I’ve got Honey.
“But I adapt very quickly to whatever happens to me. I let nothing get me down.”
Rhyl Create Chair Sheba Plumpton, who makes dramatic one-off designs in black ink on white, is also disabled and says the group has provided a lifeline and an inspiration to her.
She said: “For me personally Rhyl Create has given me a new lease of life because with my disablement I was tending to stay at home all the time.”
Sheba, who lives in Rhyl, suffers from fibromyalgia, arthritis, sciatica and depreciation of the spine, paid tribute to the help Rhyl Create had received from WINSENT.
“Their advice and support”, she said,” has been invaluable and several of us will be attending a Mary Portas retail course where we will learn about practical things like window dressing which will help us make the most of what we have got.”
Jeweller and fellow director Patsy Tyldesley, who lives in Deganwy, is a retired college lecturer.
She said that Richard Henderson, the Manager of the White Rose Centre, had been instrumental in sorting out the premises while local MP Chris Ruane had also given a great deal of support.
Patsy added: “We are very excited about the move. This is really going to give us a step up and make more and more people aware of what we’re doing.”
Councillor David Thomas, Lead Member for Regeneration and Tourism at Denbighshire County Council is delighted with the move : “Rhyl Create is a hub of art and creativity and it is great for them to realise their dreams.
“The move to the new gallery is a very exciting development for the group and great news for the whole town.
“They are bucking the trend and investing in the high street. We wish them all the very best.”
To find out more about WINSENT go to www.winsent.eu or email Sue Haygarth at [email protected].
