A Burnham-On-Sea artist has unveiled an eye-catching art installation of 500 paper butterflies suspended from the ceiling of a Highbridge church.
Sami Green, a Burnham based artist, has been working with St John’s Church in Highbridge and local groups to create the impressive display in the church this Easter.
It is now open to visitors free of charge from Thursday to Sunday, 10am-4pm, until May 8th.
It comes after a community art project was launched to encourage residents to turn sheets of old music paper from the church into butterfly origami designs.
“Sending old music paper, recently discovered in the church, out into the local community, we inspired a post-Covid reconnection that celebrates the awesomeness of creativity and creates a spectacle that brings people together for Easter,” she says.
“The finished artwork is now suspended in the ceiling of St John’s Church and is lit by coloured lights and glass. Each origami piece becomes a message of positive intention from all those that choose to contribute.”
She adds: “The symbolic and inspiring nature of the butterfly has leant itself to our project. The natural transformation from caterpillar to butterfly reminds us too of the transformation from death to life that lies at the heart of the Easter story.”
“Local people have helped create a flutter from music paper. We have recyled vintage sheet paper discovered at St John’s Church in Highbridge, full of the history of the local area and people that have lived here.”
Those supporting the art project have included Rev Martin Little, Highbridge Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers, Churchfield School, St John’s Church, Highbridge Youth Arts, Barefoot Quilter Quilting Group, Gateway Women’s Circle, and Eutopia Women’s Networking Group.
Sami adds: “Over the past two years our community has been dispersed. Art has a way of bringing people back together and we want to celebrate the awesomeness of potential creativity and make a spectacle that brings people back together for Easter.”
