Updated August 2022
Well that sounds grand, doesn't it! We are very honoured to have been asked to work with a brilliant collaborative group of artists to run the newly reopened space upstairs in the Norwegian Church at Cardiff Bay, upstairs in their Gallery Gift Shop.
This building is a beautiful historical landmark and is a very easy walk from anywhere in Mermaid Quay, the main tourist heart of Cardiff Bay. It has its own enviable coffee shop downstairs, with upstairs being for the exhibition style Gallery Gift Shop containing a wide range of artisan gifts, including from yours truly, MooJoo Designs!
The Norwegian Church is a place we have visited as a family for many, many years - including the day pictured below, when we took sanctuary in it to hide from this massive anvil cloud that swept in and then rained down on us like we'd never seen before!
The Norwegian Church has been in The Bay for many a year. The Norwegian ships and seafarers were prolific in trading all around the world, and were very important to our mining communities, delivering the pit props made from Norwegian wood. Wanting to keep the sailors from a potential life of sin, the Norwegian Seamen's Mission - Sjomannsmisjonen was founded in 1864. Pastors worked with the seamen on the ships, in a redundant chapel and eventually, in Cardiff, in their own purpose built church in the docks. It was originally in a different spot, being later moved to its current home. After delivering the pit props, the Norwegian ships then moved on, transporting Welsh coal with them as they went!
Back to modern day, this group of artisans are exhibiting in the Norwegian Church between Juyl 19th and October 11th 2022. The selection of products on display have been carefully selected to show a range of Welsh and even Norwegian artisan work.
Examples of the work and artists are shown below and are from these fabulous makers below. As a group, we are also mentoring a new up and coming artist, Thomas Evans Art, who is also a part of this display of items.
There are also a million other reasons to head over to Cardiff Bay... the ice-cream, the park in the barrage, the Millennium Centre, the historical video and exhibitions in the Pierhead Building, hiring bikes, pastries in gin and bake, Italian street food, Hub Box dirty fries and so much more. It really is one of our favourite places to be, no matter the weather.
Please do take the time to explore the work of these wonderful people, they really are working hard to ensure that Cardiff is a great representative of Wales for all those who visit from near and far. The reopening of this wonderful venue is a real boon for the area too, as it serves as a perfect stop-point for those at the end of a shorter walk around the bay, or as a midpoint walking all the way over to the barrage. We are very proud to be a part of such an important place in Welsh History.