Windermere gallery joins fight for cleaner Lake District

Launching on August 10 as part of a campaign to Save Windermere, the exhibition features various forms of art and a Porsche Taycan wrapped in a unique design.

Jamie Ashcroft working on the Porsche Tayan (Image: Jamie Ashcroft)

The Porsche is the first fully electric car in the Porsche range, and its wrap design was created by artist Jamie Ashcroft.

The car, sporting Mr Ashcroft's graffiti-style art interspersed with floral motifs, is set to be displayed at the South Lakes Centre car dealership after the exhibition.

Mr Ashcroft has also produced a collection of 10 paintings for the exhibition, using the same themes as on the Porsche.

Mr Ashcroft's artwork displayed at the gallery (Image: Jamie Ashcroft)

His artwork showcases floral images created with spray paint, overlaid with thought-provoking words.

Also part of the exhibition is the work of contemporary artists including Dirty Hans, Illuminati, Chess, and Michelle Mackie.

Newcomers to the fine art scene, Keith McBride and Marie L Wrightson, were selected because of their innovative use of recycled materials in their artwork.

Mr McBride's collage of London's images and Ms Wrightson's portraits are both on display at the gallery.

Mr Ashcroft said: "When I was asked to have a show in Windermere for the Save Windermere campaign, it's a no brainer really.

"I used to come here a lot on holiday as a child, it’s just such a beautiful place that shouldn’t be ruined by any means.

"That’s why I’m doing 10 per cent of all sales towards this brilliant cause."

The starkly illustrated protest piece saying Stop the Poo on canvas, which the gallery previously displayed, showed their stance on the issue of pollution in Windermere.

The piece even caught the attention of comedian Lee Mack, who joined the protest.

Lee Mack outside Windermere Fine Art gallery during the Save Windermere demonstration (Image: Save Windermere)

The Save Windermere campaign was established in 2020 by Matt Staniek in reaction to the alarming sewage levels in the lake.

The fund's short-term goals include stricter regulations concerning sewage discharge and better monitoring in an effort to clean up the lakes.

Dawn Titherington, owner of Windermere Fine Art, said: "The plight of Lake Windermere and its current pollution levels are very concerning, not just for those who enjoy water sports there, but also the wildlife and the wider environment and the town.

"We don’t want to have this reputation within the Lakes, north west or wider and so anything we can do to help support this great cause and raise awareness is worthwhile."

A percentage of sales from the showcased artwork will be donated to the Save Windermere fund.

The gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 5.30pm, and on Sundays by appointment only.

The gallery can be found at 25 Crescent Road, Windermere, LA23 1BJ.

Save Windermere is campaigning for short-term goals to deliver better regulation, reporting and monitoring as well as reviews on all permits for sewer overflows and tightening discharge limits to help reduce the amount of sewage in Windermere.

The launch of the exhibition is also a form of support for the protest that took place recently in Windermere, advocating for the protection of the lake.

The protest was led by Save Windermere, which was initiated to address sewage concerns and other pollutants affecting the picturesque lake.