The Ultimate Stitching Event Returns: Stitching 4 All & Craft4Crafters 2025

Calling all stitching enthusiasts! The Stitching 4 All & Craft4Crafters Show is back at Westpoint Arena, offering three unmissable days dedicated to textiles, dressmaking, embroidery, quilting, and more. Whether you're a seasoned creator or just beginning your stitching journey, this event has everything you need to spark inspiration and bring your projects to life.

 

A Stitcher’s Paradise

Explore an incredible range of supplies and expertise from some of the biggest names in the stitching and textile world. Discover exhibitors like Shute Lane, Caffle Crafts, Coolcrafting, Exeter Sewing Machines, and Jan Tillett, alongside fabric companies including Fabrics Galore, Lili Fabrics, Maple Textiles, Sewing Sanctuary, Sew Enchanting, and Sugar Bowl Crafts. With a variety of materials, tools, and ideas, you'll find endless possibilities to enhance your projects.
 

Workshops, Demonstrations, and More
Engage with hands-on workshops, live demonstrations, and expert talks, all designed to elevate your stitching, embroidery, and quilting skills. Learn from industry leaders, discover new techniques, and leave inspired to create something amazing.
 

Quilt Exhibition
Over 40 beautiful quilts will be on display including exhibits from SouthWest Quilters, SouthWest Modern Quilters and more.

Don’t Miss the Red Dress Project
A true highlight of the show, the Red Dress Project is a breathtaking collaborative embroidery masterpiece created by artisans from over 50 countries. Admire this powerful symbol of global creativity and craftsmanship, on display daily throughout the event.

The Ultimate Stitching Event Returns: Stitching 4 All & Craft4Crafters 2025
March 27th–29th, 2025 | Westpoint Arena | 10am–5pm Daily

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Plan Your Visit

The show runs daily from 10am to 5pm, with free parking and tickets available online
or at the door. Whether you're searching for the perfect fabric, tools, or just a day
immersed in stitching inspiration, this event is not to be missed.

 
Visit craft4crafters.co.uk to book your tickets and find out more. 

Join us at the ultimate stitching event of the year!

Burton at Bideford. Other Worlds: New Works from the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers

Explore the vibrancy of contemporary printmaking in this exhibition that brings together new work by members of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. Introducing an eclectic range of personal, ecological, architectural, and even psychedelic realms, Other Worlds reveals the agility of expression and skilful techniques underpinning printmaking today. 

The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers is one of the world's premier printmaking organisations, originally founded in 1888. From its home at Bankside Gallery, next to Tate Modern on the South Bank of the Thames, it supports and promotes the full diversity of printmaking practices, encouraging excellence, experimentation and innovation within its membership and through its education and engagement activities.

Other Worlds is the centrepiece of our season celebrating printmaking and printmakers, including artist talks, workshops and demonstrations that will bring the best of contemporary printmaking to the South West. 

  

A General History of Quadrupeds V by Leonie Bradley

 

Other Worlds: New Works from the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers
11th January – 1st March 2025 

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For more details see www.theburton.org

Author, Liz Shakspeare brings new life to old stories around Devon.

A North Devon author is having a very busy year. Since Liz Shakespeare published her seventh book The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones in April, she has been touring the county to sign copies of her new book and to give talks at literature festivals, historical societies and social groups. She specialises in bringing to life the stories she finds in old newspapers, on gravestones and in parish records - her most recent book, The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones, tells the true story of a nineteenth century Torrington scandal.

‘Sales have been very good,’ says Liz. ‘Many people like to read true stories set in Devon; I find that once people have read one of my books, they usually go on to read the other six.’

Despite attending many more events in the run-up to Christmas, Liz is already starting to research her next book. ‘Each book takes me 3-4 years to write,’ she says, ‘but readers are already asking me when the next one will be published!’

