A new exhibition, opening later this summer, will reveal the artists keeping alive an ancient form of communication, amid the technologically advanced, increasingly ephemeral ways of the 21st century. A celebration of both the art of hand carved lettering and the natural world, Grown from Stone will weave its way through the beautiful gardens and historic rooms of Winterbourne House and Gardens, a rare surviving example of an early 20th century suburban villa, in a leafy corner of Birmingham.
Presented by the Lettering Arts Trust (LAT), the world authority on letter carving, Grown from Stone runs from 24 August – 27 October 2024. More information: www.letteringartstrust.org.uk
Grown from Stone will feature a collection of the finest carvers working today. It will reveal the beauty and emotional connections that can be created when a skilled craftsperson – as opposed to a machine – brings their artistry to a cold piece of stone. It will emphasise how public art – whether small personal pieces or major projects – can be creative and imbued with personality and character.
Just as much of the natural environment is under threat, the art of inscribing fine lettering on stone and other materials is in jeopardy. Until recently, letter carving was on the Heritage Crafts Association’s red list of endangered crafts¹, however, thanks to the work of the LAT, it is now listed as ‘viable’ in the UK. The LAT is now the sole organisation promoting the artistry and knowledge behind the craft, creating apprenticeships, training, funding and opportunities for artists to exhibit.
The exhibition will feature hand carved works by artists early in their careers, including the LAT’s current apprentices, Rachel Butler and Maia Gaffney Hyde, and former apprentices, Jackie Perkins, Matt Loughlin and Louise Tiplady, alongsideestablished master carvers such as John Neilson, Lisi Ashbridge, Charlotte Howarth and Tom Perkins. Several of the featured artists have also benefitted from the Trust’s Journeyman scheme to help with their professional development.
Mark Noad, Chair of the Lettering Arts Trust, said, “Grown from Stone is a celebration of the stone carver’s art, presenting age-old skills and materials in a contemporary context. Whether we realise it or not, letter carving plays a meaningful role in our lives; so many of the most beautiful gardens, city locations, contemplative spaces and wildest landscapes contain creative works of public art. A few words carved in stone can create an enduring expression of our human connection to time, place, nature and to each other. The works in the exhibition are chosen for the beauty of their carving and lyricism of the words, a combination that will connect with people at a fundamental level.”
Winterbourne is one of six UK locations to hold an exhibit from the Art and Memory Collection, the LAT’s national collection of the carvers’ art, which comprises around seventy works. To complement Grown from Stone, a new addition to the National Collection will be unveiled in the gardens at Winterbourne on 7 September as part of the Birmingham Honey Show. Designed and carved by Dan Meek, this will be the first new addition to the collection for around ten years and will have a suitably bee-related theme.
The Lettering Arts Trust exists to bring artists and public together, aiming to inspire people to support the craft by commissioning a piece of work, for the home or garden or as a lasting tribute to a loved one. For more information visit www.letteringartstrust.org.uk
VISITOR INFORMATION: Grown from Stone at Winterbourne House and Garden,
58 Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2RT. Dates and times: 24 August – 27 October 2024
Tickets: Adult £8.00; Child (5-16) £6.90; Over 65/Student £6.90; Family (2+4) £26.30.
For more information: www.winterbourne.org.uk