Historic Wells Cathedral making a name for itself as an arts venue

• Watch Ben McGrail's report

It may have been a place of worship for hundreds of years but Wells Cathedral is making a name for itself in the world of art.

This year's Wells Art Contemporary exhibition sees pieces by artists from across the world dotted in and around the venue. 

The event is on in the city until 28 August. This year’s competition received more than 3,200 submissions from 49 different countries with the judging panel selecting 123 artworks to make up the exhibition in a dedicated gallery in the Cathedral cloisters.

For Frome artist Vivien Meadows, it was her first time entering the competition. She said: “I’ve visited the exhibition over the years and love the variety of work and the backcloth of the cathedral.”

In addition, 29 installations are studded throughout the cathedral and its grounds.

Somerset artist, Sandra Porter, says she is delighted to have her installation piece selected. ‘Stations’ is placed on the floor around the Font.

She said: "Wells Cathedral is the nearest cathedral to my home. The Bishop of Bath and Wells confirmed me when I was 11. I wrote about it for my A-level exam. It just is very close to my heart. So having my work here is really important to me."

Chair of the event, Paddy O'Hagan, said: "Contemporary art is produced by artists who are living in our time and let’s face it – this is a particularly testing and fascinating period of history. The exhibition reflects that in all its multifaceted glory.

“The installations provide a captivating reinterpretation of Wells Cathedral. Those original builders, they were absolutely contemporary.

"I'll bet you there were people in Wells in 1400 who went, what? What kind of a statue of a saint is that? It was absolutely cutting edge and we're now adding to it.

"We're being very careful to honour the building, the fabric of the building, as well as the history of the cathedral."