There are many more opportunities to meet Liz and buy a signed book as a present, or hear her speak about her research and writing. You can find her at the local events llisted below:

• 26th October at Appledore Craft Market
• 29th October at Westward Ho! Artisan Market
• 31st October at Bampton Fair
• 3rd November at Hartland Farmers’ Market
• 7th and 8th November at Butchers’ Hall, Tavistock
• 10th November at the Early Bird Market, Winkleigh
• 13th November a talk on The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones for Northam Library
• 16th and 17th November, book signing at Affinity Christmas Market
• 21st November at the Hospice Christmas Fair, Durrant Hotel
• 23rd November at Appledore Craft Market
• 28th November at 7pm, a talk on The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones for The Plough at St Anne’s, Barnstaple
• 30th November at Swimbridge Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair
• 1st December at South Molton Fatstock Show
• 6th December book signing at Butchers’ Hall, Tavistock for Dickensian Evening, 9am – 9pm
• 14th and 21st December, book signing at the Big Sheep
• 22nd December, 5-9 p.m at Hartland Farmers’ Market

Liz’s books can also be ordered post-free from her website www.lizshakespeare.co.uk

Watermouth Castle’s first-ever immersive scare attraction: ‘Descend into Darkness’

A haunted castle with a twisted maze of horrors … This October, be first to experience Watermouth Castle’s first-ever immersive scare attraction: ‘Descend into Darkness’

Get ready to be spooked! Watermouth Castle, located in North Devon, is hosting a hair-raising Halloween scare event, promising thrills and chills for all those who love a good fright.

With event dates set for October 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, and November 1 and 2, brace yourself for bone-chilling attractions, live scare actors, and heart-pounding themed areas. This event is not for the faint of heart! Join us if you dare for a night of spine-tingling fun, and unforgettable scares. 

Do you dare to come face-to-face with terror…?

The castle’s multiple different immersive scare zones include:

• Cursed Forest: a bone-chilling woodland trail of howling wolves, clanking chains, and hanging trees
• Carnival of Clowns: this twisted fairground is a freakshow of horrifying jokers, bloody face paint and maniacal laughter…
• The Mad Maze: beware; a gang of the undead scarecrows have to come to life – and now they wander the twisted paths of the castle’s maze, looking for their next victim… you!
• Voodoo Valley: journey down the river of restless spirits; just make sure you don’t become yet another one of the lost souls trapped on its waters…
• The Haunted Castle: when the castle doors slam closed, you’ll find yourself trapped in a hellscape of cobwebs, cursed animatronics, and haunted robots. And only the bravest will dare to complete their journey with a descent into the bowels of the castle itself – the demented dungeon…

 Run by Catfish Productions, in partnership with Watermouth Castle.

The experience lasts approximately one hour

For ticket prices and early bird rates visit www.watermouthcastle.com

 

 Not suitable for under 12s or wheelchair users. Under 16s must have an accompanying adult.

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WATERMOUTH CASTLE MEDIA RELEASE

About Watermouth Castle 

Westward Ho! & Bideford Art Society show opens at The Burton this month

The Annual Open exhibition showcases the wealth of artistic talent in the region

The Westward Ho! and Bideford Art Society (WHOBIDARTS) Annual Open Exhibition returns to The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery & Museum later this month.

A highlight of the North Devon arts calendar, the annual WHOBIDARTS show features work by both established and up-and-coming artists in a range of media, from paint and print to sculpture, ceramics and textiles.

The exhibition is open to members and associates of the Society as well as non-members, with an eclectic mix of over 200 artworks on display, many of which will be available to buy.

The Ken Doughty prize for excellence – in commemoration of the Society’s past president – will be awarded to an outstanding artwork chosen from the exhibition. Ken Doughty served as chairman from 1993 and president from 2002. Last year’s winner was Sue Luxton for her painting Midnight Kitchen.

Gill Jones, the Chair of WHOBIDARTS, commented
“We are delighted to be at The Burton once again to exhibit work by so many of our local artists. We hope the variety will delight our visitors. It usually does!”

The Annual Open Exhibition runs at The Burton from 24 August until 13 October 2024. Admission is free.

 

Midnight Kitchen by Sue Luxton © Sue Luxton

 

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A Burton at Bideford Media Release

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THE BURTON AT BIDEFORD

Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ 

Email: info@theburton.org

Tel: 01237 471455
Website: www.burtonartgallery.co.uk

Instagram/Facebook @BurtonatBideford

Liz Shakespeare spreading the word this Summer

A Devon author, who specialises in breathing life into true stories from Devon’s past, is looking forward to a busy summer. Liz Shakespeare will be attending a number of events this summer to sign copies of her books and to talk to members of the public.

