Art for Guernsey has opened the doors on its latest exhibition highlighting the island’s Royally-approved goat.
The Royal Golden Guernsey breed is facing the threat of extinction locally, with numbers dwindling on-island despite becoming a firm favourite overseas for its dairy produce as well as for environmental and agricultural purposes.
Even being granted a Royal title in 2024 hasn’t stopped the numbers reducing locally, with Art for Guernsey issuing a rallying cry to the Bailiwick’s artists earlier this year, leading to its new exhibition.
The Goat’s Royal ascension
During the 2024 royal visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla, Guernsey’s goat breed was granted a protected title, a rare distinction for livestock.
Despite this elevated status, the Royal Golden Guernsey breed continues to suffer from a critically small gene pool.
Last year the island hosted the first ever Royal Golden Guernsey Goat symposium, to try and guide the breed to a more positive future.
Even with experts in the field finding common ground amongst the variety of the goats’ possible uses, the breed’s numbers are still struggling.
Through the transformative power of art and its messaging, local creatives and Art for Guernsey hope to change that suggesting that art could help to save the Royal Golden Guernsey Goat.
The exhibition
Earlier this year, Art for Guernsey said it was looking for submissions of artwork featuring the goats to go on public display this May.
His Excellency Lieutenant General Sir Richard Cripwell KBE CB was the guest of honour as the private exhibition took place last night before opening to the public today, until mid-June.
The showcase is aiming to raise awareness and funds for the breed’s survival.
It features pieces from more than 40 artists, including works chosen from an open call, and 850 entries from schoolchildren inspired by the art charity and the exhibition’s aims.
With the species survival in the balance, art is being used to push the awareness campaign while any art sales will help fund it.
“We have been reviving or giving a new life to the legacy of Renoir, on Turner, and his visit to the island that was almost unknown,” said Art for Guernsey’s David Ummels. “We celebrated William Le Lacheur and Equiano.
“Personally, I’ve been on the island for 11 years, and I have to say I didn’t know about the goats. The Guernsey goats are world famous, but there are just 70 goats left.”
Mr Ummels predicts the goat show is going to be one that makes an impact.
“It’s going to be one of those shows I can sense it.
“Everybody is positive about those goats, I think they are like dolphins. It’s one of those animals. You look at them, you feel good.”
The exhibition has brought in some unknown talent from the Bailiwick, with artists finding an inspiring spark in the glorious Golden Guernsey.
“It has been very revealing. A lot of people have a passion for those goats,” said Mr Ummels. “We have been overwhelmed by the quality of the response from many, many artists that we didn’t know.”
Artists stepping up to spread awareness
40 artists and over 1,000 children have helped fill the walls of the charity’s Mansell Street Gallery.
“We asked Charlie McFarley to design a little goat so we could distribute it within the local schools, and we asked them to help us to diversify the breed with colours,” said Mr Ummels.
“We have the most amazing set of colored goats on the walls of the gallery. Those 1,000 coloured goats by the kids, that’s 1,000 conversations within 1,000 households.”
The reach that art can have and the way it can spread awareness for good is never more evident than when combined with a cause which captures the imagination of creatives.
This exhibition ticks that brief.
In the build up to the event, Express was told by a member of Art for Guernsey that they were “drowning in goats”, which was a good problem to have.
Artists who’ve never exhibited before have their work displayed alongside more experienced creatives, who have all stepped up to the plate in the name of the Royal Golden Guernsey.
Pencils, pens, oils, watercolours, acrylics, textiles, and glass are all on display.
Haley Mallett is one of the artists with her work on display.
She submitted a textile work, having found a shared joy in the Royal Golden Guernsey with other goat lovers.
“I think it’s been good fun,” she said. “I quite like doing animals anyway, I like to do something a bit fun with what I create. In the past I’ve done frogs in hats, but this time, I’ve done a goat in slippers.”
Her goal was to “make it fun,” and she found inspiration in the “cheekiness” of the goats, and the texture of their fur.
Judy Porter’s piece is made out of glass collected from the sea, and a tumbled bottle of Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone Lager.
She’s created a glimmering goat, reflecting its hopefully bright future.
It was Ms Porter’s first time exhibiting as an artist, and one she’s clearly enjoyed.
“I am just amazed at all different mediums,” she told Express. “It just puts a smile on your face looking at the different pieces. I mean, every one of them has put a smile on our faces.”
She too found the inherit Guernsey joy the goats embody.
“It’s just Guernsey, isn’t it?” she said. “I mean, you look at them and you feel warm and fluffy inside.”
Lisa Upham has drawn all her life, but hasn’t been publicly active in the creative community until recently.
She credited the St Peter Port sketch club with helping her find her footing in the art scene, before she found inspiration in the stories surrounding the Royal Guernsey Golden Goat.
“I was looking for something to do with the story about the goats being left here in the Second World War and hiding in one of the towers,” she said. “Apparently that’s all fake, they were in a cave somewhere!
“But just looking at what they are, they’re just so cute! When you start looking at them, their faces are all very individual, so it was quite inspiring!”
Ms Upham too found the character of the goats breaking through each piece.
“You can see in everyone’s pieces they’re all looking at you, and they’ve all got that kind of cheeky personality. I think that it’s really encompassed in the whole exhibition.”
Lindsay Longson used coloured pencils and pastels to create a photo-like picture that draws the eyes ask to explore further.
Faint hair follicles and small nicks can be seen in the shepherd’s hands emphasising how much effort she’s put in to capture their likeness.
“I didn’t realize that they were in danger of extinction,” she said, before explaining that after she spoke to a friend who was actively breeding the goats, she took original reference photos to work from.
“I do a lot of pet portraits and things like that, which is obviously using other people’s photos, so it was really nice to get my own reference this time and feel more connected to it.”
When asked what about the breed inspired her, Ms Longson said: “For me it’s the colour, their unique color, and how they really glow in the sunshine.”
A familiar face returns
With hopes that the Royal Golden Guernsey Goat can make a spectacular resurgence, a familiar face has helped grace the gallery with more striking works.
Oleg Mikhailoff is a Russian artist who has previously worked with Art for Guernsey.
Anyone who frequently walks through The Old Quarter will no doubt be familiar with his ‘Crabby Road’ piece which was created as part of the ‘Diversion’ exhibition last year.
“The goat is a part of nature, and I really love nature.” Mr Mikhailoff said. “Any creatures are beautiful, especially I love the colour combination, like the red hair and the green grass. It looks amazing!”
The globe travelling artist is back in the Bailiwick for the exhibition, bringing with him some incredible prints, and phenomenal paintings.
“I love Guernsey’s nature. Depending on the weather and the colors, it is always different. The sky, the sea, the fields and I show that in my prints.”
The Royal Golden Guernsey Goat exhibition is open to the public until June 13 at the Mansell Street Gallery.
Proceeds from sales will help support conservation efforts in protecting the Royal Golden Guernsey Goat.
