Open-Up is a series of outdoor artworks commissioned by Hestercombe Gallery in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Please be aware that Hestercombe will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but will be open daily throughout the rest of the Christmas holidays.
This event has ended
This outdoor gallery exhibition features eight artists with intimate knowledge of Hestercombe, many of whom have responded to the landscapes on the estate in the past.
The works, on display across all three of the period gardens at Hestercombe and beyond, range from subtle interventions involving copper plant tags, pigeon rings and galvanised nails, to bold stacked colours, giant bunting and orchard ladders.
Artists featured include Richard Long, Sarah Bennett, Megan Calver with Gabrielle Hoad, Jon England, Jo Lathwood, Philippa Lawrence and Lucy Soni.
In July we launched Jackdaw Line in Hestercombe’s Georgian Landscape Garden, a new stone work by internationally renowned artist Richard Long. This work has become the flagship commission of a new outdoor series, entitled ‘Open-Up’.
Originally programmed for May 2020 as part of Hestercombe’s Bampfylde300 year of celebrations, Jackdaw Line was postponed due to Covid-19. The existing indoor exhibitions, Coplestone Warre Bampfylde: A Gentleman of Taste, and Most Admirably Improved by Art, were both closed when Hestercombe temporarily shut in late March 2020. This enforced closure created a reaction that reimagined the way that artworks are presented in a way that is made safe and accessible for visitors for the current social distancing environment at Hestercombe.
At a time when most UK galleries remained closed it seemed fitting to follow Jackdaw Line with further outdoor works that not only respond to the gardens, but reflect on the unprecedented times faced by a global society, with a virus at its root.
Richard Long’s Jackdaw Line along with other artworks in the Open-Up series can be seen at Hestercombe daily, from 10am – 6pm (last entry 4.30pm). At the time of publication, all visits must be pre-booked online before you travel.
Follow Hestercombe Gallery on Instagram.
NEW exhibition exploring landscape and environment.
Hestercombe is proud to present Illuminate, with a dazzling new display.
For 2025, pay what you can in Jan (uary)
A photographic journey through joy at Hestercombe
Hestercombe is holding a Book Sale in the Column Room inside Hestercombe House.
Chocolate making experience day, including two course lunch
Join us this February half term for our Secret Fairy Door Trail
Learn the timeless craft of weaving beautiful, functional plant supports
