Sculpture Exhibition

For one week only, The Secret Gardens of Sandwich, in Sandwich, East Kent, will be turned into a living art gallery, displaying work by some of the region’s most innovative, contemporary sculptors.

Stunning pieces of art will sit alongside some of the best garden specimens in the South East when The Secret Gardens open the gates for their third annual Sculpture Exhibition, as part of the Sandwich Festival.

More than 35 artists are taking part in the exhibition, which will showcase work by Pure Form, a group founded by renowned local artist and sculptor Patrick Crouch, with a focus on direct stone carving.

The pieces of stone used by the group are largely reclaimed pieces of old architecture with many coming from historic buildings in Canterbury, including the Cathedral, as a result of restoration work.

The Pure Form Group celebrates the work of Henry Moore, the foremost stone carver of his time who lived and worked in Canterbury. The exhibition will showcase contemporary carving at its best. All the work is unique and inspiring and many of the sculptures are made out of French limestone, a material also used in the restoration of Canterbury Cathedral. The group comprises of an eclectic mixture of up to 70 people ranging from professional artists, to clockmakers and even a yoga teacher.

In addition to the exhibition there will be live sculpting going in the gardens so that the public can witness the transformation from raw material to piece of art and, for the first time this year, all the exhibits - magnificent pieces of contemporary, abstract and figurative art - will be auctioned on the final day.

The exhibition, which takes place from Monday August 23 to Monday August 30 (Bank Holiday Monday) has grown from strength to strength since being founded in 2008 and now attracts international interest.

The Secret Gardens are a Lutyens/Jekyll designed garden sitting alongside the quay in Sandwich. After years of neglect, the current owners have spent more than £2m returning the gardens to their former glory, enabling them once again to be shared with the public.

The gardens, designed in line with Gertrude Jekyll’s concept of ‘rooms,’ includes the Tropical Border, Spring Garden, Vegetable, Kitchen, White and Yellow Gardens. Work on restoring the Long Border has just been completed and can be seen in its full glory this summer, just as Jekyll intended.

The Gardens, together with the exhibition, will be open from 10am - 5pm daily as part of Sandwich Festival Week. Normal admission prices apply during the exhibition.

The Secret Gardens’ luxury Tea Rooms will also be open serving light lunches and homemade cream teas throughout the festival. Admission to both the Tea Rooms and the new Gift Shop, with its eclectic range of unusual gifts, is free.