Contemporary and Country (C&C) present contemporary art and handmade objects by established artists and makers based in the east of England in pop-up exhibitions celebrating our rural surroundings.
The artists and makers whose work we display, live and work in smaller settlements in rural areas. They bring about a closer understanding of the countryside, encouraging greater consideration for nature, as its appreciation and preservation becomes ever more prescient to our time.
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MAKERS' MARK
C&C's Winter Collection: Handmade for the Home
The makers C&C work with use traditional techniques to lend everyday, crafted objects a contemporary aesthetic to suit the way we live now. Their creative process embeds these traditions within each piece as they are made, echoing their purpose. These objects are formed by the maker's material choice, design and production method to create something one-off, that no-one else will have. Whether it is fired, beaten, turned, carved, blown, or spun – each craftsperson has brought their skill, integrity and experience to our Makers' Mark selection by making the things they love to create, just a bit smaller. We are sure you will love them too!
VIEW MAKERS' MARK COLLECTION
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AVANT GARDENERS
The Stables at Houghton HallAvant Gardeners closed on Sunday 25 September, bringing our exhibition programme for 2022 to its conclusion. We would like to thank all the artists and makers who took part. We really appreciated your committment to the event this year. If you missed the exhibition there is a Downloadable PDF Brochure of the exhibition highlights (see below) and there are also works available to buy from this event online.
DOWNLOAD PDF BROCHURE
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GATEPOST
Latest news: artist activities, studio and gallery visits, exhibitions and events-
Living the Dream
Preparing for the year ahead with all its challenges and opportunities 15 November, 2022 We have witnessed fantastic night skies like this recently - this one painted by Norfolk based artist, Claire Cansick. Work like this reminds us of the natural beauty surrounding us but also represents the opportunity to lift our gaze to see beyond the evderyday (sometimes scary) realities faced these days. Can we really live the dream? -
C&C in Compendia Guide 2022/23
Compendia Guide: the inside track to Norfolk and Norwich 4 November, 2022 Compendia is a new, comprehensive guide to independent businesses and organisations that make Norfolk and Norwich so unique. It features the best for art and culture, art, eats, drinks, shopping, for sleep and healing in Norwich and Norfolk. -
Makers' Mark
Handmade objects crafted for the home 22 October, 2022 Our winter programme continues in presenting a capsule collection of bespoke handmade pieces from a selection of the makers we work with. All items are available for sale f- just in time for those looking for something special for Christmas gifts this year. -
Avant Gardeners Concludes
End of season at Houghton Hall Stables 30 September, 2022 We would like to thank all the artists and makers who have taken part in the event this summer. We appreciated your commitment to the event this year. It has been a long period to maintain the exhibition, during an unusually quiet season for Houghton Hall, and we supported the changes made by various contributors along the way to keep our presentation fresh. -
Spotlight: James Gladwell
Stitching a line, and then another Sep 2, 2022 James Gladwell draws directly with pencil onto found pieces of plain, usually fine cotton fabric, before sewing over the intricate designs with colourful cotton threads in cross stitch. James Gladwell was one of the first artists to attend the Barrington Farm centre in Walcott on the North Norfolk coast when it opened in 1987. -
Gallery Visit: Liz McGowan
The spirit wraps around me: nature as a second skin, 12 June - 25 August 12 August 2022 Environmental artist Liz McGowan asks questions of us in her current exhibition at Stapleford Granary, Cambridge. Liz explores her ideas through her creative collaboration with the detail, patterns and processes of landscape, calling attention to a continual multi-sensual exchange with our surroundings. -
Gallery Visit: Ernst Gamperl
At Houghton Hall, Norfolk, until 25 September Aug 3, 2022 Four years ago the sculptor and master wood turner Ernst Gamperl was given an oak tree that was thought to be one of the trees dating to ten years before the Houghton Hall Estate was first established three hundred years ago. It is an apposite celebration of the intervening three hundred year period, between the young sappling growing into a mature oak, its gradual demise, and transformation into Gamperl's hand-fashioned sculpture. -
Raising funds for international artist commissions
Working with BALTIC Contemporary 25 July, 2022 We have produced a nujmber of limited edition posters ( 100 of each) in celebrating the 300th anniversary of Houghton Hall. We are selling them to raise funds for to very worthwhile causes in 2022 -
River's Edge: Shoreline Finds
Sculpture by Jack Wheeler and Beth Groom 9 June, 2022 Jack Wheeler and Beth Groom are sculptors who met at Norwich Art School (NUA) while they were undergraduates, who have carved out their separate careers as a Carpenter specialising in hand-built timber buildings and as an Art Therapist working in a care facility for people with learning difficulties, while working together as artists on their creative projects. -
River's Edge: Bird Sculptures
A tribute to the life and work of Emily Mayer (November 1960 – April 2022) 3 June, 2022 Emily Mayer worked as a taxidermist, an artist and sculptor for many years using techniques as diverse as construction in wood, mechanical components, plastic, and of course her pioneering interest in taxidermy. We would like to thank the artist, John Locker, her husband for following through on Emily's initial commitment to the exhibition and allowing us access to her archive, to display a small selection of bird sculptures.
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MEDIA COVERAGE
View editorial advertising on C&C events in print, digital and broadcast media-
Compendia - A new giude to Norwich and Norfolk
4 November 2022 A local guide to the best independent places to eat, drink, play, shop, party, sleep and heal in Norwich and Norfolk. Including us on page 366-367 There is a high... -
Escape into Art
1 June 2020 Thanks to Dominic Castle, Editor of Norfolk magazine. It's June edition, just published, features Contemporary and Country on pp52 and 53 - take a look when you get your copy... -
OUTSIDE IN
Thank you to the team at Outside In who have helped publicise the inclusion of artist James Gladwell's textile work in Avant Gardeners 3 May 2022 MORE WORK BY JAMES GLADWELL -
About Suffolk
River's Edge opens 7 June April - June 2022MORE ABOUT THIS ARTICLEWe re delighted to be festured in Issue 1 of the newly published About Suffolk pubpished by About Media.See p32 and p51.
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Art in Norwich
10 February 2022 We begin our 2022 season with ssome announcements of pop-up events at Houghton Hall this coming summer. We are also happy to confirm a two week exhibition showing new paintings... -
Pop, Rock, Paper Scissors
19 June 2021 A big thank you to Rowan Mantell of the EDP for an enthusiastic article highlighting the work of Norwich-based pop artist Colin Self. He is one of the most celebrated... -
Arty Facts – North Norfolk Living
15 May 2020 -
Eastern Promise: contemporary art on the Norfolk Coast
31 May 2019 Thanks to theguardian travel section for coverage of Festival2019 – our latest popup in the stables at Houghton Hall. We were contacted by journalist Kate Simon who wanted our help... -
Focus on Norfolk
17 April 2017 > More details -
How to Spend it
8 October 2017 How To Spend It has been part of the Financial Times for more than 40 years and from 1994 has been published as a large-format glossy magazine. Widely regarded as... -
How Norfolk became the ideal weekend break for art lovers
4 August 2017 'With work this beautiful, you might just return to London with more than you bargained for.' Ravneet Ahluwalia (London Evening Standard) . > More details on this article -
What women really want for Christmas
7 December 2017 > More about this article
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