Open Gallery

4th – 26th October 2008

Walford Mill Crafts will be hosting a three-week exhibition to promote its educational activities with schools and community groups as well as its lively workshop programme starting on 4th October.

A part of the gallery will contain work specially selected from items produced by participants of workshops and educational activities throughout the year at Walford Mill. The other part of the gallery will be devoted to live educational activities, in which participants will work with different artists to produce a mid 18th Century themed area within the exhibition.

Open Gallery exhibition will be running at the same time as the national drawing campaign The Big Draw. Every year for this event Walford Mill looks for new and exciting ways for its visitors to get involved and this year will be no exception.

At the very beginning of the exhibition Walford Mill will enrol a group of students to work with well-known Paper Sculptor Peter Rush to produce a mid 18th Century style dress and elaborate white wig. This dress will be displayed in the gallery and form the basis for the Big Draw activities. During the three weeks the skirt on the dress will expand as members of the public tie on luggage tags donated by Bath Travel in Wimborne, which will feature drawings by the public inspired by the exhibition.

Another group will work with Lyme Regis based portrait painter Hugh Dunford Wood during the second week. Hugh also produces his own unique hand block printed wallpaper. Participants will work with him to produce their own ‘Wimborne’ inspired wallpaper. After being escorted around town to sketch ideas from the old town buildings and local surroundings, students will work together as a group to create the final design that will be cut by Hugh ready for the students to print the wallpaper. Once printed and dried the wallpaper will be hung behind the dress created in week one, thus expanding on the vibrant mid 18th Century scene in the gallery.

The final week will see the completion of the ‘Scene’ while the students continue to work with artist Hugh Dunford Wood. They will be producing portraits with ornate embossed frames that will hang on the newly wallpapered walls of the 18th Century room created in the gallery. The Mayor and Mayoress of Wimborne will also be coming along to Walford Mill to sit for their portraits.

Do not miss this opportunity to put your signature in this hands-on exhibition. Come and get involved with the creation of the dress and also see the amazing creations by all participants.  

Keep visiting the gallery throughout these three weeks as Open Gallery will be an exciting and ever-changing exhibition. Finally join in the Grand Finale on Saturday, 25th October to view the completed 18th Century scene at Walford Mill.

For more information about our Artistic Policy please click here.