Spring 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.
October is here….
And the sunshine has continued! Through a busy month of schools, educational visits and blissful creative workshops the Sculpture Garden has been bathed in a magical low glow. With just a couple more weeks until we close for our winter break, we still have the odd new piece arriving as current exhibits are taken to their new homes.
Luke Dickinson delivered a stunning carved marble sculpture, Jason Mulligan delivered three exquisite small stone pieces, and Walter Bailey installed a magnificent new figure along the woodland path.
Last weekend to visit for 2023 is 26th to 29th October - tickets still available.
‘unweave, unwind, unravel’ by Luke Dickinson
estremoz marble on kilkenny limestone
‘Shell votive’ , ‘lamassu’ and ‘nomad’ by jason mulligan
bethersden marble
‘at dawn the kiss of peace’ by walter bailey
scorched redwood
Autumnal Happenings
We have launched three new events for the autumn period, each uniquely celebrating the changing of the seasons.
Join us for another tranquil workshop with Surrey Art School, where we explore warm tones through inks and washes….
Switch off from the world with a peaceful evening from Surrey Hills Wellness, taking time to be present and enjoy the grounds through a guided meditation….
Stop and observe the majesty and wonderful of our ancient woodland with a special event from renowned artist Luke Adam Hawker…..
August 2023 Fundraising
On Sunday 13th August we will be hosting a fundraising afternoon for Okewood Church - a place very dear to our hearts.
~ Hannah Peschar herself is laid to rest in the grounds ~
From 1.30pm onwards, Friends of Okewood Church will be serving tea and cakes from beneath reception, with all funds going to the Church.
Cash donations please!
Summer 2023
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 Art School - Autumn workshop to be announced!
Surrey Hills Wellness
Surrey Hills Wellness
Ati Balding of Surrey Hills Wellness will be hosting three special evenings throughout the summer
September Fundraising 2022
On Saturday 10th September 2022 we will be hosting a fundraising afternoon for Okewood Church - a place very dear to our hearts.
~ Hannah Peschar herself is laid to rest in the grounds ~
From 1.30pm onwards, Friends of Okewood Church will be serving tea and cakes from beneath reception, with all funds going to the Church.
Cash donations please!
50% of the daily takings from the Sculpture Garden will be donated to the Church.
Spring and Summer 2022
We are delighted to announce a series of carefully curated events through the summer and autumn, with some of our favourite local businesses…..
Tickets now on sale for our collaborations with:
The Salt Box
Surrey Art School
PLUS
The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Award returns for a second year, with another talented group of sculpture students from Camberwell College of Arts.
Sign up to our mailing list if you would like to hear about any other events launched through the year!
Summer 2021
We are proud to present the inaugural Hannah Peschar Sculpture Award
Head to the ‘Sculpture Award’ page to find out more….
2019
The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden are thrilled to present
by the children of
Little Barn Owls Nursery and Farm School
Horsham
1st to 6th October 2019
The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden are thrilled to offer this wonderful class of budding artists, designers, project leaders and overall creative children the opportunity to show their work amongst the fine art that we have on display throughout the Sculpture Garden.
We strive to inspire our visitors - young and old, and relish the opportunity to inspire the next generation. As a gallery, we know only too well how much these early experiences can impact on a person’s future - our own gallery manager first visited the Sculpture Garden at the age of five with her infant school, and clearly it shaped and inspired her more than anyone could have imagined.
LITTLE BARN OWLS DAY NURSERIES
“Our nurseries in Southwater, Horsham and Farlington are a bit different. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach we employ professional artists to work with children in dedicated creative studios which are called Ateliers. We believe children love beautiful and interesting things, just like adults, so we put lots of them in our nurseries. We believe in listening to children a lot. We know if we help children work out what they are interested in, what questions they have and what they like to explore, they will be more motivated to learn. Sometimes this exploring and learning turns into children’s research projects lasting many months.
The latest exploration which the children undertook was a meaningful year long project creating an installation styled sculpture garden.
