Grand Opening of a major new development at Project Workshops and exclusive preview of 'Summer Exhibition 2010 on Friday 7 May 6pm-9pm

Gala event: Grand Opening of a major new development at Project Workshops and exclusive preview of ’Summer Exhibition 2010 on Friday 7 May 6pm-9pm. Exhibition continues until Sunday 8 May.

Join Mandy and Richard Atkinson-Willes, owner of Project Workshops, on the weekend of the 8-9 May to celebrate the Grand Opening of their state of the art Bronze and Silver Foundry, purpose built Artist Workshops and spacious ‘Granary Gallery’, at Quarley, near Andover in Hampshire.

The Project Workshops Summer Exhibition gives visitors a rare opportunity to meet the Project Workshops artists in their studios and visit an exhibition of some of the very best contemporary artwork by over forty guest artists from across the UK.

To launch the exhibition, Richard and Mandy have organized a special gala evening on behalf of Alzheimer’s on the evening of Friday 7 May, when guests will be able to share a relaxing glass of wine with the artists and be first to see and buy from the exhibition before the crowds.

This year’s Gala evening will have an Italian theme, with musical interludes by ‘Hat stand Opera’, Mediterranean canap�s, a display of mouth watering motor cars by the Wessex Ferrari Group and an Italian tasting table hosted by wine experts, Caviste.

Central to the evening will be a silent charity auction of artwork donated by the artists on behalf of Alzheimer’s, where guests will be able to place bids for unique pieces, some of which have beenspecially made for the event. Admission to the gala evening on Friday 7 May is by pre-booked ticket only and all profits from the evening – including all proceeds from the auction are going to support Alzheimer’s.

The exhibition continues throughout the weekend, when visitors will be able to enjoy the exhibition in the ‘Granary Gallery’, two outdoor exhibitions of sculpture, homemade refreshments and a daily program of demonstrations in the Project Workshops studios—open 10am to 5pm daily. Entry tickets are �5, available on the day. There will also be a raffle for an array of exciting prizes in aid of Alzheimer’s.

For more information about the Summer Exhibition at Project Workshops, the artists taking part and a timetable of events throughout the weekend, visit www.project-workshop.co.uk.

More about the fabulous development

Project Workshop’s Bronze Foundry, one of the most modern and competitive in the country has moved to a purpose built foundry, a 4,000 sq ft state of the art establishment, which continues to supply sculpture casting services to artists across the region.

The team from the MFH Art Foundry, which was established at Project Workshops in 1992, made the decision to move to a new premises to increase capacity for life-sized portrait and animal sculptures and are using the move to re-name the company ‘Talos Bronze’, after the legendary bronze guardian of Crete.

Along with the Foundry comes the completion of an ambitious expansion programme providing six fabulous new workshops and the Granary Gallery, a spectacular timber barn which doubles as a covered exhibition space.

"The new buildings put Project Workshops on the map in more ways than one" says Richard Atkinson-Willes, who has overseen every detail of the construction project.

"The new design combines traditional with contem-porary and will enhance further the atmosphere of an already thriving community of artists and craft makers with a bronze and silver sculpture foundry at its heart."

Owners Richard and Mandy Atkinson-Willes established Project Workshops in 1989, in traditional Edwardian farm buildings and created the beautiful courtyard garden which gives the site its unique character.

The new development continues this farmyard model and uses traditional facing materials to complement the original buildings, but underneath the new workshops are the latest steel and concrete construction offering generous open-plan spaces and up-to-date facilities for art and craft businesses.

Included in the scheme is a magnificent timber-framed barn, which provides a landmark entrance to Project Workshops with its towering Dutch gabled roof and modern cedar cladding and also acts as the Workshop’s main exhibition space. When not in use as an exhibition hall the Granary Gallery will store the annual harvest from the farm.

Project Workshops is home to a diverse range of artists including:

Roman Glassmakers Mark Taylor and David Hill who specialise in making high quality reproductions of ancient Roman, medieval and eighteenth century glass vessels for collectors, museums and the film industry. In 2008 Mark Taylor was runner up in the Balvenie Artisan of the Year Award, which recognises those keeping ancient skills alive. Mark and David will be moving to one of the new larger workshops giving more space for their popular demonstrations and semi-nars.

Other residents include Elaine Peto, well known for her distinctive hand-built ceramic animal sculptures and potter Jennie Gilbert, acclaimed for her unique ‘Mishima’ range of tableware in reduction fired stoneware;

Tim Chadsey, a furniture designer who combines the traditional and modern craft skills needed to make furniture of the highest quality;

Geoff Hague, a knife maker who produces high quality, functional, as well as aesthetically satisfying cutting tools for the discerning user and space for collector;

Stonemasons Henry Gray and Robyn Golden–Hann, both of whom have worked on the restoration of Salisbury Cathedral: Henry specializes in stone sculpture while Robyn specializes in bespoke memorials providing a sensitive and personal experience;

Sculptor Elizabeth Hodgson, who creates complex constructions in copper and steel and also runs sculpture workshops in local schools;

Amy Goodman, renowned for her dynamic life-sized welded steel sculptures of horses and other animals, which she describes as ‘three-dimensional drawings’.

Project Workshops

Quarley, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 8PX , just off the A303

www.project–workshops.co.uk.