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Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

The Harley Foundation

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The Harley Foundation

The Harley Foundation FREE ENTRY award-winning arts venue nestled in the Nottinghamshire Countryside. www.harleygallery.co.uk
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The Harley Foundation is a charitable trust which supports the visual arts and crafts. Visitor attractions include The Harley Gallery, showing contemporary exhibitions, The Portland Collection art museum, gallery shop, countryside art trail, and events ranging from online history lectures to children’s art clubs. The Foundation also runs a community of artist’s studios and a vibrant outreach programme.

22/04/2025

🌱 It’s - did you know we grow our own electricity?

Tucked away behind our artist studios, the Victorian kitchen garden once grew enough cabbage to feed the whole Welbeck Estate, but now we use it to produce green energy for our gallery spaces!

💡We produce 112,000 kilowatts of electricity from this solar field each year - which covers 50% of the energy used across our gallery and museum. The museum even won the RIBA East Midlands 2016 Sustainability award, with the judges commenting that the project is "an exemplar for buildings of this type".

🔗Learn more about sustainable energy sources on the Welbeck Estate: https://ow.ly/77AK50VAPhU

21/04/2025

Debbie Barber is a Leicestershire based ceramic artist who originally trained in textile decoration and embroidery. After spending a decade working in the field she discovered a new love for ceramics, returning to college to study pottery.

“I still retain the influences from my textile background. I love historic patterns found in cloth, and I am also inspired by Medieval carved stonework, the natural world, and garden birds! All of these influences can be found in the form and surfaces of my sculptures."

🔗Debbie's ceramic bird sculptures range in price from £120 to £140. Visit us to browse the full collection, or learn more on our website: https://harleyfoundation.org.uk/visit/dine-shop/debbie-barber/

20/04/2025

Happy Easter everyone! Our team are at home today, but if you're looking for something to do whilst we're closed you could always walk the Harley Art Trail leading to nearby Creswell Crags, you might even spot some rabbits🐇

🔗Check our bank holiday opening hours: https://ow.ly/IXyi50VAKxS

19/04/2025

We might not have any Easter baskets on display in our current basketry exhibition - but it got us thinking. Where does the Easter basket tradition come from? 🐣

Some trace it back to 17th-century Germany, where children made nests of leaves and branches in the garden, hoping the 'Easter Hare' would leave them treats. Others look further back, to Middle Eastern farmers, who would bring baskets of seedlings to be blessed in hopes of an abundant harvest.

Visit Basketry: Rescuing, Reviving, Retaining at the Harley Gallery and see the work of over 60 of Britain's most skilled basketmakers, and why not try to make your own mini basket in our family making space?

🔗Check our bank holiday opening times before you travel: https://ow.ly/QEOl50VAKkQ

18/04/2025

Looking for a bank holiday day out? We've got a brand new basketry exhibition, masterpieces in our museum, gifts galore in the gallery shop, and creative crafty activities for the whole family!

Plus if you're visiting The Courtyard at Welbeck, there's heaps to keep you busy - from countryside walks to a visit to the farm shop, cafe or Easter food market.

🔗Check our Easter Bank Holiday opening hours: https://ow.ly/ygyW50VAGJA

17/04/2025

Upcoming workshops for crafty kids at the Harley... 🎨

🏺3 May - Family Clay. Get messy with clay in this two session course, perfect for those who want to get creative with ceramics (ages 7-16 and their parent or guardian).

🧺17 May - Discover Art. Join textile artist Ruth Waller to coil a coaster using traditional basketry techniques, taking inspiration from our gallery exhibition (ages 7-11).

🍂29 May - Family Clay: Make a Mobile. Take inspiration from nature to sculpt a hanging mobile or wind chime from clay.

🔗Learn more and book family sessions on our website: https://ow.ly/iQ2A50VA8Az

16/04/2025

🌱Join us for a gallery talk this April to explore the rich history of willow growing and weaving in Nottinghamshire...

Willow grower, sculptor, and weaver Alison Walling will guide you through the fascinating world of willow, focusing on one of the natural materials at the heart of our new basketry exhibition.

She’ll also share stories of its deep-rooted connections to Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, including stories of local historic basketmakers like the Harry Summer of Sutton on Trent.

🔗Learn more and book: https://harleyfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/event/talk-willow-root-to-basket/

15/04/2025

Today is ! Celebrated each year on the 15th April, World Art Day is believed to be the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci. Although we don't have any da Vinci's in our collection - we do have a drawing by his primary rival Michelangelo...

While their careers often took different courses, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo both vied for artistic glory in the same place and time. They were both commissioned to decorate the Palazzo Vecchio (town hall of Florence, Italy), each painting different battle scenes on different sections of walls. Neither of the two ever completed the work - Michelangelo was called away to paint frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, whilst da Vinci experimented with an encaustic painting technique, which proved disastrous and destroyed the work.

The red chalk presentation drawing by Michelangeo we have on display in our museum was completed around 30 years after this. Titled ‘Madonna del Silenzio’ (the Madonna of Silence) it shows the Madonna cradling her son, a common motif in Renaissance art.

Keep reading about Michelangelo on our website, and make sure to visit the museum to see the drawing for yourself: https://ow.ly/iKgN50Vz2He

Image credit left: Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), attributed to Daniele da Volterra from the MET.

14/04/2025

Born on this day in 1738: William Cavendish-Bentinck, third Duke of Portland. Perhaps best known for a curious political record - his two terms as Prime Minister are separated by the longest interval in British history (24 years!), he was also incredibly devoted to the landscape at Welbeck. 🌳

While politics took him to London, he kept Welbeck close, surrounding himself with painted views of home. He commissioned artists like George Stubbs and George Barret to capture its parklands and ancient woodlands, and worked closely with landscape gardener Humphry Repton to shape the estate's gardens.

🖼️ Today, paintings by Stubbs and Barret - along with Repton’s beautifully illustrated Red Books - form part of the Portland Collection, and are a lasting record of the Duke’s vision for Welbeck, and the artists who helped bring it to life.

🔗Learn more about the art and objects in our museum on our website: https://harleyfoundation.org.uk/visit/harley-museum/

13/04/2025

Glimmering pewter bowls by Jim and Laura Stringer take inspiration from an 18th century table service on display in our museum. Crawling with bugs, bees and other delicately modelled insects - it was the perfect reference for Jim and Laura's bowls, many of which feature removable insects that can be worn as brooches.

This collection was awarded First Prize in the 2018 Worshipful Company of Pewterers Design Competition.

🔗Pieces range in price from £40 to £85. Visit us to browse the full collection, or learn more on our website: https://harleyfoundation.org.uk/visit/dine-shop/jim-stringer/

12/04/2025

🧺Basketry: Rescuing, Reviving, Retaining is now open at the Harley Gallery! Visit to see the work of over 60 of Britain’s most skilled basket makers, and discover the beauty and surprising diversity of traditional British basketry.

Step into the gallery and be immersed in the scent of willow, straw and hazel and surrounded by exhibits of all shapes and sizes. From coracle boats to intricately woven straw crowns to palm-sized coasters – you may be surprised to discover just how expansive the world of basketry is.

🔗Learn more about the exhibition: http://harleyfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/event/basketry-rescuing-reviving-retaining/

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The Basketry: Rescuing, Reviving, Retaining exhibition forms part of the continued work of the Basketmakers’ Association’s Traditional Basketry Project supported by the The Worshipful Company of Basketmakers and delivered in partnership with Heritage Crafts. The touring exhibition was first shown by and is organised by Ruthin Craft Centre. The exhibition was curated by Gregory Parsons with the Traditional Basketry Project and Heritage Crafts.

11/04/2025

Some of the beautiful baskets made by families this morning in our creative weaving workshop! Crafted from paper cups and yarn - they'll be perfect for Easter egg hunts.

We've got plenty of family workshops coming up at the Harley. Visit our website to see what's on: https://ow.ly/U3Bi50VyWRL

10/04/2025

📢New artist opportunity - we currently have two vacancies at the Harley Studios!

Located in the beautiful surroundings of Welbeck’s Victorian Kitchen Gardens, our studios provide spaces suitable for a wide range of creative practitioners.

🔗 For more information about both vacant studios including pictures, prices and how to apply - please visit our website: https://harleyfoundation.org.uk/about/studios/

05/04/2025

Bright, joyful, and skilfully made pots by Lisa Katzenstein are the perfect thing for spring!

Lisa is a painter as well and a potter, and uses a technique called Maiolica which means each piece is a one-off. We have worked with her for many years, and her pots continue to be popular with customers.

🔗Pieces range in price from £90 to £320. Visit us to browse the full collection, or learn more on our website: https://harleyfoundation.org.uk/visit/dine-shop/lisa-katzenstein/

04/04/2025

🤔Did you know that working with clay can lower the stress hormone cortisol, after just 45 minutes?

So if you're looking for a way to relax, unwind, and get lost in the creative process - our pottery courses might be the perfect place to start!

There are plenty of taster sessions coming up, whether it's handbuilding or throwing on the potter's wheel. Learn more and book: https://ow.ly/PvEQ50VuGjA

03/04/2025

Today our shop team have been watering some new fair-trade baskets which arrived from Rwanda!

After their long journey, the baskets arrive slightly squashed but a quick water, reshape, and dry in the sun and they’re ready to be used.

The baskets range in price from £35-£70, visit us to shop - or email the shop team directly on [email protected].

30/03/2025

📢Reminder: today is your last chance to see our exhibition 'People's Art', showing contemporary artworks alongside the historic pieces of folk art which inspired them. Have you visited the exhibition? Let us know in the comments which your favourite piece was 👇

Ingrid Murphy, Zac Weinberg, Liaqat Rasul, Julia Griffiths Jones, and Francisca Onumah have each created a new piece of work in response to historic pieces of folk art made by unnamed artists.

🔗Learn more: https://harleyfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/event/peoples-art/

People’s Art is a National Glass Centre touring exhibition with support from Arts Council England.

29/03/2025

Today is the last chance to see Harley Studio artists demonstrating in our museum!

The programme includes Sarah and Jennifer from Freeman and Young Conservation retouching a historic portrait of Catherine, Baroness of Ogle.🖌️ Ross from J A Alcock & Sons will be servicing a long case clock 🕰️ and textile artist Ruth Waller will be making tassels with a contemporary twist, using the same passementerie processes used to create tassels for the Talleyrand Bed!

Drop in between 10.30am and 3pm today to chat to our studio artists and learn more about their work. Learn more: https://harleyfoundation.org.uk/whats-on/event/studio-discovery-days/

Address

The Courtyard At Welbeck, A60 Mansfield Road, Welbeck
Nottingham
S803LW

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+441909501700

Website

http://www.harleyfoundation.org.uk/

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