York Museum Gardens and York College student collaboration

York College & University Centre BA first years studying creative practice, fashion and graphics teamed up with Steve Williams, garden manager of York Museum Gardens as part of a module which requires them to work with a real “client.”

A four-month project saw students draw inspiration and influences from layers of history, culture and environmental factors in the city’s green space, as well as themes from a specially created Japanese garden to the rear of York Art Gallery coinciding with its exhibition Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print.

The students drew inspiration from the landmark site in Museum Street (Image: Kevin Glenton)

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The collaboration drew to a close on June 3 when students from the three cohorts presented their designs back to Steve.

Berenice Smith, a creative practice student, had interpreted the character, history and atmosphere of the garden in a single ceramic form.

Her inspiration for the form was drawn from the Multangular Tower, a ten-sided defence tower considered to be the best surviving pieces or Roman architecture in the city.

Berenice Smith said she drew inspiration for the form of her presentation piece from the Multangular Tower in York Museum Gardens (Image: Kevin Glenton)

She said: “The intention was to distil key elements of the garden into texture, form and symbolism, allowing the piece to evoke rather than replicate the site.

“I knew the Museum Gardens but like most people I wandered through, and this brief gave me the opportunity to look at it in more detail and work with other elements and facets of the gardens.”

Her final project work is in a narrative form, each of the five decorative elements covering a specific aspect of the site, including seasonal change, historical and religious significance and the Yorkshire Rose as a symbol of identity.

The Multangular Tower in York Museum Gardens is one of the many historic features (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Lynn Wood, course leader for the fashion cohort, said: “Our students took a slightly different approach – the same inspirations from the gardens but worked in groups and between them they could choose an aspect and present their designs as a collection.

“It is about them learning to communicate as a team and how to understand the different interpretations of a design throughout the process of constructing the final garment.”

Steve Williams was also shown a ceramic sculpture in his likeness designed by Steve Hullah, a student from the 3D creative practice programme, whose presentation was inspired by the “unsung heroes” of the Museum Gardens.

Steve Williams (left) with first year 3D creative design student Steve Hullah, with his work for the project (Image: Kevin Glenton)

 The graphics programme students worked with the same theme but their outcome covering print and book-making.

 Graphic and communication course leader Monica Gabb said: “The students all took a very different approach from one another – after initial workshops of teaching the skills in a variety of traditional print methods and a visit to Thin Ice Press in Peasholme Green where they worked on zine making on the risograph – they each chose their own preferred print & book binding method.

“One was a 3D layered foldout book combining lino and etching print methods – the book illustrated the resilience of the plants in the flood paths.

 “Another student worked on a two-colour printed zine which was informing an audience of the different species of trees in the garden and opened up into a stylised poster of two larger prints of trees.”

 “A new richness was brought to the module from the interaction with Steve and the gardens – the students loved working with someone who shared such passion in what he has constructed and continues to evolve.”

Part of the feature of the karesansui – dry landscape garden – on display in York Museum Gardens, behind York Art Gallery which uses stones from the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey which stands in the gardens (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Garden manager Steve Williams said: “It was fantastic to be involved in this project and to see the creativity and enthusiasm the students brought to it.

“The Museum Gardens are such a unique historic space, and it was wonderful to see the students responded in such imaginative and thoughtful ways.

“The quality of work was incredibly impressive, and we are really pleased to support the project.”