International Project on Rural Art and Issues

Chrysalis Arts' North Yorkshire home, the village of Gargrave, provided the focus for this Year of the Artist project. Chrysalis artists Kate Maddison, Rick Faulkner and Tony Stephenson collaborated with Finnish artists Anu Kiiskinen and Leif Strengell to create work inspired by the landscape and cultural life of Gargrave. The original intention was to site the work on walks around the village, near the border of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, but the Foot and Mouth outbreak meant that the artworks had to be relocated within Gargrave itself.

An open viewing was held on Saturday 19th May 2001 when local people visited exhibitions, installations and video screenings at Chrysalis' base, The Art Depot, in the Village Hall and School, and at numerous sites on a guided walk around the village. In addition, two Finnish video students created a dance video involving young people from Gargrave.