‘Writing is a solitary activity,’ Liz said, ‘so I really look forward to opportunities to meet readers when I give talks or attend book signings throughout Devon.’

Liz, who lives in Littleham, has a long Devon ancestry which she feels has given her a good understanding of the county and its people. She has been writing for thirty-five years, and has written seven books set in Devon, bringing to life the stories she finds in old newspapers, on gravestones and in parish records. Her most recent book, The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones, tells the true story of a nineteenth century Torrington scandal. ‘I was fascinated by a report of the event in a Victorian newspaper,’ said Liz. ‘A disorderly crowd of three thousand people burnt effigies of a man and a woman on Torrington Common. I researched the story, and came to the conclusion that the woman, Lucy Jones, was innocent of any wrongdoing.’

Liz will be signing copies of all seven of her books at the following locations:

• Clovelly Parish Hall on July 20th
  
• Clovelly Maritime Festival on July 21st
• Launceston Show on July 25th
  
• Mid-Devon Show in the Magpie Marquee on July 27th
• Appledore Craft Fair on August 3rd
  
• Hartland Farmers’ Market on August 4th
• North Devon Show on August 7th
  
• Okehampton Show on August 8th
  
• Chagford Show on August 15th
  
• Ashwater Show on August 17th
  
• Holsworthy Show on August 22nd,
• Appledore Craft Market on August 24h
  
• Lustleigh Show on August 26th
• Hartland Farmers’ Market on September 1st
  
• Clovelly Lobster and Crab Feast on September 8th

Liz will also be appearing at the Appledore Book Festival on September 19th.

 

Liz’s books can also be ordered post-free from her website www.lizshakespeare.co.uk

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 A Liz Shakespeare Media Release

Experience Watermouth Castle’s scare attraction: ‘Descend into Darkness'

A haunted castle with a twisted maze of horrors… This October, be first to experience Watermouth Castle’s first-ever immersive scare attraction:‘Descend into Darkness’… 

Watermouth Castle has a new owner. His desire: to create an amusement park for local people to come and enjoy and share his wonderful new home. Little is known about this mysterious benefactor. Some say he is eccentric. Some say he is mad. Some say he is… INSANE. 

Get ready to be spooked! Watermouth Castle, nestled in the heart of North Devon, is excited to announce its hair-raising Halloween scare event, promising thrills and chills for all horror lovers, fright fiends, and all those who love a good fright…

Do you dare to come face-to-face with terror...? With bone-chilling attractions, live scare actors, and heart-pounding themed areas, this event is not for the faint of heart. Join us if you dare for a night of spine-tingling fun, and unforgettable scares.

 

Do you dare to come face-to-face with terror…?

The castle’s multiple different immersive scare zones include:

• Cursed Forest: a bone-chilling woodland trail of howling wolves, clanking chains, and hanging trees

• Carnival of Clowns: this twisted fairground is a freakshow of horrifying jokers, bloody face paint and maniacal laughter…

• The Mad Maze: beware; a gang of the undead scarecrows have to come to life– and now they wander the twisted paths of the castle’s maze, looking for their next victim… you!

• Voodoo Valley: journey down the river of restless spirits; just make sure you don’t become yet another one of the lost souls trapped on its waters…

• The Haunted Castle: when the castle doors slam closed, you’ll find yourself trapped in a hellscape of cobwebs, cursed animatronics, and haunted robots. And only the bravest will dare to complete their journey with a descent intothe bowels of the castle itself – the demented dungeon…

 

Run by Catfish Productions, in partnership with Watermouth Castle. 

Not suit able for under 12s or wheelchair users. Under 16s must have an accompanying adult.

The experience lasts approximately one hour, For tickets and early bird rates. Contact  www.watermouthcastle.com

 

Water Mouth Castle Media Release

About Watermouth Castle

Watermouth Castle is a beloved attraction in Ilfracombe. The Castle offers a one-of-a-kind experience for visitors of all ages. From thrilling rides to enchanting play areas, Watermouth Castle is where memories are made and adventures begin.