The children started researching artworks and developing their own theories, hypothesis and ideas of the messages behind artworks. As the project unfolded their understanding of artworks developed and they became particularly interested in sculpture and the many processes it possesses. This lead to the children wanting to express their knowledge and create their very own miniature sculpture garden. While adding to their sculpture garden the children constantly reflected upon their work, enabling a higher level of thinking and problem solving. While researching artworks the children looked at virtual and video tours - including the Hannah Peschar sculpture garden, this inspired the children and before long they wanted to create their very own video tour of their sculpture garden.
As they filmed around their sculpture garden they encountered many obstacles, which involved many aspects of learning. While reflecting upon their footage they realised that they were in fact filming around the perimeter of the sculpture garden and not through it. At this point their solution was to create a robot, which was tiny enough to fit on the paths of the sculpture garden. After months of designing, embodying and creating robot music. The children created a filming robot which they named ‘Betsy’. They rapidly realised that Betsy was far too big for their miniature sculpture garden. Their solution to this devastating news was to create a much larger sculpture garden, which would fill the entire atelier space.
A few of these sculptures were then weatherproofed in order to be exhibited within the Hannah Peschar sculpture garden, which I believe delivers the appropriate value these sculptures deserves.
In November Nursery Word Magazine are featuring this project in more detail, including how the project began and some of the ways the children overcame their ventures. So if you’re interested to read about the project in more depth, then keep your eyes peeled for Novembers issue.”
If you’re keen to hear more about our nurseries and approach to learning please visit our website - www.littlebarnowls.co.uk
Earlier this summer, curator Vikki had the absolute pleasure of being interviewed for a new podcast by garden enthusiast Anne Unsworth for her series ‘In the Weeds with Anne’. It seemed only fitting to have the interview nestled up in the woods, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the sculpture garden (which also means the odd aeroplane from Gatwick!) Hear stories about the Sculpture Garden, the history, and a few funny tidbits here and there for good measure.
Dorian - the resident cat - also made an appearance, which you will hear part way through.
If you have enjoyed Anne’s podcast, please do check out her other interviews here: https://intheweedswithanne.podbean.com
‘In the Weeds with Anne’
Recording paused as Dorian the cat decided he was much more entertaining……
We are thrilled to support Surrey Hills Arts’ latest project!
Please read on to find out how you can be involved and support this fantastic new piece of public art.
A new fundraising campaign has been launched to restore a lost viewpoint on the North Downs Way National Trail. Just a short walk from Newlands Corner the trees and undergrowth have grown up significantly, closing off views across the Weald to the South Downs. Surrey Hills Arts want to re-create and maintain these views, enhance the habitat for insect and butterfly populations to flourish and install a sculptural seat.
The striking sculptural seat has been commissioned to be created by artist Will Nash and will provide the perfect opportunity to stop and enjoy the view. Will has developed the shape from his fascination for geometry and patterns in nature. It will complement its surroundings being created from weathering steel and packed with timber from the woodland. Concealed within the timber will be three spherical kaleidoscopes, each one will be orientated to view a different element of the place, one looking up at the branches against the sky, one capturing the tree foliage and one down towards the earth. The artwork will be called ‘Optohedron’ derived from the ancient Greek: optikós, “of seeing” and hédra “raised seat”.
Ali Clarke, Surrey Hills Arts Project Co-ordinator comments; “This crowdfunding campaign is an opportunity for everyone to get involved with the project. Donations from as little as £5 will greatly help to make the project a reality and every donation will receive a thank you reward. We’ve got some fantastic rewards available from a year’s membership to the Hannah Peschar Sculpture garden and Arts Society to vineyard tours and tastings at Albury Organic Vineyard and more….”
National Charity Butterfly Conservation will work with a team of volunteers around the new viewpoint to create habitat areas for butterflies to flourish. Work has been taking place across the Surrey Hills to increase the population of the declining Small Blue Butterfly species. By creating lots of suitable patches of habitat, the butterfly should be able to disperse and spread across the North Downs between Guildford and Dorking.
For more information: www.inspiringviews.org
Surrey Hills Arts are working to restore a lost view on the North Downs Way, install an innovative artwork on the site by sculptor Will Nash, and engage the local community in art and conservation activities.
