Holding Time Picnic with Hannah Gartside

The artwork begins with real, worn gloves. Gloves that have worked, played, held, protected, and belonged. In dressmaking, memory describes the physical trace a material holds after a body has left the garment.

Delivered in partnership with Ipswich City Council and the Ipswich Art Gallery, the project invites residents of all ages to donate gloves and share their story. Each one becomes a thread in the broader story the work will tell. Participants who would prefer to retain their treasured gloves may do so by providing a photograph or drawing of the gloves to accompany their story instead.

At the heart of the engagement is a gentle, informal drop-in picnic on the lawn, hosted by the artist and Ipswich City Council. Hannah invites residents of Ipswich to share stories of their gloves, in relaxed conversation about the hands that wore them, the tasks they carried out, and the memories stitched into them. These stories will inspire and guide Hannah as she shapes the final work, so that Holding Time reflects the spirit of Ipswich.

This is a free event, and community members are welcome to drop in any time during the event to connect with others in their community and to meet the artist and share their story.

Thank you for contributing your gloves and their stories to this project! Your gift becomes part of a collective artwork that honours the memories and connections of your community.

If you can’t make the event, Ipswich Art Gallery has a drop-off point for physical gloves, or you can share your stories/photographs online at https://www.shapeyouripswich.com.au/public-art-commissions.

Your gloves and any accompanying stories are gratefully received. Once donated, the gloves become a part of the artist's studio materials, and cannot be returned. As part of her creative practice, Hannah may preserve, transform or deconstruct, repurpose, or dispose of the gloves, as the artwork evolves.