Watersheds - Mountains and Moments in Time
An eclectic exhibition inspired by the evocative poetry of Tom Bowker.
[2023]
‘Watersheds’ is a particularly special project. The brainchild of my mum Julie who is a wonderful printmaker as well as an exceptional Mum. I can’t beat her wonderful introduction, so I’m going to steal her words……..
‘My Dad, Tom Bowker, was a Lancaster born man with a passion for mountains and a wonderful way with words. He wandered amongst summit and sgurr, belach and beinn and wrote poetry to share these magical places.
He was a mature student reading history at Lancaster University and during that time had a hardback book published “Mountain Lakeland”.
Writing articles for Cumbria magazine from 1977 through to 2014, he shared over a hundred days out on the fells and illustrated them with his own photographs.
Whilst teaching a mountaincraft nightschool class, he created maps for his students and guided them out onto the fells.
He wrote nearly twenty guidebooks for Dalesman publications encouraging all abilities to explore our beautiful countryside and Albion’s rooftop.
His poetry has been published in many anthologies, broadcast on local radio and has now inspired this exhibition.
Watersheds - physical, emotional, historical and personal, bring together all his words and images into one beautiful gallery space.
Over 25 family, friends and local artists have collaborated to create paintings prints, photographs and objects inspired by his poetry, his company on a day out or a shared love of the outdoors.’