Spring has sprung with Oswestry centre's display

Oswestry Heritage and Visitor Centre has brightened up its walls with paintings of flowers and photographs of wild birds, while sculptures depicting spring have also gone on display.

The artwork was put up on Monday as part of a new exhibition which will run at the centre, in Church Terrace, Oswestry, throughout March.

Sue Miller, exhibition coordinator for the centre, said the pieces had brought a smile to her face when she first saw them.

"We've got four different artists, all with slightly different exhibitions," she said. "The theme downstairs is all about spring and flowers and so on, while upstairs it is quite abstract.

"We've got a selection of wildlife photos on display as well, which are mainly of birds, and some wire sculptures.

"They look great, they're all wonderful. They're very bright and cheerful and that's lovely because we've had such a terrible winter. It cheers you up to see them."

The exhibition has been put together by four artists from the local region – prize-winning flower painter Ann Easthope, from Wellington, Katie Tyrie, from Chester who creates fantasy and abstract botanic paintings, Mid Wales-based abstract and disability artist Ceridwen Powell, and wildlife photographer Jake Stephen, from near Oswestry.

Ann Easthope, who is also exhibiting at Galleries Live in The Wyre Hall, Telford Town Centre, said she always enjoys exhibiting her work. She said: "I am looking forward to brighter days with my next exhibition, entitled Spring is Here, at the Heritage and Exhibition Centre.

"I always look forward to showing my work at this venue because the oak panelling shows off the colour of the paintings and they can be enjoyed and appreciated in a relaxed and unique setting. My paintings will be hung in the centre's coffee shop."

Visitors to the 15th century building, which was once a grammar school, will be able to see the exhibitions until March 29.

Although there was no exhibition last month due to renovation work being carried out on the historic building, art exhibitions are usually held all year round at the centre, featuring events of local interest from schools, Oswestry-based societies, individual artists and craftspeople.

Mrs Miller said finding people to exhibit each month is an interesting challenge.

She said: "I find artists online usually, and see some of their work if they have examples on the internet. Then I ask if they'd be interested in exhibiting, and then they choose what they'd like to display. Sometimes I'll help them choose items to put up, but usually there's no theme and I don't tell them what to do – it just depends on what they like to do and would like to exhibit.

"The exhibitions can be art, crafts or pieces of sculpture, and the whole building is usually open for people to view the exhibitions."

Other displays lined up include hand fused sculptural glass works, Himalayan leaf collage, watercolours featuring Vladimir Putin, and a photography exhibition entitled On The Buses. The centre is open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday.