contemporary art and crafts
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Monkton Gallery
Who Are We?

Four years ago 5 of us Dorset artists got together with the aim of opening a small art and craft gallery near Dorchester.

Winterborne Monkton's old village school became the focus for our dream.

We renovated the building inside and out, fitted it with new lights and a hanging system, and opened in time for Easter 2002.

Since then our team has grown and changed and we have added other events to our activities at the Gallery, including festivals and tuition.

You can read about our plans for 2005 here on our site, find out about our team and see what happened in years past.
Read more about the Gallery Here...

We'd love to hear from you, and to welcome you to our Gallery if you have time to visit us. We're only a stone's throw from Dorchester and Weymouth and can almost always offer you a cuppa if you're passing by!

We hope you'll call in and see us.

Monkton Gallery is now closed until Easter 2006.
In 2006 the gallery will be a venue for Dorset Art Weeks and more details about this event will follow in the new year...

We'd like to thank all our visitors and customers this year for coming to see us and the exhibitions we have hosted this year, and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

28th - 30th May 2005
Wild Flower Weekend
This was a unique opportunity to study and paint the wild flowers of West Dorset.

Working with Sally Pinhey and a specialist local botanist, participants were invited on a guided walk in the area around Maiden Castle, with expert tuition in painting botanical studies in watercolour.

The "Wild Flower Walks" took place on
Sunday 29th & Monday 30th May from 10am to 12pm
with a painting demonstration between 12pm and 1pm

followed by

beginners' botanical painting on
Sunday 29th May from 2pm until 5pm
Local Poet and Botanist, Paul Hyland, also gave a
poetry reading over lunch.

and

intermediate botanical painting on
Monday 30th May from 2pm until 5pm.

Sally Pinhey teaching at Monkton Gallery

 

The Monkton Gallery is run as a co-operative by a group of Dorset-based artists and craftworkers who have joined together to bring our work into the public domain and contribute together to the development and promotion of visual and contemporary arts.

Click to view Bill Crumbleholme's work
Bill Crumbleholme
Potter

Click to view Sally Pinhey's work
Sally Pinhey
Botanical Artist

Sheila Sanford at Monkton Gallery (c) 2004
Sheila Sanford
Miniaturist

Click to view Elle Neale's work
Elle Neale
Painter

Plans for 2005

We've got lots lined up for the year. We're opening the Gallery every SATURDAY, SUNDAY and BANK HOLIDAY in 2005.

We're also running special art and craft events over the Bank Holidays.

Read more about these events here...

 

Maiden Castle
Rota

Monkton Gallery is at the foot of the largest Iron Age hillfort in the UK, Maiden Castle.

Maiden Castle is looked after by English Heritage.

You can take a guided tour of the castle by clicking here...
Date Monk
March  
  Sally
  Bill
  Jon
  Tessa
  Pippa

 

Calling Local Artists

 

 

 
Fans!!
Join Our Mailing List

RAFT is an informal organisation run by local visual artists to promote creative endeavours.
If you would like to join in with RAFT activities, including having a listing on this website, please contact RAFT by e-mail.

If you'd like to keep in touch with our latest plans then email us and we'll drop you a line whenever there's something new taking place.

Your details will not be passed on to anyone else.

Contact RAFT by e-mail.