Wellbeing Walk: Arts Alive Festival
The Wellbeing Walk was a fantastic way to connect with both art and nature, and we were thrilled to be a part of Mole Valley’s Arts Alive Festival once again.
On Tuesday 8th October, we were delighted to host our annual Wellbeing Walk, a free guided tour of The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, as part of Mole Valley’s Arts Alive Festival.
The event began at the charming and historic Okewood St John the Baptist Church, nestled in the Surrey countryside. Here, an eager group of art and nature enthusiasts gathered, ready to embark on a peaceful walk through the surrounding woodland. The crisp autumn air and golden hues of the season made the journey to the Sculpture Garden a truly enchanting experience.
Upon arrival at the garden, guests were welcomed with a hot drink, perfect for warming up before the main event: a guided tour led by our Co-curator, Vikki Leedham. Vikki shared fascinating insights into the sculptures on display, the artists behind them, and the unique relationship between the artwork and the natural environment.
This was a wonderful opportunity for visitors to experience the Sculpture Garden at the height of autumn, a season that adds a magical quality to the landscape. With the leaves in full colour and the sculptures interacting beautifully with their surroundings, the tour provided an intimate and reflective exploration of the garden’s offerings.
Autumn 2024
On Saturday, 21st September, we are delighted to welcome back Ati of Surrey Hills Wellness for another of her renowned Sensory Journeys, “Chai: Wonder / Wander”. These sessions, which Ati has been hosting at the Garden for the past five years, offer a unique opportunity to reconnect with nature and its restorative powers. The evening will feature an audio-guided mindfulness walk, a group meditation, and a chance to savour Ati's delicious sweet treats, lovingly made from her mother's recipes.
The following week, on Saturday, 28th September, Surrey Art School founder Ellie Green will lead a special "Drawn to Nature: Inks in Autumn". As the garden transitions from the lush greens of late summer to the warm, earthy tones of autumn, Ellie will guide participants through a series of creative exercises. Using autumn-toned drawing inks, dip pens, and watercolour brushes, you’ll capture the season’s magic and witness the landscape’s transformation.
Join us to close this year’s exhibitions and celebrate our 40th anniversary with a special Sculpture Network gathering on Saturday 19th October.
This exclusive event includes a guided tour of the garden with curator Vikki Leedham, along with special insights from two of our highly regarded Dutch exhibiting artists, Riëlle Beekmans and Yke Prins. You'll discover the stories behind our unique landscape and have the chance to visit 'The Indoor Gallery', our purpose-built exhibition space within the grounds.
A Special Summer Holiday - Summer 2024
August is a special month as we will be opening on Wednesday afternoons for our youngest visitors to enjoy the Sculpture Garden.
We know what a huge impact experiencing art can have at a young age, and what better way than a gentle introduction to sculpture surrounded by nature. Our hosted school visits are always popular with pupils & students, so we are delighted to extend the opportunity to inspire children through the Summer Holidays.
Our standard open days are for guests aged 12 + years, but on Wednesdays during the Summer Holidays families and caregivers with children of any age are invited to experience the harmony of art in nature.
During your visit, you are also welcome to drop in to our creative workshop* making magical collaged birds, inspired by the birdlife of the Sculpture Garden.
Our local artist, Jessica Doherty will be hosting a craft event for anyone who would like to drop-in where you can spend some of the afternoon learning about our local birds through the process of making. The workshop is inspired by the bright and fun work of the well-known artist, Mark Herald, where we will be depicting a bird of your choice through collage.
To find out more and to book your tickets for the afternoon and workshop, head to the Summer Holidays Special page!
The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Award 2024
On Tuesday 18th June we welcomed six students and their sculptures from Camberwell College of Arts - head over to our Sculpture Award page to find out why!
Summer 2024
We are delighted to announce a series of carefully curated events through the spring and summer, with some of our favourite local businesses
Tickets now on sale for our collaborations with:
Surrey Hills Wellness
Mindfulness, meditation, and wellbeing.
Saturday 6th July 2024
Saturday 21st September 2024
Spring 2024 is just around the corner…
…and we are excited to welcome it with open arms! During the winter months we are hard at work behind the scenes: planning the new exhibitions, visiting artist studios across the UK, meeting with like-minded businesses and individuals to plan events. Not to mention, a lot of work outside in the garden itself (yes, even the curators get wet and muddy during the winter - we are very much a team).
We are celebrating our 40th birthday this year - Hannah’s incredible vision came to life in 1984, and we are pleased to welcome some artists that were with her almost from the very beginning.
This year we have new makers, popular favourites returning to us after a long break, and we’re excited to present this year’s Hannah Peschar Sculpture Award with Camberwell College of Arts. It’s already shaping up to be a busy spring - and we very much hope you’ll join us this year.
