Discover Our Collection and Upcoming Exhibits at The Sherborne

Meet

DVA

Dorset Visual Arts (DVA) runs various events, curated projects and other opportunities for visual artists and makers across the county, including Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch.

As well as running Dorset Art Weeks and other arts projects, Dorset Visual Arts is working as the lead arts partner for The Sherborne.

DVA is developing an exciting visual arts-focused programme to engage the community and the wider public. It will provide a wide range of opportunities for Dorset artists and those from further afield to create a regularly changing exhibition, display and events programme interweaving the wide range of contexts and styles in which Dorset’s artists work – both locally and nationally.

Collections

Thornhill Mural

The Sherborne is home to the nationally significant Thornhill Mural. View and learn about this iconic Baroque mural by Sir James Thornhill, the renowned artist behind the dome at St Paul’s Cathedral.

Macready Screen

According to a family report, this most remarkable artefact was created in 1850 by the leading novelist of the day, Charles Dickens (1812-1870), and the leading Shakespearean actor William Charles Macready (1793-1873) in Sherborne House, where the former was a frequent visitor.

Jenny Pickford

A series of botanical sculptures designed by award-winning contemporary blacksmith Jenny Pickford have taken root within the gardens and grounds. Forged in her studio in Herefordshire, her collection – including ‘Agapanthus’ and ‘Bluebell’ – will be the most extensive collection of her sculptures in a public setting in the UK.

Upcoming Exhibitions

Exhibitions

7th May – 13th July

Private: Housework

Housework celebrates the history and the many links between Sherborne House (as it was formerly known) and the arts. The show brings together some of the work created between 1996 and 2008, inspired by and documenting its past. We are expecting a high volume of visitors to the House and gallery spaces once we open. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, please book a time slot via our brand-new booking system.

Exhibitions

20th July – 13th October

Jeremy Gardiner: Turning the Tide

Turning the Tide explores an array of landforms along the South Coast of England. Jeremy Gardiner’s paintings of this coastline derive from his cumulative experience of walking along it, sailing past it, and flying over it, studying changes wrought over millennia and during his lifetime.

Exhibitions

26th October – 12th January

Making Dorset

Building on the county’s rich tradition of craft, design, and making, Dorset Visual Arts announces the return of its Making Dorset project group in a major exhibition at The Sherborne. Making Dorset will present the very best ceramic, furniture, silversmithing, print, glass, and textile work produced in the county, providing an important showcase for many skilled practitioners.