Until 3 Oct
Quiet Contemplations embodies the serene, introspective quality of Roger Rowley’s work, inviting viewers into a space of stillness and reflection. Free entry. Tuesday–Saturday, 9.30am–3.00pm at Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. 01460 54973 www.ilminsterartscentre.com.
Paul Newman: Canopy Tales in the Café Gallery – Derived from an ongoing fascination with observation, mark-making and being in nature, Canopy Tales will see 30 different birds populate the Café Gallery. Free entry. Tuesday–Saturday, 9.30am–3.00pm at Ilminster Arts Centre, TA19 0AN. 01460 54973 www.ilminsterartscentre.com.
Until 4 October
The Spaces In Between Paintings and Prints from the last Fifty Years. The Art Stable is delighted to be presenting a solo exhibition of paintings and prints by Sally McLaren whose evocative works capture the spirit and subtle rhythms of the natural world. Looking back through Sally’s archive there is a consistency of intention, always evoking movement and mood with a quiet intensity. Drawing inspiration from the chalk downs, wild coastlines, and open skies of Dorset and beyond, her art bridges the boundary between observation and emotion. The Art Stable Child Okeford Blandford Dorset DT11 8HB.
11 October – 15 November
From and To A new exhibition by Laura Eldret and the people of West Dorset Allsop Gallery, Bridport Arts Centre exploring and celebrating ideas of creative freedoms. The exhibition is by Dorset artist Laura Eldret in collaboration with communities of Bridport and West Dorset and will incorporate creative contributions by local people. It will also offer local residents the opportunity to use the gallery as an open creative space for their own creative activities – anything from busking to drawing to creative meet-ups (more info on how to do this will be announced shortly). From and To is one of 60 new works commissioned across the UK as part of Our Freedom: Then and Now, a new UK-wide, locally-led arts and creative programme, reflecting on what ‘Our Freedom’ means to communities following the 80th anniversary of VE/VJ Day. Bridport Arts Centre pitched to explore what ‘creative freedom’ means to the town and wider West Dorset area and have been developing an exciting programme of activity in which the local community can get involved. Allsop Gallery, Bridport Arts Centre South Street, Bridport. https://www.bridport-arts.com.
18 October – 15 November
Filled with Delight David Gommon (1913-87). Paintings from 1936 to 1985, to coincide with the publication of a monograph on the life and work of David Gommon, published by Sansom & Co. The Art Stable is delighted to be presenting the fourth exhibition of paintings by David Gommon, and delighted too that his work is being celebrated and documented in the wonderful monograph which is being published by Sansom & Co at the same time. This is the first comprehensive overview of Gommon’s work, with a text by Philip Vann and it places Gommon’s work within the wider context of his times and the radical currents of contemporary art during the mid C20th. The Art Stable, Kelly Ross Fine Art, Child Okeford, Dorset DT11 8HB. kellyross@theartstable.co.uk. 07816 837905.
Until 31 October
Brian Rice Exhibition of Found Object Constructions. Brian is usually known for his colourful and beautifully made abstract paintings. But for the past 25 years he has also been making works from scrap and found materials. He began collecting ‘interesting’ things in the 1960’s and has continued up to the present. This show is the ultimate in recyling for fans of rusty metal, abandoned textiles, rural archaeology and board games. Finds from street markets, car boot sales and digging around two ancient farm houses have resulted in this extraordinary exhibition of sculptures and constructions. The secret Brian Rice has been revealed The Viewing Room, 13 Fore Street, Castle Cary, Somerset BA7 7BG www,georgiastoneman.com. 01963 202030.
Until 8 November
As Dreams Are Made on Marzia Colonna MRBS collages Fiamma Colonna Montagu ceramic sculpture. Petter Southall furniture. Two remarkable artists, Marzia Colonna and Fiamma Colonna Montagu, mother and daughter, will be exhibiting their harmonious and yet utterly individual and irresistible collages and sculptures alongside Petter Southall’s stunning furniture. The title ‘As Dreams are Made on’ refers to Shakespeare’s idea that life is an illusion, made up of dreams, fragments and memories. In this exhibition both artists are showing work which carries the quality of dreams, works resonant of deep sensory impressions and memories of colours and textures in nature. All three artists have completed large scale commissions and projects in the USA, Europe and the UK and have work in important collections internationally. ‘As Dreams are Made on’ is a celebration of the wonders of life. Sladers Yard Contemporary Art & Craft Gallery, Cafe Sladers, West Bay, Bridport Dorset DT6 4EL. Open Wednesday to Saturday 10am – 4.30pm. t: 01308 459511 gallery@sladersyard.co.uk sladersyard.co.uk.
Until 10 January 2026
A Life Outside: Hope Bourne on Exmoor. Exhibition at Somerset Rural Life Museum offers a new appraisal of the work and life of Exmoor writer and artist Hope Bourne. Open from 27 September 2025 to 10 January 2026, A Life Outside: Hope Bourne on Exmoor, is created in partnership with The Exmoor Society which cares for The Hope L. Bourne Collection. This exhibition considers Bourne’s status as one of the West Country’s most significant nature writers, whose work and way of life are especially prescient in this time of advancing environmental crisis. It draws on new research by writer and Guardian Country Diarist Sara Hudston, whose book A Life Outside: Hope Bourne on Exmoor will be published next year. Sara is co-curating the exhibition with Kate Best, for the South West Heritage Trust. Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury is open Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 am – 5.00 pm. For more information visit SRLM.ORG.UK.
