Students’ Exhibition at Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft

As the first one-year natural dyeing course at Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft comes to an end, the museum curators have put up an exhibition showing how the students have incorporated natural dyes in their work. 

 The exhibition gives an impression of how talented the students are and how many varied creative disciplines they represent, from weaving to book-binding.

The exhibition is part of the Ditchling Open Studios event and can be viewed every weekend in May for free. At all other times, the museum entrance fee will be charged but this gives entry to the current exhibition of Women’s Work: Pioneering Women in Craft, 1918 – 1939, which is well worth a visit. The exhibition features weavers Ethel Mairet, Elizabeth Peacock, Alice Hindson and Rita Beales; potters Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, Dora Billington and Denise Wren; silversmith Catherine ‘Casty’ Cobb and hand-block printers Enid Marx, Phyllis Barron and Dorothy Larcher.

The following photos give a flavour of the work exhibited by the one-year natural dyeing course students.

From top left this shows work by Katalina Caliendo, Jane Ponsford and Ross Belton and from lower left work by Jane Ponsford and Lottie Whyman, with dyed samples by Susan D’souza in the foreground (Photo by Helen Gibbs)

This shows weaving by Poppy Fuller Abbott, basketry by Jackie Sweet and handmade books by Helen Gibbs (Photo by Helen Gibbs)

This photo shows weaving by Poppy Fuller Abbott and handmade books by Helen Gibbs (Photo by Ross Belton)

These naturally-dyed skeins by Mollie Barr give an indication of some of the variety of dyes and colours we explored on the course. (Photo by Helen Gibbs)

This photo shows some of the exhibits in the Wunderkammer. Details as below. (Photo by Ross Belton)

This photo shows the whole of the display in the museum’s Wunderkammer. (Photo by Jackie Sweet)

Top row: basketry by Jackie Sweet   

Second row from the top from left to right: work by Susan D’souza and Zuzana Krskova   

Third row from the top from left to right: work by Katalina Caliendo, Jane Ponsford and Ross Belton     

Fourth row from the top from left to right: work by Jane Ponsford, Lottie Whyman and Sarah Newland

In the foreground is the case showing work by Helen Gibbs and Poppy Fuller Abbott.