Watermouth Castle is part of The Escapade Group which comprises indoor and outdoor play attractions including Hobbledown adventure park in Surrey, Hobbledown Heath in London, Gripped aerial adventure park in London, and indoor play centres Kidspace Adventures in Croydon and Romford.

 

A Torrington Scandal. 'The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones'

A Devon author who specialises in breathing life into true stories from the past has chosen a remarkable Torrington story for her latest book, The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones.

In 1879, the effigies of two local people were tarred, feathered and burned on Torrington Common by a disorderly crowd of three thousand people. Who were the two victims, and why were they being publicly shamed?

‘I was fascinated by a report of the event in a nineteenth century newspaper,’ said author Liz Shakespeare, who lives near Bideford, ‘so I decided to find out more.’

Incidents of ‘rough music’ were not uncommon at the time.  A crowd of people, often in disguise, would march to the houses of those who had committed an offence against society, often a couple who were believed to be having an illicit affair. The crowd would make a terrible racket by banging pots and pans and blowing horns, and sometimes effigies of the couple were burnt. However, this event in Torrington was on an unprecedented scale.

‘One of the effigies was of Miss Lucy Jones, the daughter of a Torrington doctor who lived in Castle House,’ said Liz. ‘As a church visitor to the poor, she had to meet regularly with the curate, Reverend Francis. He was very unpopular, so when someone claimed to have seen him and Lucy ‘acting improperly’ together on the Common, the people of Torrington seized the opportunity to be rid of him.’

The ensuing enquiry, culminating in the burning of the effigies, was reported in no less than fifty-two newspapers throughout Britain, and all included the name of Lucy Jones.

‘It would have been a terrible time for her,’ said Liz. ‘The investigation into Reverend Francis’ behaviour was reported in great detail in the local newspaper. I studied this carefully, and although there were plentiful reasons for his unpopularity, I am convinced that Lucy was innocent of any wrongdoing.’

Liz’s novel draws on extensive historical research to tell the story from Lucy’s point of view. Lucy Jones liked to walk on the Common and to take excursions by train to Bideford and Instow, and the novel describes Torrington and the surrounding area as it was in the 1870’s.

Reverend Francis had to leave the town as a result of the scandal. ‘But after the burning of the effigies,’ Liz said, ‘Lucy was afraid to leave the house. Knowing that her name would be forever associated with the scandal, she despaired of ever being able to marry her childhood sweetheart.’

While researching the book, Liz particularly enjoyed walking on Torrington Common, as Lucy had done.

‘As I studied the history of the Common, I came to understand what a powerful influence it has had on the people of Torrington. Their grazing rights gave them an independence and a determination to unite and organise which enabled them to get rid of Reverend Francis, and I believe that determination still survives today.’

Torrington is famous for its Mayfair, and for the hugely successful bonfires organised by the Torrington Cavaliers which raise a lot of money for local charities, and take place on the same spot as the burning of the effigies in 1879.

Liz Shakespeare has been writing for more than thirty years, this is her seventh book. All her books are set in North Devon and are based on true stories.

The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones will be launched at The Plough Arts Centre in Torrington at 2pm on Thursday 25^th April. Booking is essential, tickets are £6 to include tea and cake. Liz will give a talk on the background and writing of the novel, and there will be the opportunity to buy signed copies.

Liz will also be speaking at Parracombe Arts and Literary Festival on May 6^th, Bude Literary Festival on May 17^th, RHS Rosemoor on May 18^th, and Torrington Library on June 13^th.

After 25^th April, The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones can be purchased from local outlets, or ordered post-free from www.lizshakespeare.co.uk.

Devon author, Liz Shakespeare, in Torrington Market.

 

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The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones by Liz Shakespeare
Letterbox Books - 336 pages Publication date 25/4/2024
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For further details or to purchase the book
Contact: Liz Shakespeare 

Email: lizshakespeare@hotmail.com

Website www.lizshakespeare.co.uk 

March Highlights. The Burton celebrates local talent of all ages in their latest exhibitions

The popular Friends Annual Open and The Annual Schools exhibitions have opened their doors at the Burton Art Gallery. The galleries are bursting with artwork from an array of local talented artists and our next generation of artists. A feast for the eyes, the shows are not to be missed!

The Annual Schools Exhibition plays a crucial role in shaping the future of culture by nurturing and encouraging the young artists of tomorrow. This year the show has filled gallery one with vibrancy, colour and creativity; celebrating the talents of our next generation of artists while also celebrating our inspiring teachers in the schools of Torridge and beyond.

Featuring hundreds of work by young people aged 5 to 18 years who attend local primary and secondary schools, the exhibition is a firm favourite that never fails to delight and impress. It’s an opportunity for aspiring artists to showcase their talents as well as receive recognition and support, and gain valuable experience in the arts. With generous sponsorship from The North Devon Arts Society, the exhibition encourages young artists to strive for excellence with the opportunity to win prizes for the most innovative and original artwork.

Gallery two showcases The Friends Annual Open exhibition. A calendar favourite the show is organised as a fundraising event by the Friends of the Burton, offering an opportunity for local artists, both amateur and professional, to exhibit alongside each other. Featuring an eclectic mix of print, paintings, textiles, ceramics and more.

The work of the Burton at Bideford is supported by the dedication, hard work and enthusiasm of the Friends of the Burton Art Gallery. The Friends are a separate charity that support and enhance the Burton’s work. The Friends of the Burton get involved in fundraising, sponsorship of events and acquisitions, and promotion of The Burton throughout the region.

The Burton at Bideford is lucky enough to work with a number of key partner organisations, generous artists and local business people who help provide support for us to achieve our daily work and future ambitions. As a registered charity, The Burton rely on the kindness of others to help us continue to provide excellent exhibitions, events and facilities. Donations enable us to grow our exhibition and learning programmes, build our collections and develop the technology offered at the Burton.
 

Both exhibitions are on display until April 7

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The Burton Art Gallery & Museum, Kingsley Road, Bideford, Devon, EX39 2QQ
Tel: 01237 471455 www.theburton.org

Facebook | Instagram

Mon-Sat 10am-4pm | Sun 11am-4pm Admission is free

April Highlights. Unleash Your Creativity at The Stitching 4 All Show!

This spring, the Stitching 4 All show returns to Westpoint Arena from Thursday, April 4th to Saturday, April 6th.

This year's show features over 150 exhibitors, 80+ daily workshops, and live demonstrations. Stitching 4 All makes a grand return, offering exclusive dressmaking and stitching classes which gives a unique chance to meet and learn from renowned dress designers. Also, delve into our extensive selection of fabric and needlecraft suppliers including the wonderful Doughty fabrics.

Show features also include:-

• a stunning quilt exhibition from the SouthWest Quilters,

• textile displays from South Devon Stitchers

• Jaqui Parkinson Textile Artist will be exhibiting her amazing embroidered ‘Tree of Life’ panels recently displayed at Bath Abbey and on a UK Tour

With free car parking, alongside the convenience of on-site restaurants and cafés, It promises to be a delightful day out for crafters and families alike.

Advance tickets are available online at www.craft4crafters.co.uk, with a £2 discount on the standard price of £11 for adults. Concession tickets are just £10, and only £8 when bought in advance. Children under 16 attend free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

 

Jaqui Parkinson Textile Artist's embroidered ‘Tree of Life’ panels 

 

 

ARTIST ROOMS Louise Bourgeois opens at the Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum this November

A new exhibition opening at the Burton includes sculptures, prints and drawings by the acclaimed French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. Eight decades of intense creativity firmly established Louise Bourgeois as a giant of 20th century art. Through this exhibition, the Burton at Bideford makes her ground-breaking work freely available to the people of North Devon for the first time.

ARTIST ROOMS Louise Bourgeois opens at the Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum on Friday 17 November, 6-8pm, and runs until 11 February 2024. Admission is free.

Born in Paris in 1911, Bourgeois settled in New York in 1938, where she remained for the rest of her life, continuing to make art until her death at the age of 98. Her endlessly inventive work, inspired by her memories and experiences, spanned monumental installations, figurative sculptures, fabric collages, and drawings. She is perhaps best known for the large-scale spider sculptures that she produced in the last decades of her life, including one she created for the opening of Tate Modern in 2000.

Bourgeois’s art was closely bound up with her life, and she used artmaking as a way to make sense of her experiences. Her sculpture, drawing, and writing are characterised by emotional honesty, and she reworked her ideas in different forms and materials including marble, bronze, latex, and fabric, compelled by the need to make and re-make.

This exhibition focuses on works produced during the last 20 years of her life, a period of extraordinary creativity, during which Bourgeois re-examined many of her lifelong concerns to create a body of powerful new work exploring identity, gender, childhood, family and motherhood. Personal, provocative and raw, Bourgeois’s work reaches us with a powerful immediacy more than a decade after her death.

ARTIST ROOMS presents the work of international artists in solo exhibitions drawn from a national touring collection jointly owned by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland. This exhibition is drawn from the ARTIST ROOMS collection and includes works on loan from The Easton Foundation and Tate. This is the Burton at Bideford’s third collaboration with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland through the ARTIST ROOMS programme, and follows presentations of internationally renowned artists Richard Long (2014) and Diane Arbus (2018).

Warren Collum, Interim Co-Director of the Burton, said:

“Working in partnership with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland through the ARTIST ROOMS programme for the third time to present one of the twentieth century's most influential female sculptors, Louise Bourgeois, is a unique opportunity.

This show not only celebrates art but also emphasises the need to bring culture to rural areas, as well as putting a light on the strength and ingenuity of women in the creative world.”

The ARTIST ROOMS programme provides support for young people to get involved in creative projects, discover more about art and artists, and learn new skills. A Burton Youth Collective will be supported through ARTIST ROOMS by Art Fund and Henry Moore Foundation, providing local teenagers with the opportunity to explore a career in the arts, experience life behind the scenes of an arts organisation, and work alongside practising artists. Sessions are open to young people aged 13-19 years. Places are limited and anyone interested is advised to contact the gallery to check availability and register their interest.

Louise Bourgeois Spirals 2005
ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Lent by Artist Rooms Foundation 2013
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY and DACS, London 2023. Photo © Tate

Louise Bourgeois 10am is When You Come to Me 2006
ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Lent by Artist Rooms Foundation 2013
© The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY and DACS, London 2023. Photo © Tate

THE BURTON AT BIDEFORD

Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ 

Email: info@theburton.org

Tel: 01237 471455
Website: www.burtonartgallery.co.uk

Instagram/Facebook @BurtonatBideford

Contemporary Artist, Louise Bourgeois coming to the Burton at Bideford in November

French-American artist Louise Bourgeois is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential figures of modern and contemporary art, with a career spanning eight decades from the 1930s to 2010. 

ARTIST ROOMS Louise Bourgeois brings together works which she made during the last twenty years of her life, a period of extraordinary creativity.

Bourgeois’s art was often autobiographical, exploring themes such as childhood, family, motherhood, identity and gender. She reworked her ideas in different forms and materials, creating large-scale sculpture and installation, painting, printmaking, drawing and textiles. Both biographical and universal, Bourgeois’s work reaches us with a powerful immediacy more than a decade after her death.

This is the Burton at Bideford’s third collaboration with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland through the ARTIST ROOMS programme, and follows presentations of internationally renowned artists Richard Long (2014) and Diane Arbus (2018)

Exhibition launch: Friday 17 November, 6-8pm

Join Burton at Bideford and special guests from Tate to celebrate the exhibition opening

 The Burton Art Gallery & Museum, Kingsley Road, Bideford, Devon, EX39 2QQ

Current & upcoming exhibitions > 

Exhibition of contemporary ceramics by British artist shortlisted for top award comes to the Burton this September

An exhibition of contemporary ceramics by one of the most innovative British artists working in the medium today opens at the Burton Art Gallery and Museum on Saturday 30 September.

Rebecca Appleby is a highly respected artist who pushes the boundaries of what is possible with clay. Her new body of work explores the Gaia theory – the theory that everything on earth is interconnected.