Subject to a successful crowdfunding campaign, this will provide a point of interest, and place for reflection for walkers and families with some surprising interactive elements. For more info and how to support this wonderful project, see : https://www.surreyhills.org/product/inspiring-views-in-the-surrey-hills/
Summer 2019
Yes, we are officially in summer now - even though it may not feel like it (a month of rain anyone?) The garden has certainly relished the unseasonably wet weather - we’ve never seen it so lush at this time of year. Reminiscing back to the heatwave of 2018, when by late June the garden was already suffering heavily from the heat and drought. Still - hopefully the sunshine will be back (please?)
We are very proud of this year’s exhibition - featuring 12 new artists (or those whom haven’t shown with us for a significant amount of time), we have had something like 110 new pieces exhibiting - although some have already gone off to their new homes.
Here are just a few highlights so far…..
2018
Autumn Fire
The nights are drawing in, the leaves are turning, and there are just a few weeks to go until we close for the winter break. It has been the most incredible year - the weather was quite astonishing (A proper summer! Who knew?!) and we have been blessed with masses of wonderful visitors from near and far. This year’s collection was very special indeed, and we will be sad to see a number of amazing pieces leave us in November.
BUT, never fear - plans are afoot for an even bigger exhibition next year! New artists, new ideas, and new landscape art created by us here at the Sculpture Garden. Let’s hope 2019 is even better than this year!
‘Zonda’ by Nimrod Messeg
Nestled in the hills in Northern Provence lies a special garden unlike any other. Sensitively landscaped, developed and nurtured by landscape architect Anthony Paul and owner Tony Stone over the past twenty years, the gardens at La Jerigriere are not only home to stunning landscaping, plants and trees, but also to a stunning collection of contemporary sculpture.
(Some highlights can be viewed here)
The newest of these is also the largest, and most dramatic. A fan of sculptor Walter Bailey, Tony Stone already has a number of his fantastic pieces purchased from The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden carefully placed throughout his gardens. But in 2017, when an area of the garden was looking to be developed further, Tony Stone wanted to up the ante. Instead of selecting a ready made piece to place, Stone commissioned Bailey to come up with something spectacular to add a real sense of drama. After a year of plans, drawings and carving, Walter Bailey and his wife Deborah Barker, along with Anthony Paul and gallery manager Vikki Leedham traveled back to Provence to install this magnificent piece.
Focusing on rows of grasses forming a point, Bailey’s concept of celestial arrows plays with perspective, scale and shadow. Carved from yew for strength and English redwood for grain and contrast, these towering forms stand over 3 metres tall. Gently moving in the wind, one would be forgiven for thinking that they had indeed just plummeted to earth.
Originally titled ‘Arrival from the living cosmos’, Bailey changed the title after hearing Tony Stone remark “Today five arrows from another galaxy struck my garden’ - a levity we all enjoyed.
Bailey’s iconic swirls and spirals discuss the rhythms of nature and the universe. The scorching of the wood is not just for aesthetics - it seals the wood and adds longevity compared to leaving it natural. Bailey brushes back raised areas to draw out the grain and create the beautiful contrast on the surface of the sculpture.
(More on Walter Bailey can be found here)
A truly one of a kind sculpture for a one of a kind setting.
April 2018.
Spring 2018
Yes, it may still feel like it's winter - but we are now OPEN for the 2018 season. With ten new artists showing alongside previous exhibitors, this years exhibition is shaping up to be something very special. From strange installations, to gentle figures, from towering forms to minute detail - there is something for everyone. Spring flowers are creeping their way to the surface - swathes of wood anemone, fritillaria, primula and bluebells to come - sping is the most colourful time of year in the Sculpture Garden.
Open 30th March to 28th October 2018.
Sadly it is still very muddy and wet, so please wear sensible footwear (wellies or walking boots are strongly advised).
2017
Autumnal Delights
Aside from a stunning carpet of wild flowers in the spring, autumn is certainly the most colourful time of year in this otherwise green environment. Warm hues bath the garden in a gentle glow: rich reds, fiery oranges and golden yellows transform the sculptures, drawing attention to different colours and textures found within. It is remarkable how much the surroundings can alter the appearance of a piece - one of countless reasons why exhibiting art in the outdoors is such an exciting journey throughout the seasons. Every day is different: as the leaves and light changes, so does the way the sculptures work with their surroundings.
The Sculpture Garden will be closing for the winter on Sunday 29th October - don't miss out on this year's fantastic exhibition!
