Seventeenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Folkestone, Kent, has the largest urban outdoor exhibition of contemporary art in the United Kingdom. This permanent exhibition shows the work of 47 contemporary artists whose work is displayed throughout the town, with many pieces having been created for the specific site in which they are located. This paper provides a tour of and commentary on several of the artworks within the collection at Folkestone and how they supported the author’s reflective thinking during her doctoral research studies. It considers the artists stated intentions of each work discussed, alongside the author’s personal reflections and interpretations, together with linkages to her research into experiences of part-time undergraduates at a distance learning university.