'THE SHELTERING EARTH' - A solo show by Walter Bailey
Renowned wood sculptor Walter Bailey will be exhibiting a large selection of new work in his solo show ‘The Sheltering Earth’ on the Cottage Lawn and throughout the Sculpture Garden
Scale plays an important factor in Bailey’s new work; towering ‘The Sheltering Stack’ reaches over 5 metres up into the sky, matched only in stature by the mature trees and Gunnera Manicata growing along side. Central to the collection is the title piece - ‘The Sheltering Earth’. Created from over 100 individually carved elements, Bailey meticulously arranged the squares to form a dome that entices the viewer to crawl inside. Gazing upwards, viewers experience framed glimpses of the world above - tree tops, clouds and soaring birds are visible from inside the safety of the shelter.
“The Earth is currently - and for some time to come - the only shelter for humanity and for the countless billions of species supported by her. Exile and displacement of populations has been with us from the beginning. As the effects of climate change are increasingly felt, populations will need to move on an ever greater scale; political borders and ideologies will not protect us. Our only protection will be a recognition of our common humanity and a willingness to take care of each other. Currently it is very hard to envisage this.”
“'The Sheltering Earth' explores the fragility of shelter; recognising that the living Earth and our humanity is our only true shelter.” - Walter Bailey.
Over a dozen new pieces by Walter Bailey are now on display at the Sculpture Garden, alongside the Summer Exhibition.
Please note: the show runs from 23rd July onwards.
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE - Lee Borthwick
29th June - 3rd July 2016
Section of 'Weeping Willow' - willow and mirror-finished stainless steel.
We are thrilled to announce that Lee Borthwick will be our artist in residence at the end of June.
Lee will be making new work using wood from out own trees here in the Sculpture Garden - potentially on a larger scale than she's ever done before.
Lee describes her relationship with her materials...
"Each piece of wood I collect has a narrative and a past, each piece of work therefore rendered unique. Through an array of sustainable and local sourcing techniques and, well, having developed a reputation as a bit of a log lady…. I have a wonderful selection of branches and logs in the workshop…"
Lee will be on site from Wednesday 29th June until Sunday 3rd July. We have two smaller pieces by Lee in the gallery reception, so please pop by to have a look at what might be to come....
How is it already approaching the end of May? The time has certainly flown by over the past few weeks. The Summer Exhibition is now fully installed, and the Garden itself is truly flourishing. The bizarre weather over the past few weeks has certainly done wonders for the plantlife - the soil temperature is up, and all the rain means they are rather perky and happy. We, on the other hand, would be perkier if it could stop raining over the weekends!
We could not be prouder of this year's exhibition. We've really gone back to our roots (forgive the pun), and focused on the relationship between nature and art. Curating the exhibition took far longer than usual due to the extra thought and consideration with every single placement, but we truly believe it was worth it. This year you will find sculptures in the most unusual settings; appearing to grow from the undergrowth, hiding under trees, and nestled amongst the architectural planting. We've also had fun with scale this year - from an entire cityscape that could fit on a pizza, to a shooting plant that dwarfs even the most giant of our Giant Hogweed.
It's all here for you to discover.
It's the week after the May Bank Holiday weekend, which can only mean one thing - we are officially open for the summer.
The Gardens are truly springing to life - the warm weather has stirred the Gunnera and Hogweeds from their winter slumber, and everyday we can visibly see their progress. Trees are blossoming, the Bluebells are in their full vivid glory, and everywhere we look new shoots are pushing their way through. The resident feathered-wildlife has also come to life, with families of ducklings and moorhens paddling about happily on the ponds.
Most importantly, our Summer Exhibition is almost fully installed (there will be additional pieces later in the summer, but more on that later) and we could not be more pleased. The 2016 show is our biggest to date, and the addition of a number of indoor pieces in the gallery reception has really made this exhibition come together. Our key aim over the installation period was to make sure that every single placement was carefully considered so that the relationship between art and nature is reinforced at every turn.
So, what are you waiting for? Why not pop along and see if we've achieved our aim.
This year we are opening from Friday 1st April. That's right, APRIL. No April Fool's joke, we promise!
From Friday 1st April, you will be able to visit the Sculpture Garden on Thursday to Saturday 11am until 6pm, and Sunday (and Bank Holiday Monday) 2pm - 5pm.
Yes, you read that right too - we are opening on THURSDAYS through to Sundays. So there's no excuse not to come!
Our summer exhibition will be installed throughout April, so you might even see your favourite artist placing his/her new work. There will be less work on display at the start of April but the spring flowers are always stunning, and worth a visit in their own right.
So, to summarise: open 1st April* and open Thursdays.
We look forward to seeing you all soon!
*Being April, it will probably rain. Please come prepared, and feel free to check with us first before coming.
Please remember to wear your wellies!