In this timely exhibition, Appleby asks us to re-consider our relationship to our environment using her own distinct visual language. Using the form of the sphere and the hemisphere, she makes the link between the hemispheres of the human brain and the planet. We can’t escape the fact that what we do to the earth, we essentially do to ourselves.

Rebecca Appleby brings a painterly and sculptural eye to her work, which has continued to gain her recognition in the world of contemporary ceramics. Earlier this year, Appleby was selected as one of ten artists to produce new work for the British Ceramics Biennial Award 2023.

Award is the headline exhibition in the British Ceramics Biennial, an international contemporary ceramics festival that takes place in Stoke-on-Trent, the home of British ceramics. One artist from the exhibition will be awarded a £10,000 prize. The winner will be announced at the end of September, which coincides with the opening of the exhibition at the Burton.

Rebecca Appleby © David Fulford

Rebecca Appleby © David Fulford

Rebecca Appleby: Matter

Exhibition dates: Saturday 30 September - Monday 4 December

Open daily | FREE entry

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 TAP HERE visit their website to keep up to date with the latest special events and workshop activities  

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The Burton at Bideford, Kingsley Road, Bideford, Devon EX39 2QQ

The Burton at Bideford has been a registered charity since 2016

 

Internationally acclaimed artist, Ian Davenport, comes to the Burton.

The Burton at Bideford will welcome acclaimed British artist, Ian Davenport, to the gallery on Saturday 16 September to celebrate the opening of a new exhibition of the artist’s work. It marks another significant coup for the gallery, which continues to bring high profile exhibitions to North Devon.

Ian Davenport studied at Goldsmiths College, where he graduated in 1988 as one of the generation of Young British Artists who participated in the seminal exhibition, Freeze, organized by Damien Hirst.

In bringing together works from throughout Davenport’s career, the exhibition will provide a rare opportunity to clearly see the evolution the artist’s work from his early days as a student at Goldsmiths to the present day. Many of the works have never been displayed together before, making this exhibition a must-see for all art enthusiasts.

Ian Davenport is well known for his abstract paintings, which explore the materiality and process of applying paint. In recent years, his work has consisted of carefully poured lines of acrylic paint down a surface, which puddle and pool at the bottom. This technique allows him to explore complex arrangements of line and colour. Over the past ten years, he has also turned his attention to screen-printing and etching, building an impressive body of graphic work.

In 1991, he was nominated for the Turner Prize and remains the youngest ever nominee for the prestigious art prize. He has exhibited extensively all over the world and his work is held in important museum collections including: Arts Council of Great Britain; Tate in London; Centre Pompidou in Paris; and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

A new fully illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition. Designed by Herman Lelie and Stefania Bonelli, it is the first of Davenport’s exhibition catalogues to be narrated by the artist himself.

The exhibition has been produced in collaboration with the Cristea Roberts Gallery in London, the exclusive worldwide representative for Ian Davenport’s original prints.

Olivia Desborough from the Burton says,

Ian Davenport’s work has a significant place in the history of contemporary art in Britain and we are honoured to be exhibiting it here at the Burton.

The exhibition will allow visitors a rare insight into the evolution of an artistic practice and into the workings of a creative mind. Furthermore, the exhibition catalogue will bring a fresh new perspective with words from the artist himself.

With an immediate appeal to visitors of all ages, we hope everyone will come along and enjoy what promises to be a remarkable exhibition.

As ever, we remain grateful to Torridge District Council and the Arts Council of England whose generous funding makes what we do possible.

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Exhibition launch and opportunity to meet the artist:
Saturday 16th September, 6-8pm
All welcome | FREE entry
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Ian Davenport: 'Works on Paper' opens Saturday 16 September 

and runs until Friday 3rd November.
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The gallery, museum and shop are open daily. Admission is free.

 Kamuro Copyright Ian Davenport, 2019. (All Rights Reserved). 

Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates 

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 TAP HERE visit their website to keep up to date with the latest special events and workshop activities  

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The Burton at Bideford, Kingsley Road, Bideford, Devon EX39 2QQ

The Burton at Bideford has been a registered charity since 2016