Lincolnshire’s historic Doddington Hall is hosting a Summer of Ceramics, opening in July with exhibitions of contemporary art presented alongside its extraordinary ceramics collection gathered over 300 years. There will be new displays and tours, talks and demonstrations from leading artists, makers and ceramics experts.
The Elizabethan mansion, near the cathedral city of Lincoln, provides the backdrop to this celebration of ceramics in all its forms. The Hall, designed by renowned Elizabethan architect Robert Smythson, was built of bricks from local clay pits. The festival includes an exhibition of Doddington Hall’s extraordinary collection – including continental and English porcelain alongside the 20th Century British Studio pottery collection of Antony Jarvis with pieces by world-famous ceramicists with Lincolnshire connections
including Edmund de Waal and Gordon Baldwin – alongside an exhibition of international and national ceramicists, staged in The Stable Yard Galleries.
The summer long series will open from 27 July to 8 September.
Current owner and guardian of the Hall, Claire Birch, said: “We’re proud to be welcoming international and national ceramicists to Doddington Hall. Major exhibitions, tours, talks and demonstrations will bring the house and our extraordinary collection to life for this 300 th anniversary.”
The Stable Yard Galleries
In these Galleries curator Preston Fitzgerald will showcase renowned national and international makers at the frontier of ceramic design. Exhibits include decorative, functional, sculptural, figurative, abstract and artisan pottery as well as larger collection pieces available to buy. Exhibitors include Freya Bramble-Carter, James Faulkner, Ryan Barrett and Rafaela de Ascanio. There will also be a selection of work showcasing Lincolnshire ceramicists curated by Susanna Gorst of Lincolnshire Wolds based Oxcombe Pottery. Formal and Walled Gardens Visitors will encounter installations throughout the formal and walled gardens.
The Hall
Inside the Hall, visitors will discover Doddington’s ceramics collection co-curated by Preston Fitzgerald and Rebecca Blackwood. The Edwin Jarvis collection of largely English ceramics will be presented with special displays of Torksey Pottery – an early 19th century factory established by William Billingsley who, unlike his contemporaries, painted from real life – and
the extensive collection of 20th century British Studio pottery collected by Claire’s father, Antony Jarvis. There will also be pieces from world-famous ceramicists with Lincolnshire connections including Edmund de Waal and Gordon Baldwin.
Workshops, talks and masterclasses
Workshops, talks and masterclasses will give people the chance to have a go at new activities including handling clay, throwing a pot and painting ceramics with commissioned artists and makers. There will also be the opportunity to learn about both contemporary and historic ceramics with national and international experts.
Dates for workshops, talks and tours can be found at www.doddingtonhall.com. Summer of Ceramics runs from 27 July to 8 September. Doddington Hall and Gardens will be open Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, 12noon – 4.30pm. The gardens open at 11am and last admission is at 3.30pm. Admission applies.
The Stable Yard Galleries will be open daily 10am-4pm and entry is free of charge.