Pretty Monstrous - Anna Garrett, Artist in Residence
If you visited the Sculpture Garden during July, you may well have encountered our artist in residence Anna Garrett nestled amongst the magnificent Gunnera Manicata that grows throughout the gardens.
"Anna Garrett is a painter and mixed media artist, currently completing her Masters in Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London. Spending a series of days within the heart of the garden, surrounded by the overwhelming plants of gunnera, petasites and hogweed: it is the emotion and feeling of being dwarfed by nature that will most inform the artist’s residency at Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden. "
Anna’s interest lies in the power of nature, beautiful yet brutal, and has evolved into an interest in the seductive monumentality of the plants. Anna’s recent research includes an exploration into the ‘otherness’ of nature and femininity, the relationship between colour and the feminine, and moreover, how nature, colour and the feminine are connected. Her practice evaluates the materiality of a painting’s structure is at its core, and considers the abjectivity and seductivity of paint as a medium, particularly within a fluorescent colour palette.
The residency culminated into a large scale painting, playing with an unsettling duality. The neon paint gives way to monstrous forms and a seductivity into the heart of darkness within the plants’world.
This painting - a first for the Sculpture Garden - is on display in the Wood Barn, located in the woodland from 5th August until 29th October.
Summer 2017
June’s dramatic heatwave was certainly a bit of a shock for the UK, but here in the sheltered valley of the Sculpture Garden we seemed to escape the worst of it.
May and June is a spectacular time for the plants - our Gunera Manicata, Petasites and Hogweeds really do take on a life of their own and we can visibly see the growth each day. Enormous leaves reaching high into the sky, dwarfing even our largest sculptures - you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d been transported to some distant land or mystical paradise.
New sculptures have continued to make their way into the Sculpture Garden over the past two months - we are now proudly exhibiting well over 200 pieces by 51 different artists. We’ve hosted a number of wonderful school groups, art, photography and gardening clubs, and even a proposal!
If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, pick up a copy of July’s English Garden magazine where you can read a five page interview with Hannah, discussing the best ways to chose and site sculpture in your own garden. It wouldn’t be complete without lots of beautiful photos of pieces both past and present from the collections here!
These are a few recent highlights currently on display…..
Spring 2017
We are now officially open for the 2017 season! April has blessed us with incredible weather, allowing all the sculpture to be installed without too many problems. We are on clay here, so we split installation into two groups - the smaller and lighter pieces coming in March, and the larger/heavier pieces coming in Mid April. This means that should March be very wet, we won't be causing too much damage to the Garden itself.
This year's show features 10 new artists, whom have never exhibited with us before. These include some very unusual materials and techniques, which have brought a new feel to the Sculpture Garden. You will be sure to find old favourites throughout the Garden - sculptors who have exhibited and supported us through the years. The Garden itself is already looking beautiful - we have been very spoilt with carpets of wild spring flowers throughout the month.
We are open throughout the spring, summer and autumn until Sunday 29th October. Opening times can be found here.
The final pieces were placed Friday 21st April - so our Garden Guide is *at last* complete. Please do get in touch if you would like to receive a copy.
Autumn/Winter 2016
Autumn is always a rather quite time here at the Sculpture Garden, aside from clearing up the cascades of falling leaves that carpet the garden in a riot of colour.
This year, however, we are proud to be hosting a temporary installation by a group of second year Fine Art students from UCA in Farnham. Our curator Vikki undertook some of her artistic training at the university, so we are thrilled to be able to help with their exciting project.
The installation is the very definition of temporary - the entire piece will be constructed, documented and dismantled in ONE (hopefully sunny) day in December.
‘Kitchen Flux’ is a pop-up exhibition housed in a free standing kitchen - all outdoors, and will be livestreamed online for viewers all across the world to enjoy.
“The installation explores Foucault’s heterotopian ideas of place and “other”. It is a kitchen, built and dismantled on the day. A temporary gallery, hosted in an outdoor garden, watched virtually during the event and later as a short film.”
Summer 2016
'THE SHELTERING EARTH' - A solo show by Walter Bailey 23rd July onwards
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.
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 29th June to 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.......
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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!
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*Being April, it will probably rain. Please come prepared, and feel free to check with us first before coming.
......and please remember to wear your wellies......
